Business Training Programme
Horsham District Council's Business Training Programme is an exciting series of business training workshops, projected over three years (2023 to 2025). The Horsham District-focussed programme seeks to help entrepreneurs and business leaders build-in resilience to their business models, keep them well informed and enable opportunities for upskilling.
Using a blend of online and in-person formats, the programme provides skills development and enhanced opportunities to share and learn from the latest best practice.
Course content is delivered by locally based independent business experts in their fields.
Contents
Here is a list of training currently available to access or book. To find out more, click on the course name.
Should you be interested in a place on a course that is fully booked or have any additional business training suggestions, please email BusinessDevelopment@horsham.gov.uk with the details and we will contact you if an opportunity should arise.
Business management training
- Sales and negotiation skills quiz
- 'Budget setting and cash flow forecasting for small businesses' workshop (Sole Traders)
- 'Budget setting and cash flow forecasting for small businesses' workshop (Limited Companies)
- AI for Small Business workshop
- Ready, Set, Grow! 7 intensive SME support workshops
- 'How to create a strategy for business growth' workshop
Business marketing training
Market trading training
- How to make the most of your market stall in Horsham District 2024 workshop
- How to make the most of your market stall: top tips video series
To make sure you're the first to know the latest updates on the Business Training Programme, sign up to our fortnightly business e-newsletter.
For a list of workshops that have already taken place for 2023/24 click here.
Current training opportunities
Business management
Sales and negotiation skills
How good is your business at making sales?
Take a new 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.
'Budget setting and cash flow forecasting for small businesses' workshop (Sole Traders)
- Join Carolyn Burchell from Composure Accounting for a practical and relevant session for sole traders to gain the knowledge and the confidence you need to create your own budgets and forecasts.
- Date and time: Tuesday, 5 March 2024, 10am to 2pm
- Location: Billingshurst Community Centre, Roman Way, Billingshurst, RH14 9QW
'Budget setting and cash flow forecasting for small businesses' workshop (Limited Companies)
- Join Carolyn Burchell from Composure Accounting for a practical and relevant session aimed at limited companies to gain the knowledge and the confidence you need to create your own budgets and forecasts.
- Date and time: Tuesday, 12 March 2024, 10am to 2pm
- Location: Billingshurst Community Centre, Roman Way, Billingshurst, RH14 9QW
AI for Small Business
- Horsham District Council have teamed up with the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) to present an exciting new workshop on Artificial Intelligence (AI). Join speaker Gary Blunden of Blundens who has over a decade of experience in the technology sector and discover how AI is changing the small business landscape. Dive into the world of cutting-edge technology and learn how AI can transform the way you operate, streamline your processes, boost productivity and ultimately drive business growth.
- Date and time: Monday, 15 April 2024, 10am-12:30pm
- Location: Tottington Manor Hotel & Restaurant, Edburton Road, Henfield, BN5 9LJ
- This event is a ticketed event so booking in advance is required. Price is £8, and there are limited spaces. Bookings close on the 11 April at 4pm.
Ready, Set, Grow! 7 intensive SME support workshops
- Join the team from Digital Islands for 7 expert-led workshops, helping businesses in their first two years of trading. Develop an action plan including tax and accounting, HR and recruitment, PR marketing and social media for businesses. Also included are 1-2-1 progress review sessions tailored to your needs.
- Dates and times:
- Workshop 1, Strategy and Action Plans: Tuesday, 16 April 2024, 10am to 12:30pm
- Workshop 2, HR and Recruitment: Friday, 19 April 2024, 10am to 12:30pm
- Workshop 3, Value Proposition and Positioning: Friday, 26 April 2024, 10am to 12:30pm
- Workshop 4, Key Messages: Friday, 3 May 2024, 10am to 12:30pm
- Workshop 5, Marketing Plan: Friday, 10 May 2024, 10am to 12:30pm
- Workshop 6, Social Media Content: Friday, 17 May 2024, 10am to 12:30pm
- Workshop 7, Finance and Planning: Friday, 24 May 2024, 10am to 12:30pm
- Location: Horsham Library, Lower Tanbridge Way, Horsham, RH12 1PJ
'How to create a strategy for business growth' video series
- Join Mike Clare from Intrinsia for this online video series, where 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.
- Once you have watched the four-part video series, you can apply for 1-2-1 support to help build your strategy.
- Location: Online pre-recorded video series. Sign up for free to the West Sussex Business Hub to access.
Business marketing
Visual merchandising
Explore a list of resources and a checklist outlining some helpful guidelines for effective visual merchandising .
'TikTok for business' masterclass
- Join Michelle Betts from ByJove Media for a masterclass exploring social media platform TikTok and how to use it for your business.
- Date and time: Friday, 15 March 2024, 9:30am to 12pm
- Location: Horsham Football Club, The Camping World Community Stadium, Worthing Road, Horsham, RH13 0AD
Market trading
How to make the most of your market stall in Horsham District 2024
- Are you a new or established market trader? Join Brendan and Tania from the National Market Traders Federation (NMTF) for this interactive workshop on how to make the most of your market stall. Take advantage of this valuable opportunity to network with like-minded individuals and expand your knowledge and skills.
- Date and time: Monday, 18 March, 10am to 4pm
- Location: Billingshurst Community Centre, Roman Way, Billingshurst, RH14 9QW
How to make the most of your market stall: top tips 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.
Past workshops
The following workshops have already taken place as part of the 2023/24 Business Training Programme:
- 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.
- Debunking the complications of Apprenticeship Talent - Amy Blick from ExhilHRate HR Consulting hosted a masterclass on how to successfully unlock apprenticeship talent.
- Advanced social media for business - Michelle Betts from ByJove Media ran a masterclass exploring each social media platform in detail so businesses could identify which ones they should be using for their business.
- Emergency First Aid at Work - 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.
- 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.
- Making your brand picture perfect - Sophie Ward Photography ran a workshop to help businesses build brand confidence through their images and shared practical photography tips for use in business imagery.
- Introduction to videography - Geoff and Mike from Silvertip Films ran a workshop on how to make video work for businesses with tips, tricks, practical work and more.
- People power strategy - Amy Blick from ExhilHRate HR Consulting ran an interactive and focussed session on attracting, onboarding and keeping talent for businesses.
- WordPress Training - britweb ran an online workshop on how to master WordPress.
Did you miss one of these workshops and wish you could have attended? Let us know by emailing BusinessDevelopment@horsham.gov.uk to inform future training opportunities.
Join the West Sussex Business Hub
Sign up for free to the West Sussex Business Hub to access further videos and other resources related to the Business Training Programme, alongside an expanding range of local business support, information, advice and opportunities to connect with other local business owners.
The hub is part funded by Horsham District Council in collaboration with Councils across West Sussex and developed by Digital Islands.