Help for local businesses

MELKSHAM Town Council has outlined the support available to local businesses during the current crisis.

The council’s latest Business News gives details about help from the Government and Wiltshire Council as well as advice from a range of organisations.

Full details can be found below.

Support for businesses

The nature of this COVID-19 outbreak means that advice from Government is reviewed continuously and updated often.  Therefore, it is important to gather the information you require for your business from an authoritative source, and keep referring back to that source for the latest updates.  In England, we’d recommend https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus and https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-employers-and-businesses-about-covid-19

Register for HMRC Webinars

HMRC is running a series of webinars to help employers and their staff during COVID-19. They provide an overview of the support available for businesses and include information on the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, refunding eligible Statutory Sick Pay costs, furloughed employees, financial support for businesses and more.

You can watch previously recorded webinars and registers for future ones here:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/help-and-support-if-your-business-is-affected-by-coronavirus-covid-19

Business grants schemes being managed by Wiltshire Council

Wiltshire Council will have written to you if they believe your business is eligible for a grant.  You may be eligible if you receive:

• Small Business Rate Relief OR
• Rural Rate Relief OR
• if you are a retail, hospitality or leisure business that would qualify for the Expanded Retail Discount

You must be the registered rate payer as of 11th March 2020 – you need to have a business rates account number to apply for a grant.

You can contact the business rates team at businessrates@wiltshire.gov.uk or 01249 706 290 to clarify the position of your business property.
You can find information about these grants, eligibility and other support packages being offered at www.businesssupport.gov.uk/coronavirus-business-support

Other Government Support – advice from Swindon & Wiltshire Growth Hub

You could be eligible for other government support that may help your business. Please contact Swindon and Wiltshire Growth Hub for further advice at hello@SWGrowthHub.co.uk or 01793 698005, and they can take you through the support available.
Also, our local Swindon & Wiltshire Growth Hub is also a good source of information on help available: https://growthhub.swlep.co.uk/topics/coronavirus-covid-19

Be ready to come out of Lockdown stronger than ever before:

• The Google Digital Garage offers a range of free learning content designed to help your business at the Google Digital Garage website. You can learn by selecting individual modules, or dive right in and take an entire course end-to-end.  https://learndigital.withgoogle.com/digitalgarage/courses

You can also access free live webinar training designed to help you develop new skills.  See details of upcoming webinars here.  https://learndigital.withgoogle.com/digitalgarage/f2f

The editor has also used the Virtual College*, highly successfully, on a number of occasions, for online training.  Some courses are City and Guilds accredited; most, but not all, are chargeable, but reasonable in cost.  People who register get a regular email offering course discounts and some free offers.  This is personal experience, *other online training providers are available, of course.  https://www.virtual-college.co.uk

To subscribe for a Melksham Town Council newsletter containing this information, please click HERE