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Free online support to help Norfolk businesses through the pandemic

11 November 2020

Norfolk County Council, Business Support, 2020, Covid-19

Free online support to help Norfolk businesses through the pandemic


It’s a difficult time for small businesses and business owners so the Business & IP Centre (BIPC)   Norfolk, run by Norfolk County Council’s Library and Information Service, has   developed a free programme of business support that can be accessed online.

Alongside the national Reset.   Restart programme of webinars run by the British Library Business & IP   Centre, the BIPC Norfolk is offering a series of free local 1-to-1 support   sessions, workshops and networking events. Delivered in partnership with   business training provider MENTA, Reset. Restart is open to all business   owners, especially those in the first years of trading.

Cllr Margaret Dewsbury,   Cabinet Member for Communities at Norfolk County Council, said: “The pandemic   has had a significant impact on businesses in the region, the extent of which   still remains to be seen, especially as we contend with a second period of   lockdown.

“Our local Reset. Restart   programme is designed to provide Norfolk businesses with the tools needed to   rebuild and adapt to these very challenging times. We may not currently be   able to deliver our services face-to-face but these online support sessions   are accessible to any business in the county.”

During the two-hour online   1-to-1 support session, businesses will have the chance to review their   overall business proposition and discuss how it could be rethought or   repositioned in light of Covid-19. They will also be helped to identify and   focus on any specific areas of concern and progression.

The series of five online   workshops covers topics such as generating new business ideas, digital   marketing tools, building customer relationships, and updating business   plans. Participants can pick and choose from the workshops or book on the   whole series.

There will also be monthly   online networking sessions, with the first being held in Global   Entrepreneurship Week (16-22 November) on Monday 16 November from   12.30-1.30pm. This first session will give people the opportunity to find out   what they can expect from the Reset. Restart programme and to meet some of   the MENTA programme tutors.

Global Entrepreneurship Week   also sees the return of Start-up Day on Thursday 19 November, hosted by the   British Library Business & IP Centre. The day of inspirational talks is   aimed at businesses who are just starting out as well as those ready to take   the next step, and includes an afternoon networking session from Norfolk.

From 2.45-3.30pm, Kalene   Herrington from the Norfolk Chambers of Commerce will be hosting the session   on ‘How to help your business thrive during the pandemic’. It will feature   insight from Hazel Russell, co-founder of eco-friendly Norfolk company The   Wood Life Project, and the chance to ask questions and network with other   businesses.

Hazel set up The Wood Life   Project with her husband Jimmy, and first sought support from the BIPC   Norfolk for help with intellectual property (IP). Hazel says: “We were   fortunate enough to get support from the BIPC at the very start of our   business journey. We discussed our business and the ideas of the products we   planned to launch, and the BIPC team helped us to understand the importance   of protecting all of our IP.

“We subsequently registered   the trademarks for our name and logo and registered the design rights on all   of our product designs. The support we received from BIPC was so valuable; it   was instrumental to securing our valuable business assets.”

For more information and to   book on any BIPC Norfolk events, see www.norfolk.gov.uk/bipcnorfolk



About the Business   & IP Centre (BIPC) Norfolk

Reset. Restart runs alongside   the day-to-day services provided by the BIPC Norfolk, one of 15 regional   centres in the British Library’s BIPC Network. The centre offers free and   low-cost access to business intelligence, market research, 1-to-1s, training   and IP support to aspiring entrepreneurs, start-ups and more established SMEs   in Norfolk.

This year, the British   Library was awarded £13 million from the Department for Digital, Culture,   Media & Sport to grow the number of libraries offering business start-up   support and to further develop provision within the existing National   Network. The BIPC Norfolk was awarded a share of this funding and will use it   to expand the range of free business support offered, as well as increasing   the number of regional hubs around the county.

Currently the BIPC Norfolk   operates from the Norfolk & Norwich Millennium Library with hubs in   King’s Lynn, Thetford and Great Yarmouth libraries. Although libraries are   currently closed due to the pandemic, enquiries are being answered remotely   and there is a wealth of online support available to businesses.​

Free online support to help Norfolk businesses through the pandemic
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01508 522 020

EMERGENCY PHONE: 01508 486 128

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9am - 12pm Wednesday

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clerk@loddontowncouncil.gov.uk

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Loddon, Norfolk, NR14 6EX 

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