Businesses In Blaenau Gwent Utilising The Business Support Available To Grow

Benefit from a free event to help your business providing digital, marketing and business expertise in partnership with Google – Tuesday 24th January 2017 ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council’s BG Effect has hosted a number of successful networking events to help support local businesses in Blaenau Gwent; new and existing. The next business networking event will be held on Tuesday 24th January in partnership with Google Digital Garage. The event will focus on providing businesses with digital, business, marketing and financial advice and support. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Harris and Dimes advertising is one of a number of businesses that has been supported through the Council’s regeneration team. The company based in Ebbw Vale provides advertising services such as copyrighting, consultancy, photography and design and print services. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Daniel Harris Founder & Creative Director of Harris and Dimes said: ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“I’ve found the global marketing and advertising industry has come to an interesting crossroads in recent years. It’s a crossroad that has left many small business owners around the world confused as to how they should be marketing their business in an ever-changing enterprise environment and with new, often younger, competition to face. Blaenau Gwent has been no exception to this. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“Businesses in Blaenau Gwent, like many other small boroughs, are very traditional in a number of ways, including their marketing efforts. While there are still many benefits to traditional marketing methods, there is no greater importance in today’s business marketing sphere than a digital presence. No matter the size or nature of your business, it needs to have a digital presence in order to effectively compete with not only bigger competitors but local competition as well. Many businesses in Blaenau Gwent and indeed the South Wales valleys, operate day-to-day with no website or even a social media presence; two cornerstones of effectively marketing a business in 2017. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“However, Blaenau Gwent enterprises are very fortunate as they have the BG Effect business networking community available to them. With almost 1200 businesses in the Effect community it allows businesses to not only be referred to marketing, advertising and digital specialists but to bridge the gap between traditional or even no marketing efforts to digital in a safe and assured business environment. BG Effect is not only helping businesses in the area recognise the necessity of a digital presence, it is also ensuring the support of local marketing and digital businesses such as my own in being able to provide the necessary services.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Businesses in the area, like Harris and Dimes can benefit from the skills, financial support and advice available through Blaenau Gwent Council’s regeneration team and initiatives that it runs such as BG Effect, to help set up a business or to take your business to the next level. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The BG Effect event on 24th January has partnered up with Google’s Digital Garage to provide digital expertise to businesses within the area. A number of other business services provided by the Council and its partners will also be available at the event: ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

• Tell Your Story Online – Learn how to make your website shine across all devices and improve your digital presence through social media, online video and Google my business.
• Reach New customers Online – Learn how to make your business more visible online to help new customers find you through search optimisation, local listings and search engine marketing.
• The Effect Marketing Zone – Marketing related services available from local businesses
• On-site Business Support – General business support will also be available from BG Effect, Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council and Business Wales
• Financial Assistance – Potential grant assistance from Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council (Kick Start grant and Kick Start +).
  Free service called ‘Get Blaenau Gwent Online’ to help people in Blaenau Gwent to get online and making the most of technology.
• Informal Networking – Learn from others; share experiences, advice and support, new contacts, local trading opportunities, business generation
  Other Support –
• Superfast Business Wales – a fully-funded business support service that can help business exploit the array of digital technologies available.
• Business Wales – The Welsh Government’s Business Wales service supports new and established businesses in Wales.

The BG Effect event will be taking place Tuesday 24th January 2017, 5.00-7.30pm at the General Offices, Steelworks Road Ebbw Vale (NP23 6AA) ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

To register for the event visit: http://eventpilot.evolutive.co.uk/eventDetails.aspx?siteId=323&eventNo=18077 ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​