The Black Country Growth Hub has launched a new development opportunity for independent retailers as part of its Experts in Residence programme.

The Experts in Residence (EiR) programme helps local post-start and micro businesses to find a business mentor. It has a group of experienced business experts on hand to support SMEs with growth, resilience and forward planning.

The new retail development programme is fully funded so there will be no cost to participating businesses. It is a short programme of tailored support for independent retailers on the high street, including a range of workshops and 1:1 support. 

The sessions on offer as part of the programme will be tailored to the businesses participating. The Black Country Growth Hub team will work with the participants to create a proactive plan of targeted action to increase sales – a process that can then be repeated by the business owner using the tools and strategies learnt.

There will also be potential for long-term account management from the wider Black Country Growth Hub team in the future.

The programme will consist of two components – 1:1 discovery sessions followed by retail development training workshops. These workshops will be delivered over Zoom and will include a mixture of slides, breakout time, Q&A sessions and completing the plan throughout the week.

The webinar series will focus on the fundamentals of retail. The topics include:

• Effective foundation planning
• How to provide great customer service
• How to create a campaign to increase footfall
• Creating a communications and marketing strategy
• Setting and maintaining high standards.

For more information about the programme visit the Black Country Growth Hub website or email enquiries@bcgrowthhub.com.

For more support to help grow your Sandwell business visit our Growing your business page.