Learning Lunches We have some great speakers planned for this  year make sure you book your space now: Marketing yourself & your business - gaining customers* 11 February 12-2pm Sharon McLean, Business Excellence * Change in Speaker Creating Video Content for your Website 11 March 12-2pm Jovan Maric, Square Daisy Simon Bland, Economic Prosperity Programme Manager helped judge the young start up talent semi-final on 20 January, this gave young entrepreneurs from local schools a chance to pitch their ideas. Five of whom were selected to go forward to the final.
We also attended the Gatwick Diamond, Be Inspired Make it happen event for women in business at Surrey National Golf Club on 28 January. We shared a stand with our collegues at Tandridge Borough Council, the event was well attended, it was great to have the opportunity to talk to so many women in business.
Got a greatentrepreneurial idea? Need help in turning your dreams into a reality? Come along to the Entrepreneur Academy. This free course, starting in April, will teach you the basics of setting up a business, from business finance and business planning to marketing and networking. The Academy runs at East Surrey College once a month from 3-5pm for six sessions. At the end of the course, participants will be able to pitch for £5,000 of "Dragon's Den' style competition". To register your interest please fill in the application form. Spaces are strictly limited to 15.
*Last few spaces left * Calling all retailers Develop your Digital High Street Skills. Funding from the Department of Business, Innovation & Skills means we are able to provide three free workshops at the Town Hall designed to help small business develop their knowledge of the internet, social media and benefits of getting their business online. Book one, two or three workshops:
Tuesday 10 February 16.00 - 20.00 Understand your customer and digital marketing
Tuesday 3 March 16.00-20.00 Develop your business online
Tuesday 24 March 16.00-20.00 Grow your business through social media
Business funding
Business Support Grants - We have another six applicants to interview in February and have already awarded £47,963.80 to 50 businesses. If you are a small company who has just set up or is looking to grow, what are you waiting for? Apply for your business support grant of up to £1,000 today, all details can be found on our website
Fit for Nuclear - Manufacturers in England can apply for an average £10,000 match funding to enter, or expand their presence in, the civil nuclear sector. Full details can be found on the namrc website
Innovation for Manufacturers - Manufacturers are invited to bid for a share of £1million with £150,000 per project from the UK Commission of Employment and Skills as part of a competition aimed at boosting UK innovation. Competition closes on 11 March, sucessful bids to start in June 2016.
 Are you a business owner who could do with some support in these challenging times? A free walk in clinic for businesses, not for profit organisations and the self employed will be held at the Town Hall in Reigate on Thursday 26 February from 5-6.30pm. Local specialists will be available to answer your business queries including: - How best to grow your business
- Staff and employment issues
- Financial management and cashflow
- Book keeping, PAYE, Corporation Tax etc
To find out more and book a space please e mail Redhill CAB New job club in Redhill Surrey Lifelong Learning Partnership is launching a new job club at the YMCA Live Smart Centre, on the first floor of The Belfry. It will run every Thursday and Friday from 11am-1pm to give people who are looking for work support in breaking the confidence barrier, recognition of their skills, CV writing, Interview skills, workplace readiness and a place to explore options. To find out more contact Kiren Sonatun 07975 522 031
Selling to the Council If you would like to sell your services to the Council and be aware of what public sector tenders are available nationally, register on the following two websites SE shared services portal and National contract finder From April 2015 all Reigate and Banstead borough council opportunities will appear on the national site.
Online resource for new business - Business Navigator Coast to Capital have a business support portal with lots of useful information - find out how it can help you.
Is your business eligible for business rate relief? The doubling of small business rate relief has now been extended to 31 March 2016. 100% rate relief is available for eligable properties with a rateable value below £6,000. Retail properties such as shops, pubs and restaurants may also be eligible for £1,500 in rate relief. Businesses moving into retail properties that have been empty for more than 12 months can also benefit from a 50% reduction in rates until March 2016. Unoccupied or newly built properties can be given an exemption from business rates for up to 18 months. This also applies to extended properties where the new build part is at least 50% of the overall properties. If you are running your business from a spare bedroom, you should not have to pay business rates.
Full details can be found on our website or you can e mail business.rates@reigate-banstead.gov.uk
Future plans for the borough The Reigate and Banstead Core Strategy commits the Council to deliver 6,000 new homes in the next 12 years across the borough. It also plans for around 46,000 square metres of new commercial floor space. More information about the plan is available on our website . If you would like to receive notifications about the Council's future development plans, please e mail LDF@reigate-banstead.gov.uk
Investing in our communities Our regeneration plans for Redhill, Horley, Preston and Merstham will bring new leisure facilities, shops, restaurants, homes, and improved infrastructure. The artists impression on the right is of Marketfield Way Redhill after regeneration. Together these will generate over £250 million investment from the Council, our partners and the private sector. By taking a more commercial approach to our property and assets we've enabled regeneration, as well as securing sources of rental income to off-set council tax.
Target Business Expo - We will be at Target Business Expo at the Dorking Halls on 25 March, come along for the opportunity to network, find out general business advice as well as finding out how we at Reigate & Banstead Borough Council can support your business. Pop along and say hello at Target Business Expo
Corporate volunteering Find out how you and your employees can make a difference by volunteering. The do-it website lists lots of local volunteering opportunities. You are able to search it by area, interest or day to make sure that you get the opportunities that are best for you.
Still need convincing? Don't just take our word for it. This is what Jovan Maric from Square Daisy has to say about our business support grants "Square Daisy is a small digital agency founded in 2011 working in the areas of website development, graphic design and video production . We were looking to bring on a new designer on the team and being able to access £1,000 funding in the way of a small business grant was an incredible help and roughly equated to half the immediate cost of getting the new team member in the building. This was really a significant help to the business and in all honesty, without this financial support this appointment would have been delayed. The process to apply was very sensible in terms of there being a requirement to evidence what the funding would be used for was comprehensive but not laborious, as bureaucracy is often a barrier to smaller organisations accessing support. Six months down the line, the member of staff who was recruited is performing brilliantly which has allowed our business to grow even more. This year we are projecting an 80% growth on last year which is fantastic!" | 
