Liverpool SMEs offered free advice by The Good Small Business Programme Running in late March, the programme aims to give small businesses the tools to help their communities, employees, and planet. Written by Helena Young Published on 14 March 2022 Our experts We are a team of writers, experimenters and researchers providing you with the best advice with zero bias or partiality. Written and reviewed by: Helena Young Deputy Editor Direct to your inbox Sign up to the Startups Weekly Newsletter Stay informed on the top business stories with Startups.co.uk’s weekly email newsletter SUBSCRIBE Small businesses based across the Liverpool City Region are being offered free expert advice and practical tools as part of The Good Small Business Programme.Running from March 22-24, the three-day event is a partnership between The Good Business Festival and Growth Platform – Liverpool City Region Growth Company.Held across three support clinics in the heart of Liverpool, it offers a mixture of networking sessions, ‘business clinics’ and one-to-ones to local SMEs – all of which have been designed to help local SMEs make a positive impact on their employees, local communities and the planet.Regional support key to Covid recoveryThe Good Small Business programme is an excellent example of the development opportunities that the UK’s local councils and business networks are using to kickstart regional economies and encourage entrepreneurship.Among the partners offering advice and support are all four city region universities, – University of Liverpool, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool Hope University & Edge Hill University, as well as local chambers of commerce and The Women’s Organisation.Much has been said about the important role that small businesses will play in the UK’s economic recovery from Covid-19.That’s why, later this month, we’ll be releasing the Startups Cities Index 2022. The extensive research project lists the top cities outside of London in the UK to start a business, examining over 40 categories to find the regions that are providing the most support and investment for startups. Claire McColgan MBE, Director at Culture Liverpool, said: “What we’re doing with the Good Small Business Programme is providing expert thinking on important issues and translating it into relevant, practical and inspirational knowledge for local SMEs.“We’re urging as many SMEs as possible to sign up and take advantage of this rare opportunity to gain knowledge, evolve and make a difference.” Going greenAs we recently highlighted in our list of Business Ideas for 2022, Sustainability is one of the biggest areas of growth for new UK businesses.In recognition of this, and other, important new business considerations, The Good Small Business Programme will help to future-proof SMEs by holding practical workshops hosted by purpose-driven networking group Firestarters.These will be centred on a range of hot topics including how small businesses can prepare for the “Green Revolution”. Online baby care brand Joy and Joe Baby took part in the programme’s pilot scheme in 2021. Owned and managed by husband and wife team Bisi and Mayo Osundeko, the company manufactures woven baby wraps.Mayo Osundeko commented: “The programme helped us to take a step back, review our practices and make many small changes which will make a big difference.“At the end of the day, [the programme] has the potential to save you money, as well as help your business become more environmentally-friendly, and it’s completely free.” To register for a free ticket to attend any of the Business Support sessions and clinics at the TGBF Festival Hub, visit the Good Business Festival website. Share this post facebook twitter linkedin Tags News and Features Written by: Helena Young Deputy Editor Helena is Deputy Editor at Startups. She oversees all news and supporting content on Startups, and is also the author of the weekly Startups email newsletter, delivering must-know SME updates straight to their inbox. From interviewing Wetherspoon's boss Tim Martin to spotting data-led working from home trends, her insight has been featured by major trade publications including the ICAEW, and news outlets like the BBC, ITV News, Daily Express, and HuffPost UK. With a background in PR and marketing, Helena is particularly passionate about giving early-stage startups a platform to boost their brands. That's one reason she manages the Startups 100 Index, our annual ranking of new UK businesses.