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WCC launches new ‘Buy and Eat Local’ campaign
Businesses encouraged to feature in 'Buy and Eat Local’ video
Warwickshire County Council is inviting retailers and food establishments to send in short video clips from their mobile phones to have their businesses featured for free, in a series of short films to help promote each town.
The videos are part of a new ‘Buy Eat Local’ campaign, led by the County Council and partners, encouraging residents to continue to support local retail and food businesses, as we start to move out of the strict lockdown period.
Supermarkets, corner shops, banks, pharmacies and petrol stations have been able to remain open during the coronavirus lockdown. But that list is set to grow.
This week, open air markets and car showrooms, who are COVID secure, are allowed to reopen, while from 15 June, non-essential stores in England will also be able to reopen. This includes shops selling clothes, toys, books and electronics, as well as tailors, auction houses, photography studios, and indoor markets.
Any retail business which is open and/or offering delivery or collection services to its customers can take part. They simply need to send a short video-clip - taken on a phone or tablet - showing their products or shop-front by the 10th June to: towns@warwickshire.gov.uk
The clips are being compiled into short promotional videos encouraging people to shop and eat locally. The campaign is being kicked off with a video highlighting retail businesses in Stratford-upon-Avon and can be found at www.warwickshire.gov.uk/buyeatlocal
This ‘Buy and Eat Local’ webpage also provides links to any directories and facebook pages that have been produced by communities and town groups, to show businesses which are open, or due to open, in their local area as lockdown measures start to ease. This is a dynamic webpage which will evolve as the situation changes:
Cllr Izzi Seccombe, Leader of Warwickshire County Council says: "There are now so many ways we can back the Warwickshire businesses we know and love. Lots of our businesses have risen to the challenges of lockdown brilliantly and moved their processes online. Now, as lockdown starts to ease and more shops on our high streets start to re-open their doors, we need to continue to support them.
"These videos will encourage the people of Warwickshire to seek out and support their local independents - and keep supporting them into the future."
Lee Osborne, Development Manager for the Warwickshire and Coventry Federation of Small Businesses, said: “This is a really important campaign to boost local confidence. With the right support, we can make sure that local small businesses stay engaged with their local communities, have a wider customer reach and promote local products and services.”
The Federation of Small Businesses has produced a report entitled New Horizons which sheds light on the scale of small businesses’ efforts to help their communities during the current crisis. Among the recommendations that the report makes is that local authorities’ websites create an accessible database of local market traders and small businesses if they are available to deliver or sell locally.
To feature in the promotional video, send a short video clip of your business by 10th June to Towns@warwickshire.gov.uk
Tips for Clips
- Logo - try to include something with your logo on in the background
- Action - Be doing something related to your business such as loading a van, packing a bag, moving stock, putting stock on shelves etc….
- Sound - not needed! We will put background music on so just lots of smiles and waves to the camera please!
- PPE – make sure you are wearing it if required
For further help or advice on how to shoot your footage you can email towns@warwickshire.gov.uk or call 01926 738801
COVID Secure in the Workplace - Q&A webinar with WCC and partners.
Businesses looking to reopen and operate safely during the pandemic have many questions. There is a lot of guidance available from the Government online and from specific trade bodies, but companies may have specific questions about their own circumstances.
Warwickshire County Council and its local authority partners from the districts and boroughs recently delivered a highly successful Q&A webinar for businesses who have questions about reopening and operating safely during the pandemic.
A comprehensive panel fielded questions covering Public Health, Environmental Health, Trading Standards and Community Safety, Fire and Safety and the Police Service.
The hour-long webinar, ‘COVID Secure in the Workplace with Warwickshire County Council,’ contains much information which remains pertinent to businesses of all sizes and sectors and can be viewed here.
A similar panel will be available online from 1pm-2pm on Wednesday June 10th to discuss and field questions on ‘COVID Secure in the Workplace - Retail and Shop Branches’ timed to coincide with the opening of further retail from June 15th. To join the meeting please follow the link here:
A further panel is planned to cover ‘Hospitality and Personal Care’ with a date yet to be confirmed.
Other useful webinar links can be found on our ‘COVID Secure in the Workplace’ web pages on the Warwickshire County Council website.
Government guidance for business planning to reopen
Further guidance has been published by the Government to advise businesses how they can operate safely to protect staff and customers as more businesses prepare to re-open next week.
The economy is starting to take the virst steps to recovery with certain business, like outdoor markets and car showrooms reopening this week.
All other non-essential retail shops, including those selling clothes, shoes, toys, furniture, books, and electronics, tailors, auction houses, photography studios, and indoor markets, will be expected to be able to reopen from 15 June if the government’s criteria are met and they follow the COVID-19 secure guidelines.
Full details of the planned reopening can be found here. Further guidance for business planning to reopen can be found here.
A full range of information and advice on support available to business across Warwickshire can be found at the county council's coronavirus suport business pages.
Meanwhile, the Coventry & tWarwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership Growth Hub has have launched a new Recovery-themed area on our Coronavirus microsite. A programme of online workshops and webinars is planned including the first FinditinCW webinar which the Growth Hub will run with HS2 Ltd and their contractors Balfour Beatty and Vinci.
More workshops will be announced in the coming weeks so businesses are encouraged to keep a close eye on the Growth Hub Website and register with the new business opportunities website FinditinCW where the workshops will be hosted.
Tracey turns her dining-room table into a business powerhouse
"It has been a very busy time but it is lovely to be able to help people and the feedback and the support we have had makes it all worthwhile."
A Bedworth woman has reacted to the Covid-19 crisis in enterprising fashion by adapting her embroidery business to make more than 15,000 masks which she has distributed for free.
Tracey Redfern, who runs Bobbinz Embroidery based at the Centenary Business Centre, Nuneaton, has turned her dining-table into a manufacturing powerhouse.
For 13 years, her business has thrived at the Warwickshire County Council-run business centre. Now her usual stock-in-trade of personalised gifts and workwear has been temporarily transformed into face-masks - and the demand has proved colossal from people from the local area but also as far away as Scotland and Liverpool.
Due to her own health situation, Tracey is having to self-isolate for 12 weeks, but that has not prevented her from putting in some serious hours.
"It all started before lockdown when we saw what was coming and I made some masks for some friends locally," she said. "Then I put on Facebook that anyone who wanted any is welcome to get in touch and it just took off. My dining-room table has turned into a factory with the rolls being folded, cut to size, fitted with elastic and stitched.
"The masks are either posted out or, if the customer is local, can be collected. It is all done with strict adherence to social distancing. The boxes are left in the porch and picked up from there by the customer."
All the masks are manufactured and distributed for free - and Tracey's industry and kindness has also brought the best out of others.
"Companies have been wonderful," she said. "They have donated fabric, elastic, labels and envelopes and it is a big help that people have been so kind. Sometimes, parcels have just turned up on my doorstep totally unexpectedly.
"This is a very strange time for everybody and I do miss being able to go into Centenary Business Centre which has given us such a brilliant base for 13 years, but hopefully we'll be back there fairly soon.
"It has been a very busy time but it is lovely to be able to help people and the feedback and the support we have had makes it all worthwhile."
Anyone who would like any masks is welcome to email Tracey at tracey@bobbinz.com
Guthrie Douglas targeting growth after "incredible" Business Ready support
“When I was putting the growth plan together, I spoke to Business Ready straightaway. We have worked with them before and knew they could add value to what we were planning."
A Warwickshire company that specialises in manufacturing blinds for complex buildings is planning to more than double turnover and take on new staff after investing in its growth.
Guthrie Douglas, based at the Heathcote Industrial Estate, was established nearly 40 years ago and makes blinds which are sold all over the world. Recent orders include automated shading systems for the new Google Headquarters in London, through to a skyscraper in Sydney and a new airport in Kuwait.
The company saw an opportunity to grow by making more of the parts in-house and that meant purchasing a new CNC lathe and also adapting its Warwick headquarters to create more space.
The overall investment was £150,000 and, after contacting the Business Ready team at the University of Warwick Science Park, Guthrie Douglas secured a capital grant of £35,000 through Warwickshire County Council.
Business Ready is managed by the business support team at the University of Warwick Science Parkand is funded by the European Regional Development Fund and Warwickshire County Council as part of the CW Business: Start, Grow & Scale Programme.
Andrew Kitching, managing director of Guthrie Douglas, said the investment will see the company significantly increase its staff numbers and grow turnover from £2 million per annum to £5 million over a three-year period
He said: “By making more of the components in our blind systems in-house, we saw this as an opportunity to grow the business which is already trading very successfully.
“Around 80 per cent of what we do is export, mostly to high-end construction projects. We deliver projects in around 35 different countries each year and because of the nature of the jobs we are working on, it’s a very resilient market.
“When I was putting the growth plan together, I spoke to Business Ready straightaway. We have worked with them before and knew they could add value to what we were planning.
“They take a step back, look at the plan and will offer a good sounding board. Furthermore, they gave us an insight into what grants might be available and supported us in our application.
“We would have made some kind of investment without the support but what the help from Business Ready and Warwickshire County Council has allowed us to do is purchase a twin-spindle lathe which, without being too technical, means we can make parts much, much quicker.
“We’ve also created more space by adding a mezzanine floor which means we can increase both headcount and efficiency. We’re delighted to have received such incredible support and not only is it a boost for Guthrie Douglas but for the local economy too.”
Dirk Schafer, of the University of Warwick Science Park, said: “We are extremely pleased to have supported Guthrie Douglas. The company is a great example of a high-end manufacturer that wants to invest and grow.
“Through Business Ready, we have enabled the company to execute that plan more quickly and the grant funding has meant they could make a more significant investment that will deliver in stronger growth.”
Louisa Smith, of Warwickshire County Council, said: “We are really happy to support this kind of project within Warwickshire by way of a Small Capital Grant. Guthrie Douglas have shown themselves to be an innovative and ambitious business in the Leamington area who now have a worldwide presence.
“This investment, along with the advice received from our partners at the University of Warwick Science Park through the Business Ready programme, will not only assist increased productivity within their business but will also create new skilled jobs within the area.”
For more information on Business Ready and the help available go to http://www.business-ready.co.uk/,
Reallocation of road space will support town centres
Warwickshire County Council is working at pace on plans for the temporary reallocation of road space to pedestrians and cyclists to support the gradual re-opening of town centres as lockdown restrictions are eased.
The plans will see road space reallocated to support social distancing so that businesses can operate, the public can return to these locations with confidence and that they can be reached safely on foot or by bicycle.
Plans are being prepared for all of Warwickshire’s town centres. They incorporate key retail and leisure areas, connections to transport hubs, primary car parks and nearby employment centres, and the primary routes into and through town centres.
The location, extent and detail of schemes have yet to be finalised. The schemes will vary according to the characteristics and needs of individual towns but temporary measures could include a mix of full road closures, lane closures, the introduction of one-way systems and the suspension of some on-street town centre parking.
The measures will be introduced using temporary traffic management such as barriers, cones and signs including signs recently introduced by the Department for Transport to communicate social distancing messages and reminders to pedestrians.
Councillor Jeff Clarke, Warwickshire County Council’s Portfolio Holder for Transport and Planning, said: “The County Council is advancing with plans to temporarily change road layouts in our towns to give more space to cyclists and pedestrians and support social distancing. The first phase of this work is looking at how we can reallocate road space to reinvigorate our town centres and support the economic recovery.
“We are progressing this work rapidly with the aim of rolling out measures to coincide with the reopening of non-essential shops from 15 June onwards as announced by the Government. Future phases of work will consider additional infrastructure to encourage sustainable travel including accelerating delivery of our cycle infrastructure programme.
“We will be monitoring schemes closely to ensure they remain suitable and appropriate to local conditions in what is a fast-changing situation. The measures are intended to be temporary and, over time, we expect them to be reduced or removed as social distancing measures are relaxed and traffic levels increase.
“Developing solutions across Warwickshire is a significant and resource intensive task. There are a wide range of issues and community needs which require careful consideration and balancing. This includes the availability of traffic management equipment and the cost of introducing and maintaining measures which could run to several million pounds depending on the extent and duration of the interventions.”
On 9 May, the Government announced a £250 million emergency active travel fund for pop-up and temporary interventions which create a safe environment for walking and cycling. Warwickshire has received an indicative allocation £1.288 million from this fund.
Green shoots of recovery show as garden centres reopen
“The trade that these garden centres have been doing in the midst of the Coronavirus crisis is testament to the innovations and swift adaptability of our businesses in Warwickshire."
The green shoots of recovery from the Covid-19 restrictions have shown in another sector of business after nurseries and garden centres across Warwickshire were given the all-clear to re-open.
With social distancing measures still strictly in place and certain elements such as cafes still closed, nurseries and garden centre have been doing brisk business across the county. Customers have wasted no time sprucing up their outside spaces – with compost and furniture among the biggest sellers.
Stratford Garden Centre sprang into action shortly after lockdown by implementing a local delivery service to take supplies to customers within a six-mile radius. The company then set up a collection system before reopening its doors when Government relaxed restrictions on the sector.
Helen Lloyd, a director of the family-owned business, said: “We realised early on that people were still very keen to do work in their outside spaces and that for many that was a release from lockdown.
“Once the deliveries were in full swing, we then set up the collection service, and that has allowed us to bring furloughed staff back into the business.
“Customers were really thankful and we have had a really strong uptake and although it has been labour intensive it has really been worth doing.
“When we were given the green light to re-open, we formed a team to have responsibility for social distancing and hygiene and that has worked very well indeed. People have been very understanding and realise that the measures are in place for their safety and that of our staff.
“It has certainly rekindled people’s interest in their gardens and we can’t quite believe how much compost we have sold. We had 48 pallets of compost bags delivered – and they sold in a week.”
Family-owned Hilltop Garden Centre in Shilton has done a brisk trade in garden furniture as people realise their summer holiday options will be limited.
Grant Ashby, who runs the centre with his brother Kevin, said they had reconfigured the layout of the business to meet the restrictions.
“We have created a new entrance so it is separate from the exit and that allows us to control how many people are in the centre. It was good that we could learn off the best practice which has been set by the supermarket chains.
“As well as plants, people appear to have been growing patience as well – they have been really understanding!
“The re-opening came a bit late for vegetable growing, but we have done really well with bedding plants and also garden furniture. It seems that people have been investing in new furniture using money they had earmarked for summer holidays which will now be spent a lot closer to home – in the back garden.”
Cllr Izzi Seccombe, portfolio holder for economic development and Leader of Warwickshire County Council praised the businesses for implementing social distancing measures – and customers for their patience.
“The trade that these garden centres have been doing in the midst of the Coronavirus crisis is testament to the innovations and swift adaptability of our businesses in Warwickshire.
”It is clear that businesses are going to have to change the way they have been used to operating for the foreseeable future. This is an excellent example of just that and I am delighted by the way these businesses have demonstrated such ability to flourish safely.”
Catering Equipment Ltd going "from strength to strength" after one-to-one support
A North Warwickshire business is running out of space in its warehouse after a rising demand for its hand wash products.
Catering Equipment Ltd moved from 5,000 sq ft premises in Tyseley, Birmingham, to a 25,000 sq ft unit in Grendon Road, Polesworth, last May.
Before Covid-19, the forward-thinking business specialised in supplying wash basins to the catering and hygiene industry. But since the pandemic they have seen a rise in demand from hospitals throughout the UK for portable stainless steel sinks.
Following their move, the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership (CWLEP) Growth Hub introduced Catering Equipment Ltd to Warwickshire County Council for one-to-one support via the European Regional Development Fund CW Business – Start, Grow and Scale Programme.
The County Council helped Catering Equipment address various challenges in the business including raising finance. Catering Equipment received a grant for £1,532 from the Coventry and Warwickshire Business Support Programme Investment Fund towards the £7,660 cost of racking in the warehouse.
The Growth Hub also introduced them to the Coventry and Warwickshire Green Business Programme which is partly funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and is being delivered by Coventry City Council.
Catering Equipment Ltd invested £8,800 at its new premises supported by an additional £3,500 Green Business Programme grant which has resulted in a new combination boiler, air conditioning units and radiant heater, leading to around 47.3 tonnes of carbon dioxide emission savings per year and reduced energy costs.
Catering Equipment also received a grant for £1,532 from the Coventry and Warwickshire Business Support Programme Investment Fund towards the £7,660 cost of racking in the warehouse.
The grants are part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund and are being delivered by Coventry City Council who are the accountable body.
Anthony Prestage, a director at Catering Equipment Ltd, said the business was established 25 years ago to import high-quality catering equipment from Italy, Germany and France.
“It is always important to adapt to the market and that has been our plan over the last few weeks,” he said.
“We always try to be aware of market demands and with social distancing, there has been an increase in interest for portable sinks which can be moved to different wards or production lines.
“We have sold products to a number of hospitals including Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge and we are also talking to the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst for specialist hand basin equipment for 300 soldiers to wash their hands at the same time.
“When we moved to North Warwickshire, we didn’t think we would use all the warehouse space but it is currently stacked to the roof with our 638 product lines.
“The Growth Hub has been extremely helpful in advising us because after moving to new premises, we wanted to improve the heating and hot water systems by replacing the current boiler, air conditioning units and the warehouse hot air blowers with a radiant heater so the grants were really useful in helping to make this happen.
“With more and more businesses returning to work and thinking about installing hand washing sinks at exits and entrances, we will continue to operate a delivery-only service or collection for pre-ordered goods.”
Sarah Pagan, business development manager at the CWLEP Growth Hub, said: “Catering Equipment Ltd is celebrating its first anniversary in Polesworth and since moving to a unit five times the size of their previous premises, they are going from strength to strength.
“Their flexibility and adaptability are proving really important in their current success because they have thousands of components ready to supply to their customers all over the UK.”
Simeon Lee, inward investment officer at of Warwickshire County Council, said: “We were delighted to be able to assist Catering Equipment with their move to Polesworth. We helped them identify grant funding to support the capital investments needed to get the new warehouse fully operational.
“It is great to hear that the move has been such a success and how the various investments have provided the foundation for the growth of the business.”
'The Autistic Artist' fledges in business with Accelerate support
The Accelerate project, which offers employment advice and support to people trying to break through some of the common barriers holding them back, is still accepting referrals during Covid-19. Please visit www.accelerate.org.uk or call 024 7663 391 to see how their advisors can help you the way they helped 23-year-old Kitty to launch her business...
A young woman is painting a new future for herself after receiving support from leading employment support service Accelerate.
Kitty Kaur, who was diagnosed with autism four years ago, has overcome self-confidence issues and difficulties in social situations to launch a new business and feature in her first exhibition.
'The Autistic Artist' specialises in delivering creative art workshops to a host of community organisations and is also starting to offer a commissioning service for her paintings and sculptures.
Kitty has been supported by Tina Malin, Accelerate Journey Guide at Life Path Trust, who has provided one-to-one mentoring to address some of the challenges she faced, as well as a crucial introduction to Foleshill Creates, in Coventry.
“I really struggled at school and college and found it difficult when I was meeting new people or asked to do certain tasks,” explained Kitty. “Sometimes I was reluctant to go to places I didn’t know and the thought of talking in front of people would have scared me…well that was until I started to work with Accelerate and Tina.”
"Their advice, guidance and just having someone there to help me has transformed my life and given me the confidence to follow my dream and passion for the arts.”
“Doing a 9 to 5 job really isn’t for me. However, I quickly realised that I could channel my talent for art to teach people and to create pieces that people wanted to buy. It means I’ll be doing what I love every day and also learning new things and pushing myself to take on new challenges.”
Kitty has joined forces with her mum Gurdip Junjuha to launch the ‘Colours of Life’ exhibition at Belgrade Theatre in Coventry. This ran in November 2019 and featured some of her favourite pieces, including a spooky pumpkin, flamingo, theatre masks and Oscar the Octopus, which is fire clayed and took six weeks to produce.
“I am passionate about art and creating,” added Kitty. “When I get an idea, I just get into it and get lost in my own world. Being able to exhibit with my mum, who has been a big source of support for me, is amazing.”
Tina Malin, Accelerate Journey Guide, said: “I can’t quite believe how far Kitty has progressed and am delighted to see her unique talents are being showcased to the public. This will be a major confidence boost and give her the impetus she needs to develop her business.”
Kitty concluded: “Tina and Accelerate have changed my life, making me believe in myself and encouraging me to chase my dreams.”
Accelerate, which is part of the ‘Building Better Opportunities’ Programme and run by the Coventry and Warwickshire CDA, has surpassed many of its targets for helping disadvantaged individuals overcome barriers preventing them from getting a job, securing self-employment or accessing further training and education.
Funded by The National Lottery Community Fund and the European Social Fund, Accelerate brings together partners in Coventry and Warwickshire to provide participants with a Journey Guide to access confidence building, work experience and skills enhancement, including training on IT, Literacy, Numeracy and Enterprise. The Project has helped 170 people back into work and has secured funding to continue to help people in Coventry and Warwickshire until 2022.
Business support helps the sums add up for Steph
“Despite working on my own, having that support means I do not feel isolated and I have someone to email or call with concerns or questions, or just a reassuring chat."
Support from the Warwickshire Start-up Support Programme, part-funded by Warwickshire County Council, has helped a Stratford maths tutor transform her business in light of the coronavirus pandemic - in ways which could see her work internationally in the future.
Steph Madden, of Testing Times Maths Limited, offers tutoring services to students with maths difficulties or anxiety and those with the learning disorder dyscalculia, which causes difficulties in comprehending arithmetic.
The specialist maths practitioner was forced to stop holding face-to-face sessions in schools and at her home following the outbreak of Covid-19. But she has diversified to keep her business running and now holds tutoring sessions through Skype, including continuing her volunteer work with students from low-income and refugee families.
Steph is receiving support from the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund, forming part of the CW Business: Start, Grow and Scale Programme, also funded by Warwickshire County Council and the district & borough councils.
Steph was supported to develop her wider business plan, which includes releasing a workbook to help to teach core number sense – something which could also now happen sooner than planned.
"My business has always been face-to-face and I’ve never really had an interest in technology," Steph said, "but I faced losing all of my students overnight so I knew I needed to take action.
“My tutoring sessions are very multisensory so I was unsure how well they would be delivered online, but they have actually translated beautifully. We are still able to do all the activities we normally would.
“I teach people from the age of seven to adults, but my current students are all aged between seven and 14 so this kind of technology suits them perfectly. Using video calls means I am also still able to speak to all of the parents.
“Some of my students travel from miles away to attend tutoring, so it may be that they choose to continue their sessions online when the lockdown period is over.
“There is also a high demand for dyscalculia tutors internationally, so delivering sessions online could open a huge number of doors for me in the future.”
Steph added: “Having the backing of the Chamber has given me the confidence to maintain my business goals and also bring forward some of my ideas quicker than I would have been able to with their help.
“Despite working on my own, having that support means I do not feel isolated and I have someone to email or call with concerns or questions, or just a reassuring chat. The Chamber has also supported me in developing my business plan, showing me the steps I need to take to get my workbook to market and advising on the potential funding options available.
Keely Hancox, Operations Manager at the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “It is fantastic to see how Steph has diversified her business to enable her to continue offering tutoring services through an online platform.
“Although it is a difficult time for some businesses, we are finding a lot of companies using this time to diversify and bring forward growth plans that originally they may have delayed, all of which can open up market opportunities.
“Examples such as this, show the benefits of accessing support and advice and we would reach out to SMEs, and new start businesses across Coventry and Warwickshire to get in touch.”
For more information email: supportforbusiness@cw-chamber.co.uk
Also, please do take advantage of fully funded support including online Business Start-up workshops, specialist masterclasses (details at cw-chamber-startup.eventbrite.co.uk) as well as tailored one to one support.
Survey will take the views of Warwickshire businesses to Government
SMEs in Coventry and Warwickshire can get their views direct to the Government of the current and long-term effects of the Coronavirus pandemic by taking part in a regional survey.
The Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership (CWLEP) SME Supergroup Business Group has launched a survey to find out the true impact of Covid-19 on businesses in all sectors.
The data, which is being collected by the CWLEP Growth Hub, includes questions ranging from expected turnover to predictions on changes in the prices of materials, goods or services that businesses need, from the next four weeks to May 2021.
The survey also asks whether businesses have applied for any of the Government’s finance initiatives and how long they expect to take to return to pre-Covid-19 levels once the lockdown ends.
The results will be fed back to the Government, the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership (CWLEP), Coventry City Council and Warwickshire County Council by the Growth Hub as part of the views of the area’s businesses to bounce back from Covid-19.
Sean Farnell, chair of the CWLEP SME Supergroup Business Group, said the results of the survey would be vital in putting together the recovery strategy across Coventry and Warwickshire.
He said: “SMEs are the backbone of our economy in Coventry and Warwickshire and we want to hear their views on how they are being affected by Covid-19 and how they see their future.
“It will give us the opportunity to collate all the responses and include them in the Growth Hub’s weekly report to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy as well as share the findings with the WMCA and our local authorities.
“This will be used to understand the issues SMEs are facing and to sway the decision-making process regarding the type of future initiatives which are put in place to help businesses.
“We will then have a clear understanding of their concerns and this information will play a key role in the strategy document we put together to help SMEs in all sectors throughout Coventry and Warwickshire to continue operating through these difficult times now and in the future.”
Sean said it was the first time a targeted survey had been undertaken by the CWLEP SME Supergroup Business Group for its members and SMEs throughout Coventry and Warwickshire.
He added: “The Growth Hub has been encouraging businesses to take part in its regular Coronavirus Impact Survey but this is targeted at SMEs to get an up-to-date perspective on their worries and hopes in the short, medium and long-term for the future of their enterprises.”
To take part in the survey, please visit here.