Kathryn Wagstaff
Interim
Business Relationship Manager
Economic Development Unit
Worcestershire County Council
What is Worcestershire. Business.
Central?
Why do it?
Who is it?
What is it?
What 1270 businesses said…..
Who is involved?
Worcestershire County Council, Redditch Borough
Council, Worcester City Council, Wyre Forest
District Council, Bromsgrove District Council,
Malvern Hills District Council, Wychavon District
Council, Worcestershire Local Enterprise
Partnership, Herefordshire and Worcestershire
Chamber of Commerce , National Apprenticeship
Service, Job Centre Plus and FE and Training
providers etc etc etc etc ……
Businesses!
What is Worcestershire.Business.
Central?
• Web based portal providing a single
point of contact/access for all business
support needs www.businesscentral.co.uk
• Business response desk 0300 123 1440
info@business-central.co.uk
• Business Account Management
Our response
Worcestershire. Business. Central
Our Services/products
1. Business Opportunities– FinditinWorcestershire,
link though to UKTI (Chamber).
2. Business Support – Business Start-up, Resource and
efficiency, Business growth, Business grants and loans.
3. Inward Investment
4. Worcestershire Property Search
5. Skills Development - Graduate internship Programme
link with FE colleges and Training Providers, JCP, NAS.
Market testing
Worcestershire. Business. Central
offers a number of interactive applications:
• Events calendar
• Online business directory
• Property Search
• Grant Finder
• News section
Interactive applications - Events
Business Directory
The future
Monday 8th October went live
Tuesday 20th & Friday 23rd November -Market
Testing and customer feedback
Full Launch - End of January 2013
www.business-central.co.uk
0300 123 1440
info@business-central.co.uk
let us know what you think is good
(and not so good!)
Our services/products
1. Business opportunities
Why was Finditinworcestershire developed?
• A networking and support project for
business – borne out of demand
• To support the local economy and
sustain local employment
• To encourage trade between
Worcestershire businesses, strengthen
the supply chain
• To improve access to procurement
opportunities – private and public
sector contract opportunities are more
visible
• To help us develop better
relationships with businesses to
be more responsive to their needs
What is Finditinworcestershire.com? 2 parts
1 Website – find a supplier, tender notices,
business news, events
Promoting business to business (B2B) trading:
• Providing a "match-making"
service, linking buyers and sellers.
• Showcasing local businesses
• Highlighting contract
opportunities
• (Not a business to consumer facility)
2 Breakfast networking meetings –
expert speakers
Key facts
• Launched by Worcestershire County
Council in February 2011
• Over 3500 members to date
• Nearly 700 business opportunities
• Brought over £50 million worth of
opportunities together in one place
• Average of 120 attendees at each
Breakfast meetings
• Open to Businesses, public sector
organisations and the voluntary and
community sector can register
What next?
Register on Finditinworcestershire to find suppliers and promote
sub-contract opportunities:
• Find suppliers for any of your projects (generate email alert)
• Register for you to hear about opportunities
• Get to know the local economy and companies to help you become
aware of future development projects
• Come to our networking meetings
• If you have a major project locally we can organise an event for you to
meet potential local suppliers
We can help you register and upload opportunity details. (Relevant local
suppliers receive an automatic alert about the opportunity)
*It is all FREE*
Contact details
Worcestershire. Business. Central for help or information,
contact
Kathryn Wagstaff kwagstaff@worcestershire.gov.uk
01905 766896
Finditinworcestershire for help or information, contact
Emily Marsh emarsh2@worcestershire.gov.uk
01905 766897
Any Questions?