In Brief: Free advice for businesses with growth hub launch; Council announces parking offers in run-up to Christmas; and more

Tamworth now has a new growth hub advisor who is offering free advice and support to help small and medium sized businesses in the area reach their potential.

Klaudia Haines is available now to meet with businesses, explore their needs and connect them to relevant partners to help them get the support they require.

Help offered could include support with writing business plans for start-up firms, help recruiting staff, exploring funding opportunities and accessing training and workshops in a variety of sectors.

Tamworth Borough Council is working in partnership with the Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership (GBSLEP) Growth Hub to deliver the role to support businesses across Southern Staffordshire.

Haines is based out of Tamworth Enterprise Centre, covering Tamworth, Lichfield, Cannock and East Staffordshire.

Funding for the role is currently available until September 2019.

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Festive shoppers have been given an early Christmas gift from Worcester City Council.

Shoppers taking advantage of late night opening in city shops on Thursday evenings are now able to park free of charge after 6pm on Thursdays each week up to and including 20 December.

On Sundays shoppers can pay for three hours and get the rest of the day free.  This offer will run up to and including Sunday 23 December.

Andrew Round, the City Council’s director of place, said:  “Worcester’s city centre is the ideal destination for all your Christmas shopping, with its range of unique independent stores as well as the large high street brands. And don’t forget shops are open until 8pm every Thursday in the run-up to Christmas.

“Our festive parking offer will help to take the pressure off your Christmas budget, while you shop.”

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A start-up online accountancy business is celebrating its first anniversary and a year of rapid growth by announcing the signing of its 400thclient.

Sidekick, based in Aston, provides a range of accountancy services for small businesses, tradesmen and contractors for a fixed monthly fee.

Managing director Alex Sutherland, who is also director of investment and development firm Key Land Capital, said: “It has been an amazing first year for Sidekick. We launched the service because we knew there were tens of thousands of self-employed people and small businesses that were tired of doing their accounts the old way, with an envelope full of receipts.

“Sidekick has filled a void in the market. We provide our clients with cloud account software so that they can deal with their accounts at any time and keep up to date, so they don’t face a worrying time at the end of the tax year.”

He added: “The year ahead looks equally as exciting as our first year. We’re determined to grow the business with further investment in our people and technology so that we can reduce the stress associated with tax and accounts for thousands more business people, tradesmen and contractors.”

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