Fifty micro-businesses in Staffordshire are set to receive a welcome boost – as part of a newly-launched programme which aims to help boost productivity through technology.
Staffordshire Business School – which is part of the Small Business Charter – has recently been awarded Government funding to help support the enterprises through The Leading to Grow Programme.
The initiative will see free support offered to Staffordshire-based micro-businesses which employ up to nine people.
Now businesses are being urged to apply to take part in workshops around how to use existing technologies and improve efficiency and profitability.
The funding has been made available through the Government’s £8 million Business Basics Programme run by the Department of Business, Energy, Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and Innovate UK.
Hazel Squire, head of department at Staffordshire Business School, said: "As a digital university, this learning is an essential part of our offer to students and we’re delighted to be able to run The Leading to Grow Programme for small businesses in our region who may not have had access to this level of training and expertise.
"This is in-keeping with our Civic University commitment as it will ultimately enable businesses to grow and become more successful and have a positive impact on skills and the region’s economy.
"The programme will run from January and we are inviting interest from small businesses in our region who fit the criteria."
The UK’s 1.1 million micro-businesses employ over four million people and contribute £533bn to the UK economy.
Anne Kiem, executive director of the Small Business Charter and chief executive of the Chartered Association of Business Schools, said: "We are excited to be working with business schools to help improve the productivity of a range of micro-businesses.
"The pace of technological advances means that today’s small firms who embrace innovation will be tomorrow’s success stories."
For more information about the Leading to Grow programme email Eloise White at Staffordshire Business School on Eloise.White@staffs.ac.uk.
