HR expert and SME specialist join forces to offer free business advice
Outsourced human resources expert The HR Dept has partnered with an SME support specialist to provide free advice under a regional business initiative.
The scheme involves Chipping Sodbury-based Cool Ventures providing a range of free business support to SMEs and residents based in South Gloucestershire and Bath & North East Somerset.
Under the programme, which runs until March 2023, companies needing help to grow or overcome challenges, can access up to 12 hours of expert training and advice. All support is fully funded by the West of England Combined Authority in partnership with local councils through the Universal Business Support Initiative.
After working with almost 1,500 local businesses as well as aspiring entrepreneurs, and offering over 9,000 hours of support in the last two years, Cool Ventures found recruitment had become apparent as a major and common challenge.
Its managing director Sue Marchant recognised the need for a human resources offering within the spectrum of available support.
She selected The HR Dept Bristol, Bath and North Somerset, which specialises in providing outsourced, bespoke HR advice and support for SMEs, to partner with her company.
The service will offer up to 30 businesses three hours each of tailored, one-to-one support to help create policies and documents which make recruitment processes easier.
“Even before the UK’s more recent economic hardships, for a while now we’ve recognised recruitment as a major sticking point in the growth plans of smaller businesses,” said Stacey Mead, HR director at The HR Dept Bristol, Bath and North Somerset.
“So from the creation of job descriptions and employment contracts to policies which protect jobs and avoid the risk of redundancies, there’s so much which needs to be in place to enable businesses to take people on efficiently so they can develop and grow.
“We know that it’s incredibly hard to find good people who fit with your company’s ambitions and culture. For smaller businesses in particular that can be a real problem.
“So we’re of course more than happy to support Sue and her team in this partnership, providing really valuable support to businesses trying to make their first steps towards building and retaining effective teams.”
The HR Dept Bristol, Bath and North Somerset is based in offices in Emerson’s Green in South Gloucestershire, supporting more than 200 smaller businesses in its operational territory.
It is part of a network of a Bristol-based franchise business which consists of 75 licensees providing services in more than 100 territories in the UK and Ireland, for more than 6,000 companies in total.
Cool Ventures was established 11 years ago with an aim of providing bespoke, high quality and practical business advice to support the specific needs of local businesses. Today the company is one of the leading providers of business support for pre-starts and trading businesses in the West of England.
Marchant said: “It’s great to be working with Stacey and her colleagues on this important initiative to help local SMEs get off the ground and keep rising. We’re grateful to the local authorities for placing their trust in us to deliver this service. The programme has been a great success since it started.
“Our training and support is delivered by a great team of business experts, supported by our amazing office based team who work tirelessly to ensure that everyone is looked after.
“The HR Dept is now a valuable addition to our offering – high quality, experienced advice and practical support which is essential for the sustainable growth of any company.”
