In summary
Another busy month for FSB South & Mid Wales, organising and attending various networking and business expos across the area, including in Newtown in Mid Wales, Pembrokeshire and South East Wales. As well as confirming dates for other events very soon, we are delighted to announce the date of our FSB South Wales Small Business Conference on the Wednesday 4 September. We strongly recommend early booking for this event!
Featured news and events
Wales Monthly Update
Just like that, summer is finally here and it’s time once again to step into the spotlight with our next Wales Monthly Update! Stay up-to-date and informed with this monthly review, featuring an overview of all of our June activities, from the Policy Team and our Development Managers, alongside taking a look ahead into the month of July and the upcoming events that you won’t want to miss!
Wales Monthly Update - July
Cardiff Business Networking
Join us on Thursday 18 July, 9am - 11.15am, at our Cardiff Business Networking event and connect with other businesses across the Cardiff area and hear from guest speaker, Debbie Basden from Balance Your Outlook. Debbie will be explaining ‘Havening – A Technique To Reduce Stress and Improve Performance in Business’ and will demonstrate an easy, soothing technique that enhances oxytocin and serotonin, reducing stress hormones, blood pressure and heart rate levels. Both FSB members and non-members are welcome to attend.
In other news
SWEF – Enterprise and Business Grants
Grants of up to £2,000 are available to young entrepreneurs in Wales, aged between 18 and 30. Working with Community Foundation Wales, the South West Enterprise Fund (SWEF) provides the opportunity to join a network of peers who are also in the early stage of starting their business to share ideas, experiences and learn.
Grants can be used for:
- Equipment that will help achieve increased revenues
- Equipment that will help a business increase production where there is a proven demand
- Materials/stock for a new product line
- Prototypes (not app development costs)
- Website/booking build system build
- Training
- Product development
The fund closes at 12pm on Friday 12 July 2024
For more information and to apply click here
Clean Growth Programme
The Clean Growth Programme is designed for people who can influence service and product development, and is fully funded by the UK Government through the Shared Prosperity Fund. It aims to bring businesses together to collaboratively enhance their understanding of the circular economy and develop innovation plans to support clean growth and contribute to Welsh Government’s ‘Net Zero Wales’ ambitions. The six month programme will include monthly workshops and R&D support from university staff.
To express your interest in the programme click here
Still in the news
Help Cash Access UK understand the cash needs of small businesses
Cash Access UK is a not-for-profit company who provide cash and basic banking services in communities across the UK. These include shared Banking Hubs and deposit services. In order to support businesses to continue to accept cash from their customers who rely on it, Cash Access UK have commenced a trial of multi-bank deposit taking ATMs, designed to enable small businesses to pay in cash to their account at a time and location convenient to them.
The new machines are accessible during extended opening hours and enable customers to pay in up to 100 notes / £5000 per transaction, with customers able to undertake multiple transactions if required. Initially the service is available to customers of Barclays, NatWest, Lloyds, Royal Bank of Scotland, Ulster Bank, Halifax and the Bank of Scotland. Additional banks will enable the service in the coming months and CAUK is also looking to develop a coin deposit facility to expand the service before the end of the year. The service is free to use, subject to any service charges already in place between customers and their bank, and a machine has been installed in Cowbridge Post Office from June 30th, with more planned across the UK if successful.
If you use the new deposit ATM Cash Access UK are keen to hear how the service was for you. Please email them with feedback on your experience [email protected] They would also like to hear from FSB members to help them to better understand the cash needs of small businesses by completing this short survey.
The Welsh Business Show - Carmarthenshire
The Welsh Business Show Carmarthenshire 2024 will take place at Parc Y Scarlets Stadium on Wednesday 10 July, 10am – 2pm, and will mark the 31st Welsh Business Show. Since expanding to Carmarthenshire in 2017 it has become the biggest business show in West Wales with over 70 exhibitors and hundreds of visitors attending. The event will bring businesses from all over Wales for a day of networking, connecting and learning. FSB South & Mid Wales will be exhibiting at the show, meeting both existing members and others in the business community so make sure you pop along to say hello!
For more information and to register to attend click here
More news and activity near you
- North Wales
- More from FSB Wales
Get in touch
Your FSB Development Manager for South Wales is Rob Basini. If you'd like more information about the topics above, or if you have news about this area that you'd like to share, please get in touch.
- Email: [email protected]
- Follow us on X: @FSBSouthWales
- Follow us on Facebook: @FSB.South.Mid.Wales
- Follow me on LinkedIn: @RobBasini