21/03/2023

Hertfordshire businesses attend our flagship event

Hertfordshire Growth Hub’s ‘All The Help You Can Get’ event supports small businesses to stay resilient and competitive

Hertfordshire Growth Hub’s flagship annual event ‘All The Help You Can Get’ took place on Friday 10^th March, showcasing the strength of the county’s business support network. Aimed at those looking to start, grow or scale their business in Hertfordshire, the event gave entrepreneurs the chance to gain actionable advice, discover opportunities and connect with the wealth of support available locally.

Following a three-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the show returned with the theme ‘Staying Resilient and Competitive’ to help address the ongoing challenges faced by businesses relating to rising costs, EU exit and the war in Ukraine. We have been listening to the businesses in Hertfordshire to help structure the tailored workshops so that they are relevant to reflect the needs and wants of our county.

The show was opened by Adrian Hawkins OBE, Chair of Hertfordshire LEP, and Chair of the LEP’s Skills & Employment Board, who said: ““I am absolutely delighted to welcome back this flagship business support event to Hertfordshire. The name says it all in the title – All The Help You Can Get. Herts Growth Hub was set up in 2015 by Hertfordshire LEP to do just that. Since then it has supported thousands of businesses to size up and scale up.”

Delegates also heard from Adam Moreley, Creative Sector Lead at Hertfordshire LEP, who spoke about opportunities for businesses in the county, as well as three inspirational business leaders who had previously been supported by the Growth Hub, including Fiona Edwards, Head of Sustainability at JPA Workspaces; Stewart Hunt, Director at Apex 360; and Duncan Green, Director at Momentum Business Development.

Once the fireside chat had come to a close, clients had the opportunity to attend a range of our workshops to finish the morning and start off the afternoon. Some of the key topic areas for these workshops were Net Zero and Supply Chain, Leadership and Management, Recruitment, Workforce Development and Inclusion, Marketing, Protecting your Business and Finance and Funding. We would like to take this opportunity to thank those who held a workshop on the day these were very well attended and received so thank you to Innovate UK EDGE, Infusion Group, NatWest, Gilberts Chartered Accountants, Step 2 Skills, Focus 7, Hertfordshire Opportunities, Michael Niles Training and Media, The Eastern Cyber Resilience Centre, University of Hertfordshire, and Tender Assist.

Hear from one of the workshop presenters:

“A great event and conduit for professionals and business owners in the local area to meet and share ideas.” – Luke Parker, Gilberts Chartered Accountants

Over 20 organisations joined us on the day to exhibit, providing opportunities for networking with organisations including Suffolk Chamber Sizewell C Supply Chain , Wenta, Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce, University of Hertfordshire, Visit Herts, Opportunity Hertfordshire, Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership, Step2Skills, STANTA, Barclays Eagle Labs, NatWest, Herts Healthy Workplaces, Hertfordshire Libraries, FSB, Innovate UK EDGE, Better Business for all, Estu, CB4 Media, The Eastern Cyber Resilience Centre and The Department for International Trade.

Matt Clark, Partnership and Events manager at Hertfordshire Growth Hub would like to extend his thanks to all the partners who exhibited and those who delivered workshops on the day and to the business owners for attending the show and helping to make it a tremendous success.

For those who missed out please keep your eyes peeled for future events with which we are hosting/partnering. ‘All The Help You Can Get Business Support Show’ will return even bigger and better in 2024.

Hertfordshire Growth Hub is Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership’s flagship business support provider. Powered by Hertfordshire LEP, it is delivered by a consortium of partners, led by business support specialists Exemplas, with the University of Hertfordshire, Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce and Visit Herts. The service provides a central point of access for businesses in the county to access support and guidance to enable them to grow, scale and innovate, strengthening the Hertfordshire economy.

Getting in touch for support: speak to The Growth Hub’s team of experienced Business Advisers who can answer questions, make introductions, and find the answers you need. Contact us on 01707 952777.