Micro Small Business Fund (MSFB)

This fund is supported through the Welsh Government Rural Communities Rural Development Programme 2014-2020, funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD), and Welsh Government.

The Micro Small Business Fund (MSBF) is available for micro to small size businesses with fewer than 50 FTE employees.

MSBF is an investment fund targeting eligible capital investment projects in the tourism sector in Wales. It can be used either to upgrade existing or create new high quality product.

Support of between £25,000 and £500,000 will be considered, in order to:

· create and safeguard jobs

· realise economic benefit and growth

· deliver quality, innovation and a sense of place.

Are you eligible

To find out if your project is eligible for support, please contact tourism.industryadvice@gov.wales or 0845 010 8020.

Jobs Bureau Wage Subsidy Scheme

This new scheme has just been introduced to help employers in taking on new staff.

The scheme is part funded by the Welsh Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA) is being delivered by Menter Mon.

· The scheme gives businesses a 50% contribution to a participants wage – based on a rate of £8.21 per hour and up to £1707 per person

· The business can have a participant placement on the scheme for a period of either :

20 hours pw for 16 weeks

16 hours pw for 26 weeks

· Participants have to be 25 or over and not currently in employment

· Menter Mon pay the participant weekly in full and the business pays Menter Mon a 50% contribution towards the wage via a weekly mandate

· The employer can pay more than the hourly rate and employ them for further hours. However, this will have to be a separate arrangement and not be part of the scheme

· There is also a small grant for training and clothing available to each candidate

· It is hope that there will be a permanent position with the business at the end of the scheme

· There is no paperwork or forms to complete. Menter Mon will handle all the paperwork and HR matters directly with the participant

If you are interested in this scheme, please contact:

Julie Dubberley

Employment Support Officer

Tel: 01248 725700 or 07917 155955

Email : julie@mentermon.com

Menter Mon

Llangefni

Anglesey

LL77 7LR    

Exemptions from Making Tax Digital for VAT

The Low Incomes Tax Reform Group is encouraging businesses that cannot find suitable accessible software in order to comply with the requirements of

Making Tax Digital (MTD) for VAT to apply for a temporary exemption.

Business taxpayers who are unable to use MTD-compatible software due to accessibility issues such as their age, disability or location can apply to HMRC for an exemption.

However, taxpayers will be required to regularly check whether new accessible software that meets their needs has become available.

Read More 

Growing businesses urged to apply for Jobs Growth Wales support

Cambrian Training, one of the Wales’ leading work-based learning providers, is urging employers who are creating new job opportunities to consider applying for support from the Jobs Growth Wales (JGW) before the programme ends.

The programme aims to help growing businesses across Wales to create sustainable job opportunities for unemployed and job ready young people between the ages of 16-24 years old.

New recruits will be paid at least the national minimum wage for a minimum of 25 hours a week and the programme reimburses half of their wage cost for the first six months.

With JGW due to be replaced with a different programme by the Welsh Government next March, Cambrian Training is urging employers to waste no time in applying for support.

The programme, which is supported by the European Social Fund, is designed to provide a young, work-ready people with a valuable opportunity to kick start their career.

To receive support, a business must create a real job and not a six-month work placement or temporary cover and must have traded for more than six months in the private or third sector in Wales.

Read More

Christmas Hampers

Llandudno Tourist Information Centre (TIC) offer a bespoke Hamper packing service where they personally make up Hampers using a wide selection of our locally produced and sourced foods, beverages and handmade gifts.  

They offer a range of hamper sizes that are beautifully wrapped and presented with a ribbon bow. 

Last year the TIC was tasked with creating and supplying 82 Christmas themed hampers for the St. George’s Hotel. These proved highly popular with the guests resulting in much positive feedback…so much so they have been approached again this year to provide the hotel’s guests with our Christmas hampers.

Hampers can be created for a variety of occasions, whether to welcome special guests to your establishment, as thank you gifts for customers and staff or raffle prize draws.  

For any further information or advice about the hampers please either call 01492 577577 or pop into the TIC at the Victoria Shopping Centre where the staff will be able to assist you in creating your bespoke hamper.  

NatWest Offers Grants to Female-led Businesses

NatWest Bank is working with Crowdfunder to redress the gender balance among new UK start-ups, with funds and supplementary support to boost women-led enterprise.

The Back Her Business initiative has been designed to help more female entrepreneurs launch their own business. The UK-wide campaign is part of NatWest’s pledge to inspire 400,000 female-led business by 2025.

The initiative works by giving participants a crowdfunding platform to raise the money they need to launch a commercial enterprise, as well as free coaching, mentoring and opportunities to meet like-minded women.

The bank is providing a top-up fund of £1 million per annum and will be offering a grants to qualifying businesses. Applicants are required to set up a crowdfunding project with a minimum target of £1,000. Successful applicants will receive match funding of up to 50% towards their target, up to a maximum of £5,000.

This programme is open to UK-based, female-led start-up businesses and those with a new trading activity.

Cheryl Gourlay, NatWest National Women in Business Manager, said:

"Women start businesses with 53% less capital on average than men, are often less aware of funding options, and less likely to take on debt. We want to see that change because there is a wealth of untapped talent out there.

"Back Her Business provides an accessible funding platform as well as peer-to-peer support and mentoring."

Applications may be submitted at any time.

Read More 

12 November 2019

Businesses are being encouraged to register for Purple Tuesday to learn more about the purple pound – the spending power of disabled people and their families.

Purple Tuesday is an international call to action which will take place on 12th November 2019. Created and coordinated by disability organisation Purple, it celebrates the power of the purple pound and asks businesses to make a commitment to improve their offer to disabled people.

By signing up to Purple Tuesday for free, businesses can learn how to commit to actions that will improve the customer experience for disabled people.

Find out more and register here for Purple Tuesday and join organisations across the globe in changing the customer experience for disabled people.

Forthcoming Events 

Go North Wales Tourism Conference
Thursday 28^th November 2019

The Go North Wales Tourism Conference will be held at Theatr Clwyd, Mold, CH7 1YA on Thursday 28th November 2019 from 9.30 – 16.00.

The Conference will be hosted by North Wales Tourism in partnership with Flintshire in Business and will bring together market leaders, tourism businesses and the captains of our industry from across the UK.

Come to hear inspirational and influential speakers talking about their experiences. The event promises to be the best yet.

For more information and to book click HERE     

Social Enterprise Academy

Creating Enterprise are delighted that they have brought the worldwide Leadership Academy to Wales which is supported by Welsh Government. 

The Leadership Academy is very different from many traditional leadership programmes that companies will be familiar with and over the 15 years that it has been running it has seen outstanding results for business and individuals who have been on the various programmes.

Programmes range from 1 day to 12 days from introductory to advanced and cover Leadership, Coaching, Social Impact and Enterprise.

Click HERE for more information 

Business Wales Workshops held in Conwy County 
from October 2019