A NEW support initiative is being rolled out to boost rural businesses across Staffordshire.
Succeed and Grow is a fully-funded programme from Staffordshire County Council, offering microbusinesses expert advice in areas including marketing, law and finance.
To be eligible, the SMEs need to turnover under £632,000, employ less than ten staff and have been trading for more than five years.
Those that meet the criteria can benefit from targeted support from industry experts in areas including graphic and website design, logo and branding, social media support and content creation.
Advice on taxation, budgeting, business planning, accounting, investment and HR is also available.
Staffordshire County Council’s deputy leader and cabinet member for economy and skills, Cllr Philip White, said:
“Succeed and Grow forms part of our comprehensive package of support for new and growing small businesses in Staffordshire.
“This is making a real difference to them in successfully getting off the ground, establishing their operations and then putting expansion plans in place.
“Research shows that one of the most effective ways for microbusinesses to grow is through the support of professional services consultants in areas such as accountancy, human resources, business planning, marketing, and legal services.
“In line with this, we’ve launched Succeed and Grow across rural Staffordshire, where we know there are a wide variety of businesses eligible for this type of help.
“We feel it will be invaluable in helping drive the rural economy forward and the success for SMEs in these areas that have growth ambitions.”
Businesses can find out more and check they are eligible on the Succeed and Grow website.