Advice at hand for Staffs SMEs

A TEAM of experienced financiers will be giving Staffordshire small businesses advice on how to access essential funding despite the challenging economic times.

The Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) is running the Open Access to Finance event on Monday.

It follows the success of the first such event run by the LEP in January which attracted dozens of local companies.

The Open Access to Finance events are being run in conjunction with the Black Country Reinvestment Society (BCRS), which operates the Staffordshire Business Support Fund in conjunction with Staffordshire County Council.

Experts from commercial banks, small business loan funds, law firms and business schools will be on hand as well as corporate financiers, financial advisors, accountants, angel investors and business advisors.

LEP chairman Maitland Hyslop said: “Some of the organisations at our event provide financial services and can explain the right way to apply for loans. Others will provide expert advice. I hope as many businesses as possible come along to the event – it could really make a difference to securing their futures.” 

Staffordshire County Councillor Ben Adams, Cabinet member for Economic Growth and Enterprise, said: “Staffordshire is full of entrepreneurs and we are bucking the national trend in job creation. However, many small and medium sized businesses are finding it incredibly difficult to secure the finances they desperately need to survive in the current economic climate. 

“This event aims to change that. It is companies like these that are the lifeblood of the local economy and we want to arm them with the information and advice that they need not only to survive but to thrive.”

The event will take place at the Mitchell Arts Centre, Broad Street, Stoke-on-Trent, from 3pm-6pm.