More online support for start-ups offered in Coventry & Warwickshire

A new online support line has been launched for start-up businesses, or those businesses looking for support to grow out of the Coronavirus crisis.

The Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce’s Accelerated Growth team will hold one-to-one conversations with owners and managers of companies of all sizes and sectors every Tuesday between 11am and 1pm.

The 111 Take Action Tuesday calls will offer 20-minute slots for businesses to book in with Chamber business advisers who will be able to offer information on everything from business planning and marketing to grant funding.

The support line is part of the Coventry & Warwickshire Business Support Programme and is part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund and by Coventry City Council. It will launch on Tuesday, August 11, as a platform to help firms grow out of the current crisis but could be continued if it proves popular.

Helena Bassett, a business adviser at the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “When the virus first hit, we were getting dozens of calls a day from businesses looking for advice to help them survive.

“It was very much a case of all-hands-on-deck to help businesses get through the very strict lockdown period.

“In the past couple of weeks, we have been starting to see more businesses looking for advice to help them look to the future, how to diversify, how to manage their operations within government guidelines, and ultimately how they can grow.

“We would have held this kind of session at venues around the city and the county prior to COVID-19, but thanks to the way that businesses have taken to online video calls, we believe it makes sense to do it this way.

“And, even when the crisis is over, we may look to operate this way because it’s much easier for clients as they don’t have to travel to get to us.”

Helena added: “We can offer advice on a range of areas of business – including marketing, planning, grant funding and we can also point companies in the right direction for other forms of support, be it overseas trade or help with training.

“So we’d urge companies whether they are thinking of starting up, recently set up or they are already established in Coventry and Warwickshire to make the most of our Take Action Tuesdays and find out how we can help them to grow once again.”

You can book directly via the Chamber Event website at https://www.cw-chamber.co.uk/events/ or through Eventbrite.