NewsExmouth Means Business Show20 October 2016 Exmouth Means Business Show on Thursday 27th October 2016 0930 - 1530 at Exmouth Community College.
Business Information Point launch new workshops19 October 2016
Business Information Point have recently added a number of new workshop topics to the Business Boost website.
Autumn Social - Skittles and Supper22 September 2016
We will be hosting a fun social evening of skittles with supper after our Annal General Meeting on Tuesday 18th October at the Catherine Wheel in Hemyock. Everyone is welcome to attend. The AGM starts at 6:30pm, followed by supper in the restaurant at 7pm (Chilli and Potato Wedges) and a fun evening of skilttles. Everyone is welcome, £7.50 per person for BHBA Members, £10.50 for non members. Places must be pre-booked by following the link by Friday 14 October. All drinks are payable at the bar.
21 September 2016 A30 Improvements - Consultation Reminder
The deadline for responses to the consultation on proposed improvements to the A30 between Honiton and Devonshire Inn is Friday 30 September. Devon County Council are promoting an improvement to A30/A303 Honiton to Ilminster section of the corridor to London. As a first phase of improvement, Devon County Council are proposing to identify a Preferred Route for 8km (5 miles) between Honiton and Devonshire Inn. Find out more.
Thelma Hulbert Art Gallery in Honiton Needs Your Help!20 September 2016
The Thelma Hulbert Gallery has been shortlisted as regional finalists to go forward to a public vote in Tesco’s Bags of Helpproject! The gallery stands to win a grant of £12,000, £10,000 or £8,000 for our community garden. Voting is open in Honiton, Axminster and Seaton Tesco stores from 31 October – 13 November. Customers will be able to cast their vote using a token given to them at the check-out in store each time they shop. The project with the highest number of votes across the region will receive £12,000, the second placed project £10,000 and the third placed project £8,000. Bags of Help sees money raised by customers through Tesco’s 5p bag charge go directly back into the local community. If we win, we want to expand our community garden for more local people to enjoy. · £8,000 would help us add more seating and fund local primary schools to create a mosaic table for everyone to use. · £10,000 would go towards creating a sensory pathway using musical instruments made in workshops with East Devon community groups. This would really make a difference to our visitors with visual impairments and those living with Dementia. · £12,000 would give us much needed tools for our garden volunteers and new plants to use in dyeing and printmaking workshops for all the community.
If you or your family and friends shop in these stores, please vote for them and spread the word!
TWO new grants available through Devon County Council20 September 2016 Two grants available Devon County Council has two grants available that you might be interested in, or know someone who would be. Grants of up to £20,000 (max 50% intervention rate) to support the development of work hubs across Devon. email [email protected] to register your intention to bid by 5pm on Friday 30th September. Applicants will receive support and advice to put together their application with a business advisor and the full application deadline is 5pm on Friday 21st October. Guidance can be found online: https://www.devonworkhubs.co.uk/apply-for-work-hub-funding/ Devon Enabling Fund District and town councils can get up to £10,000 to contribute to the cost of assessing land for the development of work space. The maximum grant is £10,000 for up to 50% of the total eligible cost of the project. The deadline is at 5pm on Friday 7th October 2016. Application forms and guidance can be requested by emailing: [email protected]
AGM Skittles and Supper Evening13 September 2016 Tuesday 18th October 2016
Your are invited to our Annal General Meeting followed by Skittles and light supper on Tuesday 18th October at the Catherine Wheel in Hemyock. Everyone is welcome to attend. The AGM starts at 6:15pm, followed by Skilttes and Supper at 7:15pm. £10 per person, payable on the night. All drinks are payable at the bar. BOOK Please let us know if you're coming so we can order food for you! Tel: 07826 581365 or email [email protected]
FREE - Social Media Master Class12 September 2016
FREE Social Media Masterclass Social Media has the power to transform any business. Peter and Laura of Introtweet will discuss in this seminar how businesses of any sector can best utilise Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to reach their customers, prospective customers and target audience. Attend this seminar to pick up tips and tricks on extending your Facebook reach, using twitter to build your brand awareness & learn how you can use Instagram to gain an instant new audience! This will be a one-hour theatre style presentation, there is no requirement to bring along a laptop but certainly a notebook and pen! 10:30am Welcome refreshments 11am Social Media Masterclass followed by Q&A 12midday Networking 12:30pm Close This is a FREE EVENT to BHBA members, or £10 to non-members – places are limited so please book your place here. Introtweet are the locally renowned Social Media experts http://introtweet.com/
Growth Support 1 to 1 Service is now available18 August 2016
Growth Support 1 to 1 Service is now available Eligible businesses can now access a fully funded one to one advice session with a Business Adviser through our new Growth Support Service. The service is aimed at both new and established businesses with Growth ambition. · Agriculture and fisheries · Farm diversification · Food processing · Tourism · Retail · Care sector and services such as childcare and nursing homes · Social Enterprises Sectors where other funded business support services are currently available such as manufacturing and export are ineligible for this service. If you are unsure whether you fit the criteria for the service or to speak directly to one of the team on 03456 047 047.
The Queens Awards for Enterprise17 August 2016
Applications open until the 2nd September 2016. You have until the 2nd September 2016 to create an account and apply for the Queen’s Awards for Enterprise, which are for outstanding achievements by UK businesses in the categories of: Ø Innovation - for commercial success as a result of innovation Ø International trade - for growth and commercial success in international trade Ø Sustainable development - for commercially successful products, services and management that benefit the environment, society and the economy Ø Promoting opportunity - for social mobility programmes that help people from disadvantaged backgrounds into successful working lives. Previous winners include many small and medium-sized companies. Winners have reported benefitting from worldwide recognition, increased commercial value, greater press coverage and a boost to staff morale.
What a great day at the Honiton Show!17 August 2016 Thank you to everyone for their support in the Blackdown Hills Marquee at the Honiton Show, here are some lovely pictures of our exhibitors having fun and proud to showcase their businesses.
BHBA raises essential funds for Devon Freewheelers #BloodBikes17 August 2016
Thank you to everyone who visited the Blackdown Hills marquee at the Honiton Show on 4th August 2016. We all had a fantastic day, and thank you to everyone who took part in our treasure hunt game and rasied a whopping £280 for Devon Freewheeler Blood Bikes! We will have the offical presnettion shortly and share images with you. The Devon Freewheelers are a team of 50 volunteer Emergency Vehicle drivers who are dedicated to providing a weekday out of hours service (17.00 – 06.00) and 24/7 weekend service supporting the NHS in delivering essential Blood, Samples, Medication and Donor Breast Milk to hospitals throughout Devon. www.bloodbikesdevon.org.uk #BloodBikes
Keep in touch on Social Media17 August 2016 Don't forget you can keep in touch with all our news, events and information on our Social Media pages: LIKE Blackdown Hills Business Association Follow and tweet @BHBAcoordinator
Tweet and post all your news and we'll be sure to follow and support you!
Gigaclear sponsors at the Honiton Show16 July 2016 We are delighted to announce that Gigaclear are the new sponsors of the BHBA Marquee at the Honiton Show which takes place on Thursday 4th August 2016.
Gigaclear was founded in December 2010 by its Director and Chief Executive, Matthew Hare. The company is dedicated to building and operating ultrafast, pure fibre-to-the-premises broadband networks in rural Britain. It has delivered to over 20,000 properties to date. Gigaclear are working on a project which aims to build their network in Devon and Somerset, starting with the Blackdown Hills area. Residents and business owners who live locally and would like access to the UK’s best broadband speeds should sign up to Gigaclear’s service now.
Contact Gigaclear: Tel 01865 591151
The BHBA is raising funds for the Devon Freewheelers13 July 2016
This year at the 126thHoniton Show, the team in the BHBA marquee will be raising funds for the Devon Freewheelers. Come along and visit us in the lower field between the vintage tractors and the West of England Hound arena. We are proud to promote our fantastic array of members all of whom run a business in the Blackdown Hills and surrounding market towns and villages. Once again there will be local craftsmen and women, food producers, artisans, service providers and activities you can get involved in. The Blackdown Hills Hedge Association and Wildwood Escot will be displaying their fantastic skills and expertise giving you the opportunity to get hands-on experience. Search for the treasure chest! How well do you know the area of the Blackdown Hills? Find the hidden treasure to win a beautiful hamper full of homemade and specialist products from businesses within the Blackdown Hills for you to enjoy! All funds raised will be donated to the exceptional Devon Freewheelers. The Devon Freewheelers are a team of 50 volunteer Emergency Vehicle drivers who are dedicated to providing a weekday out of hours service (17.00 – 06.00) and 24/7 weekend service supporting the NHS in delivering essential Blood, Samples, Medication and Donor Breast Milk to hospitals throughout Devon. www.bloodbikesdevon.org.uk #BloodBikes
Free workshops with Business Boost30 June 2016
Business Boost have recently added a number of new workshops to their schedule including some new topics.These will be running throughout July, August and September. They are free to attend but places are limited so it's best to book early to avoid disappointment. If you are interested in this please either call 0800 592 872 or email [email protected].
Start-up Britain Tour Bus coming to Exeter30 June 2016
The national enterprise campaign StartUp Britain, run by the Centre for Entrepreneurs, is hitting the road again this summer to provide inspiration and support to thousands of aspiring entrepreneurs. Now in its fifth year, the StartUp Britain bus tour, powered by NatWest, will visit a record 30 towns and cities over six weeks. The StartUp Tour is part of an ongoing partnership between StartUp Britain and NatWest that takes a beautiful 1966 Routemaster bus, owned by the bank, across the country to promote entrepreneurship. Parking in high-footfall town squares and offering free, impartial advice, the bus tour celebrates entrepreneurial communities across Britain and inspires individuals to turn their business ideas into action. The StartUp Tour will have a distinctly local flavour this year, with energetic entrepreneurs recruited in each town to get on board and give advice. They will be joined by local ‘experts’ including accountants, lawyers and professional business advisors. Also on-board will be representatives of national partners including the Intellectual Property Office, the National Enterprise Network and the British Library Business & IP Centre Network. For full details follow StartUp Britain
**NEW** Businesses in Devon have the oportunity for further grants17 June 2016 Businesses in Devon have the opportunity to bid for a new round of grant funding to help them reach new customers and clients, following the initial success of the scheme earlier this year. Devon County Council launched the Business Promotion Grant in February as part of its Devon Delivers programme, which aims to highlight the benefits of locating a business in the county. Grants of up to £1,000 were awarded to 12 Devon companies earlier this year to promote their goods or services to national and international trade audiences. Businesses across Devon are being invited to submit an application for a grant by Friday 1 July 2016. The funding will support eligible businesses to cover direct exhibiting costs of attending trade shows or events between next month and March 2017 Full details can be found here
373 Group - Business Awards open to any business in the South West16 June 2016 It's time to recognise those businesses that do a fantastic job but never get recognised. Those that hide their lights under several bushels, are backwards in coming forwards, and shrink as only violets can. Are you one or do you know businesses that are? Then now is your time!
Any business within the South West is eligible but needs to be nominated via twitter using the #373awards and category hashtag (for example, #BestStartup, #BestEnv etc). You can't nominate yourself but otherwise there are no rules. The final 3 in each category will be chosen by a panel of judges who will do their bes The awards will be given out at the 373 Group Summer Bash on Thursday 14th July, 2016 at the Deer Park Hotel, between 19:00 to 21:00.
Book tickets to attend the social evening and awards night on 14th July here
The new Tourism Awards for Somerset, Bristol and Bath07 June 2016 The Tourism Awards for Somerset, Bath and Bristol have been launched to help raise the profile of the region and recognise its top operators. Entry is free, the programmes being funded by a range of sponsors and partners, and all entrants receive feedback.
There are twenty different categories including Restaurants, Cafes & Tearooms, Pubs, Attractions, Activity providers, Glamping, Boutique Small Hotel and Large Hotel, Self Catering, Holiday Parks and B&Bs, Business and Venue Tourism, Events and Festivals and Tourist Information Providers. There are also awards for Sustainable Tourism, Dog Friendly Businesses, Accessibility, International Visitor Experience and Outstanding Customer Service.
The Tourism Awards will culminate at an Awards Dinner on 19th October, with winners automatically considered for the South West Tourism Excellence Awards and the national VisitEngland awards in 2017.
The deadline for entering has been extended to midnight on 27th June, but businesses are encouraged to start preparing now and not leave it to the last minute. Please see HOW TO ENTER. If you have any queries please contact [email protected] Follow us @BBSTourismAward
Markets and Street Trading in East Devon06 June 2016 The issue of markets and street trading in East Devon could affect you in terms of your location, your business or for other reasons – Please be sure to respond if you want your views to be considered!
East Devon is a small business economy with almost 90% of our businesses being sole traders or having less than ten employees. We are a strong farming and food production location with coastal and market towns and communities set in a strong rural and coastal environment. We want to know what you think about our proposal to change how street trading works in East Devon, which we believe would help make the most of these strengths and improve the local economy by encouraging more opportunities for well managed markets, festivals and street trading across the district.
Street trading includes stalls at outdoor events, stalls in the street, outdoor markets, festivals, food vans at the side of the road. Anything where someone is selling goods or services on the streets or on outside pedestrian areas or open spaces.
At the moment in the vast majority of East Devon, street trading is either prohibited or we have no way of making sure it is properly managed. Our idea is to change this to a system that would lift the current bans and more closely manage street trading by requiring anyone wanting to trade on the street to apply to us for consent to do so.
The results of this consultation will be taken into account when deciding whether to advance this proposal.
Please let us know what you think by taking part in the consultation online at: www.eastdevon.gov.uk/streettrading
Thank you
Richard Cohen
Joint event launch for Making it Local and REAL Devon01 June 2016 The joint launch event for Making it Local and REAL Devon was held at the stunningly beautiful Muddifords Court in Willand on 9th May 2016 and was a wonderful evening The evening presentations began with a brief overview of the LEADER programme by Dominie Dunbrook the Programme Manager for both Making it Local and REAL Devon.
Cllr Paul Diviani, Chairman of Making it Local, spoke about his involvement with Making it Local for many years and gave a flavour of the changes that have happened since the first tranche of funding. Paul told the attendees about how much good the money has achieved previously and how there is still a long way to go and that this funding is incredibly important to help businesses in these rural areas.
Opportunities on Hinkley Supply Chain05 April 2016
Hinkley C Construction – Contract Opportunities for Devon and Somerset Businesses The Hinkley Supply Chain Team are encouraging businesses in Devon and Somerset to make the most of the valuable opportunities around the Hinkley Point C project The project will require a range of capabilities including: Construction – Civil works, building trades, material and component supplies, construction services (fuel, plant, waste management), Mechanical and Electrical – Steel Fabrication, Machine shop, Precision and HVAC components, Non Destructive Testing, Electrical components and contracts, Control and Instrumentation Services – Professional and Technical, Hard and soft services, transport, training, catering Real engagement with significant contract value is already happening. In the last few years over 200 businesses in the South West have been awarded over £100million of contracts and a further 35 businesses in six supplier groups are preferred bidders for £250million of contract value over the construction period. Action: As part of a programme of business support and in partnership with East Devon District Council we are holding a small number of one to one business clinics on Thursday 14th April to help explain what opportunities may arise and how best to access the project information. These one to one sessions are limited in number, so please contact Alan on 01823 443425 to book your slot. Information: As part of its procurement strategy for Hinkley Point C, EDF Energy has partnered with the Somerset Chamber of Commerce to manage the Hinkley Supply Chain Team which is delivering a supply chain solution for EDF Energy and its contractors by engaging with both Somerset and South West businesses that want to become part of the supply chain. With 90 Tier 1 contractors each planning to deliver £100’s of million value contracts and each with multiple Tier 2 and 3 supply chain requirements the opportunity for local and south west supplier is both large and complex. By registering your businesses details and capabilities on www.hinkleysupplychain.co.uk your company details can be searched and viewed by the authorised users from the various Tier 1 preferred bidders. To register your interest in the project and to receive up to date information including details of the various work packages please visit www.hinkleysupplychain.co.uk
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