Business Training Programme
Horsham District Council's Business Training Programme is an exciting series of business training workshops, designed to provide skills development and enhanced opportunities for local businesses to share and learn from the latest best practice.
The programme covers a wide range of topics using a blend of online and in-person formats. Course content is delivered by locally based business experts in their fields.
Current training opportunities
Here is a list of training opportunities which are available to access now:
- The Five Ws of Making Tax Digital Workshops
- How to Create a Strategy for Business Growth 121 Support
- Business and Tax Advice 121 Support
- SALSA Go Programme: Safe and Local Supplier Approval for Food and Drink Producers
- How to Make the Most of Your Market Stall Tops Tips Video Series
- Sales and Negotiation Skills Quiz
Please note:
- For each workshop, there is a maximum of 1 place per business. Please contact us if you need more places.
- These courses are being provided by Horsham District Council for businesses in the Horsham District. Some courses have a nominal cost to the tickets with the remainder being paid by the Council on behalf of businesses.
The Five Ws of Making Tax Digital Workshops
Making Tax Digital is the most important change to the UK tax system in 30 years. Those taxpayers who are affected will need to keep digital records of their business/property income and expenses, use compatible software, and submit tax information electronically to HMRC in four quarterly submissions and one end-of-year return.
Join Carolyn of Composure Accounting & Taxation for a free workshop that will ensure that you understand the 5 Ws of Making Tax Digital including:
- What is Making Tax Digital?
- Who will need to follow the new rules?
- When will Making Tax Digital affect you?
- How must your records be prepared?
- Why is Making Tax Digital so important?
Get a clear understanding of what Making Tax Digital requires, how it applies to your business, and the practical steps you need to take to stay compliant and avoid problems.
There are two times available to book.
The Five Ws of Making Tax Digital (Breakfast session)
- Date and time: Thursday, 14 May, 8am-9:30am
- Location: The Bothy Office, Coolham Road, RH13 8QL
The Five Ws of Making Tax Digital (Lunchtime session)
- Date and time: Thursday, 14 May, 12:30pm-2pm
- Location: The Bothy Office, Coolham Road, RH13 8QL
How to Create a Strategy for Business Growth 121 Support
Join Mike Clare from Intrinsia for 121 support on how to create a strategy for your business growth. You will be taken through the process of developing and refining strategies, to enable you to identify and achieve the growth you want and adapt to changes in the business environment when they arise. Mike will also take you through how to best prepare for successful implementation of your plans.
Email us with an outline of the support you need, to apply for 121 support with Mike and build your strategy.
Apply for 121 support from Mike Clare
Business and Tax Advice 121 Support
- Date and time: To be arranged upon booking
- Location: Coolham
Join Carolyn Burchell from Composure Accounting for a 121 session on business and tax advice, tailored to your needs. Complete the online enquiry form to apply for a session with Carolyn.
SALSA Go Programme: Safe and Local Supplier Approval for Food and Drink Producers
Are you a Sussex food or drink producer? Grow your business through food safety certification and access the 12-month SALSA Go! Programme, delivered by Safe and Local Supplier Approval (SALSA).
What you'll get:
- One-to-one mentoring from an IFST-registered SALSA mentor
- Practical HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point) and Food Labelling training (with qualification)
- A clear, structured route to SALSA Approval
- Access to SALSA online support resources
- Stronger credibility with retail, wholesale and foodservice buyers
How to Make the Most of Your Market Stall Top Tips Video Series
- Location: Online pre-recorded video series.
Join Brendan from the National Market Traders Federation (NMTF) to learn useful tips, as a market trader, on how you can make the most of your market stall. The five-part video series covers what to bring, social media for market traders, maximising your stall layout, pricing and signage and taking cashless payments.
Sales and Negotiation Skills Quiz
How good is your business at making sales?
Take a five-minute online quiz to test how effective your business is at sales and negotiation.
This aims to inform businesses and the Council alike of the need to improve skills in this area and identify future training requirements.
Past workshops
The following workshops have already taken place as part of the 2023-25 Business Training Programme:
Business management training
- Ready, Set, Grow! - the team from Digital Islands ran 7 expert-led workshops, helping businesses in their first two years of trading including 1-2-1 progress review sessions. They developed an action plan including tax and accounting, HR and recruitment, PR marketing and social media for businesses.
- Emergency First Aid at Work courses - Jenny Legg of Training Legs First Aid ran a series of 1-day FAA Level 3 Award courses to provide training for businesses on a variety of emergency first aid situations in the workplace.
- First Aid for Mental Health course - Jenny Legg from Training Legs First Aid ran a 1-day course on supporting mental health in the workplace.
- Budget setting and cash flow forecasting for small businesses - Carolyn Burchell from Composure Accounting ran two practical and relevant sessions aimed at limited companies and sole traders to help them gain the knowledge and confidence needed to create their own budgets and forecasts.
- Debunking the complications of Apprenticeship Talent - Amy Blick from exhilHRate HR Consulting hosted a masterclass on how to successfully unlock apprenticeship talent.
- People power strategy workshop - Amy Blick from exhilHRate HR Consulting ran an interactive and focussed session on attracting, onboarding and keeping talent.
- The Blindspot Business Growth Accelerator Programme - Kate from Blindspot for Business ran a series of interactive workshops, based on the successful "Blindspot Boardroom" concept, providing a unique opportunity for business owners to identify and address their most pressing challenges through guided peer-to-peer problem-solving.
Business marketing training
- Strategic Social Media: Being Found & Return on Investment Masterclass: Michelle Betts from ByJove Media ran a masterclass on Strategic Social Media: Being Found & Return on Investment.
- Advanced social media for business masterclass - Michelle from ByJove Media ran an Advanced Social Media Masterclass, designed specifically for local businesses. The workshop dived into strategy, content planning, and insider tips to help businesses stand out and achieve real results.
- Don’t Panic! Changes to Social Media - Michelle Betts from ByJove Media hosted a free ‘Don’t panic! Changes to social media’ workshop for local businesses, exploring recent changes to social media platforms and how businesses can work with these to maximise reach and engagement.
- Recruiting via social media - Michelle Betts from ByJove Media and Amy Blick from exhilHRate HR Consulting ran a masterclass exploring the benefits of recruiting via social media and which platforms would work best for businesses' recruitment strategies.
- TikTok for business - Michelle Betts from ByJove Media ran a masterclass exploring social media platform TikTok and how businesses can use it.
- Instagram for business masterclass - Michelle Betts from ByJove Media ran a masterclass exploring social media platform Instagram and how businesses can use it.
- Making your brand picture perfect workshop - Sophie Ward Photography ran a fun and informative photography workshop, covering business branding and organizing imagery, followed by a 30-minute hands-on photography session to bring attendees' ideas to life.
- Introduction to videography for small businesses workshop - Silvertip Films ran a workshop on how to make video work for businesses with tips, tricks, practical work and more.
- Introduction to Video Editing workshop - Silvertip Films ran a workshop showing businesses how to take their self-filmed footage and edit it into slick, focussed video content to grow their online audience and business presence.
- WordPress training workshop - Britweb ran an online workshop on how to master WordPress.
- AI Unlocked: Authentic Content Creation for Small Businesses workshop - Michelle Betts from ByJove Media ran an interactive, beginner-friendly course demystifying AI and showing businesses how to save time, generate brilliant ideas, and create authentic content for their website, blogs, and social media.
- Reels Made Simple: How to Create Video Content That Works Masterclass - Michelle Betts from ByJove Media ran an evening session looking at confident, creative video content, without dancing, pointing, or spending hours editing. It covered what works, what doesn’t, and how to create Reels that feel natural and on-brand, whether filming on the fly or planning ahead.
- Instagram Reels Masterclass - Michelle Betts from ByJove Media ran a half day masterclass on Instagram reels.
- An Introduction to Podcasting Workshop - Geoff and Chris from Silvertip Films ran a 1-day workshop showing businesses how to set up a podcast, distribute the episodes, build an audience, develop content and a niche, and much more.
- Brilliantly Shot: Product Photography for Small Businesses Workshop - Sophie Ward Photography ran a hands-on workshop tailored to help participants create high-quality product images, using simple equipment and practical techniques.
- Putting Yourself on Camera Workshop - Geoff from Silvertip Films ran a 1/2 day workshop which looked at how to build on-camera presenting confidence.
- Content Planning for Busy Business Owners Masterclass - In this session, Michelle from ByJove Media explored how to take the stress out of content creation with simple, practical planning techniques that actually work when short on time.
- Leveraging LinkedIn For Business Masterclass - Michelle from ByJove Media ran a masterclass on leveraging LinkedIn for business.
- AI Tools: Saving Time Without Losing Personality Masterclass - Michelle Betts from ByJove Media ran a masterclass showing businesses how to use AI in a way that supports their business voice.
- GDPR for Small Businesses Course - Mandy Huntley - Data Protection ran an introductory course exploring the fundamental elements of GDPR.
- Your Privacy Statement Workshop - Mandy Huntley - Data Protection ran a session teaching the theory behind the various sections of a privacy notice and how to access help to compile a privacy notice.
- Carbon Literacy for Small and Medium-sized Enterprise (SMEs) - Horsham District Council ran a thought provoking, one-day Carbon Literacy training workshop.
Market trading training
- How to make the most of your market stall - Brendan and Tania from the National Market Traders Federation (NMTF) ran an interactive workshop on how to make the most of your market stall.
Let us know your business training needs
If you have any business training suggestions, please email Business.Support@horsham.gov.uk with the details and we will contact you if an opportunity should arise.