Business support project set for another three years in Northumberland

Business Northumberland have been given the go-ahead to continue to deliver fully-funded support to SMEs in the county until 2022.

Over the previous three years, Business Northumberland – which is delivered by Advance Northumberland – has hosted a range of workshops, events and networking meetings for the benefit of more than 400 small businesses across the region.

The project provides 12 hours of support to registered businesses and, as a result, more than 100 new jobs have been created.

An updated programme of support - set to launch next month - will focus on supporting local businesses to increase their digital skills will cover a range of subjects including digital marketing, strategy, social media, websites and e-commerce.

The need to bridge the digital skills gap has been identified as a key business driver – with studies demonstrating that less than 15% of SMEs have websites which enable their customers to buy directly from them online. Those that do grow, on average, five times faster.

The programme provides support to small and medium enterprises across the North East who are looking to sustain and grow their business and is match funded so there is no cost to eligible businesses.

To register a business, go to https://www.businessnorthumberland.co.uk/index.php/registration