Kirklees Council are sponsoring Huddersfield Business Week 2021 in conjunction with organisers Wild PR and co-sponsors Ad:Venture. The council’s Business, Employment & Skills teams will also be hosting a pop-up event to discuss all levels of business development support.
The week of events, coordinated by Wild PR and running between 4 and 8 October, is all about celebrating local businesses, helping them grow, and promoting development within our local economy. Last year saw the first Huddersfield Business Week, which attracted visitors from towns and cities across the north of England.
The pop-up event from Kirklees Council will run on Wednesday 6 October, offering free, impartial mentoring and advice to any local businesses and entrepreneurs, at all stages of their development. This includes entrepreneurs who are scoping their first start-up venture, as well as existing and well-established businesses who are looking to grow – whether this means new premises, new people, or pursuing new ideas.
These drop-in sessions will be run by the council’s team of business experts, who have a heft of local knowledge, and will also act as a gateway to further local, regional and national support which may be available.
As well as support to help businesses aim higher and reach their maximum potential, there will be opportunities to maximise potential of the people behind the business. This will include recruitment, as well as training and upskilling for individuals or whole workforces.
The pop-up will be held between 10am and 4pm on 6 October, at the Glass Box – Kirklees Council’s newest business centre, in the heart of Huddersfield’s business district. Anyone from any Kirklees business is encouraged to attend. While drop-ins will be welcomed all day, booking is also possible to guarantee availability. Tours of the new business centre, its workspaces and facilities will also be on offer.
Councillor Shabir Pandor, Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Business, says:
“I’m delighted to be supporting Huddersfield Business Week, which is all about celebrating and supporting our amazing local businesses.
“As a council, we are committed to working alongside our partners to support existing businesses, and to help new businesses set up and thrive.
“Many businesses across Kirklees have faced unprecedented challenges over the last 18 months. But in a post-Covid, post-Brexit economy, we know many incredible businesses and entrepreneurs are still setting their sights high. Huddersfield Business Week provides a great opportunity to bring them together, to give them the information and support they need to aid their recovery and to showcase the area’s business strengths.
“This is an exciting programme of events, which offers relevant and timely information for businesses from all sectors. The pop-up session run by Kirklees Council’s team of local business experts will show how we can support businesses to take the next step and reach their full potential.”
Katrina Cliffe, founder of Wild PR and Huddersfield Business Week, says:
“After a successful launch in 2019, Wild PR is delighted to be bringing Huddersfield Business Week back for 2021.
“During its inaugural year, businesses from a variety of sectors in the Huddersfield area came together to make it a success. As we emerge from the pandemic, we hope that by hosting the business week once again it will support local businesses to flourish and enhance job opportunities.
“I want to thank Kirklees Council and Ad:Venture for their support in helping us to make this happen.”
Stuart Ross, Programme Manager at Ad:Venture, says:
“We are passionate about supporting new and early stage businesses in their growth journey, as they play a critical role within the local economy. Working with our partners at Kirklees Council, we aim to reach as many businesses as possible and offer them support – such as through our dedicated Kirklees programme, Elevate.
“Huddersfield Business Week is a fantastic way to reach this audience with our message, and we are delighted to be able to play a part in supporting the weeks’ activity through our sponsorship.
“We will also be hosting our Start Strong event on the 7th October, for anyone who wants to meet the team and find out what we do.”