In summary
This month we are hosting our last in-person networking events of the year in Coventry, Leamington and Balsall Common and attending an expo in Kenilworth. Join us at these events – more details below. Our local lobbying and campaigning continues with a number of MP meetings scheduled for the month ahead. We continue to work closely with local authorities across the area to ensure that the needs of small business are centre to future economic strategies and we are always keen to hear from members about their views on local business support and funding. Get in touch below.
Featured news and events
Free training programme for arts and culture freelancers and organisations
Coventry City Council is launching a brand-new programme to support the city’s arts and culture sector, with a specific focus on smaller organisations and freelancers.
The programme offers a range of free training sessions to help organisations and freelance creatives develop their skills and knowledge.
There are over 300 places available, with a blend of both online and in-person sessions. The programme covers a wide range of topics, including fundraising, marketing, safeguarding, media coaching and writing.
The programme’s sessions will be taking place between 11 November and 13 December and it is aimed at people working in the arts and cultural sectors in Coventry. More information can be found here.
FSB Business Bootcamp: Ignite your business
Our FSB Business Bootcamp and Networking event is returning to Coombe Abbey on Monday 24 March 2025. Join us and over 230 small businesses at this free event to network and collaborate and hear from expert speakers throughout the day, giving their top tips which you can put into practice to help you get set for success in 2025. More here.
In other news
Coventry College Innovation Discovery Sessions: Electric Vehicle and Hybrid Training
In partnership with colleges across the West Midlands, Coventry College Innovation Discovery Sessions connect businesses with experts in Coventry and Warwickshire who will demonstrate and explain advances in green and digital technologies, to enable you to get a clear understanding of your organisational needs in terms of skills gaps, training requirements, future planning and technology. This session will take place on 26 November, from 6pm-8pm. More information here.
Bold Updated Vision for Life in Leamington
The Leamington Transformation Board (LTB) has been working closely with a wide range of stakeholders, including FSB, through the summer of this year to produce an update to the previous 2018 vision for Royal Leamington Spa Town centre. The Leamington Transformation Board brings together all three tiers of local government, to provide strategic direction for an ambitious programme of work to renew and regenerate the town centre.
The updated 2024-2034 Vision is the first piece of a series of commissions which intend to involve all who live, work and enjoy Leamington town centre in defining what the future of the place should look like and how, together, we will all achieve this. The Transforming Leamington website will be kept up to date with the latest news.
Kenilworth Chamber of Trade Expo - 15 November
FSB is exhibiting at the Kenilworth Chamber of Trade expo on 15 November 2024 which is taking place from 10am to 3.30pm at the Holiday Inn in Kenilworth.
The free event provides an opportunity for entrepreneurs and businesses in the area to showcase their work, establish new connections and foster collaboration.
If you’re coming along then do swing by the FSB stand and say hello to our friendly team who will be showcasing how FSB helps and supports small businesses.
To register for free tickets, please click here.
Free Support for Business Innovation: New Hubs Empower Local SMEs
Small businesses across the West Midlands now have access to free support for adopting new technologies, thanks to a £2.4 million investment. This funding, part of a partnership between the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) and Innovate UK, has led to the creation of Innovation Hubs in Birmingham, the Black Country, Coventry, and Warwickshire. The Innovation Hubs provide a range of services to drive business growth through technology adoption and can help businesses to:
- Identify barriers to growth caused by outdated or underutilized technologies.
- Map out the skills and training your team needs to integrate new technology solutions.
- Connect to additional resources such as local authorities or funding opportunities for technology investments.
More information on how the hubs can support businesses in Coventry, Warwickshire and Solihull can be found here.
Still in the news
Coventry Job Rotation scheme
Are you looking to try something new to get the right staff with the right skills in your business?
West Midlands Combined Authority, along with DWP and Coventry City Council, is starting a new Job Rotation pilot programme in Coventry. The programme lets employers train a current employee while a job seeker takes their place getting valuable work experience. The programme is looking for small businesses across Coventry to take part.
How it works:
- You identify employees who can benefit from training
- Unemployed people are then hired to fill in while these employees train
- The substitutes get paid a Living Wage, with unemployment benefits topped up. These substitutes work for a set time before the trained employees return
- Meanwhile, the substitutes gain experience, making it easier for them to find regular work.
The programme helps workers keep up with changing job market demands through training. It also gives job seekers the work experience they need to get hired. In other countries 70-80% of substitutes find regular jobs. This successful idea from Europe is now being trailled in the UK for the first time in Coventry. For more information and to register your interest - please see here.
FSB and FindaBiz +SWAP Networking
FindaBiz SWAP networking returns to Coventry and partnering with FSB. Join us on 26 November for a fun filled networking session. At the event you can experience the unique SWAP formula where you will get to meet all the delegates in the room. You will have the chance to:
- Introduce yourself to your table in one minute
- Exchange cards or digital contact details
- Move to the next table and meet new people
- Continue until you’ve met every delegate in the room!
If you would like to make valuable connections and find new opportunities for your business then come along to the event. Registration and ticket details can be found here.
More news and activity near you
Get in touch
Your FSB Development Manager for Warwickshire and Coventry is Lee Osbourne. 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 us: [email protected]
- follow us on x: @FSBWarksandCov
- follow us on Facebook: @FSB.Coventry.Warwickshire
- connect with me on LinkedIn: Lee Osborne