A GET TOGETHER by a group of local business people has resulted in a seminar this month which is set to boost manufacturing in Bolton.
‘Made in Bolton” has been put together by several local organisations – RBS Corporate Banking, the Manufacturing Network in Bolton, Business Bolton, NXO Marketing and Bolton Wanderers’ Community Trust.
“A group of like-minded people got together to see what could be done to help support the SME market in Bolton,” explained Kay Wareing from RBS.
“The consensus was that if we all used our resources and expertise we could actually create an event that would be beneficial to businesses. We all wanted to give something back to the community that supported us individually and to get companies working together.”
The event at the Reebok on Tuesday, October 30 runs from 4.30pm and involves a series of guest speakers including Bill Caldwell from Beer & Partners and Nick Brandwood from MAS.
Informal networking and Q and A sessions will also be held and there will be stands and exhibits from Bolton Council, Unite with Business, MAS, MIDAS, UKTI, Growth Accelerator, Access to Finance, PMD Leasing, Beer & Partners and Apprentice Funding.
Gary Sheader from the Manufacturing Network in Bolton said: “These types of events are a stepping stone for the Bolton business community in a number of ways. They give focused support to specific sectors, provide a wealth of information to the people who need it and offer a platform to learn best practice from other local businesses.”
Jeanne Kelly from NXO stated she felt the seminar was important because “New initiatives are needed to stimulate growth and get more local people back into employment. Support is out there for local businesses such as help with finance, grants, business coaching, innovation, exporting and training but it’s not easy for people running a business to find out about all this as well as serving their customers, keeping the money coming in and paying the workers.”
Cllr Nick Peel, Executive Cabinet Member for Environment, Regulatory Services and Skills said: “Business Bolton provides support and advice to local businesses and we are really pleased to be involved.
“Seminars likes these are invaluable for sharing ideas and this is a particularly important event given manufacturing is one of the biggest employers in the town.”
Concluded Kay Wareing: “There is so much good business news out there in Bolton that we never get to hear about . We would like to show everyone that, actually, if we all just speak to each other we can create a stronger business community with an ethos of mutual support.”
Tickets for the event are £15 each, with all funds going to Bolton Wanderers Community Trust available from Gary Sheader at gary@futurestatesolutions.co.uk