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Covid Recovery Programme helps County Durham Micro and Small businesses get back on track

Micro and small businesses across County Durham can receive professional support to help get back on track following the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic as part of the Durham Business Opportunities Programme (DBOP).

DBOP is managed by Business Durham, the business support service for Durham County Council. DBOP offers a sector-specific programme of support aimed at micro and small businesses who have been hit particularly hard by the pandemic to help them boost sales and address challenges arising from the pandemic.

The Support Programme

The two–year programme is delivered by the CDC Enterprise Agency and offers one-to-one support sessions focusing on developing marketing and sales plans, upgrading existing websites, creating new social media strategies, developing branding, creating new marketing materials, and supporting the development of new products or services.

As part of the programme, businesses can also apply for a £500 grant to contribute towards the implementation costs of a marketing or sales plan.

The programme follows a series of successful sector-specific support programmes which DBOP has run since it was established in 2016. The programmes have focused on business areas identified as having high growth potential, such as childcare, manufacturing and engineering, creative industries, the food and drink sector and routes to contract success, which to date has helped businesses win over £2m worth of new business via public and private sector procurement frameworks.

How we’ve helped.

The support has been particularly beneficial for businesses like Scott Carney Photography. Scott like many business owners was preparing for a busy year with his diary fully booked with weddings throughout 2020 and 2021. But when the country went into the first of three lockdowns, Scott found himself out of work.

Scott received individual support as part of the DBOP Covid Recovery Programme via Zoom meetings which included reviewing his marketing activity to build a clear vision and identity for the business. Scott explains: “The support I received was fantastic. Lisa Hesler at CDC was my support officer, working with me to develop a marketing strategy that has helped focus my efforts on the areas that are best suited to my business and who my ideal customers are.

“Through the programme, I also received a small grant which I put towards developing my website and running some targeted campaigns on Google and Facebook to raise the profile of my business.”

Lisa Hesler, small business marketing adviser at CDC Enterprise Agency, said: “Part of the process we went through was to build a virtual persona of Scott’s ideal customer. I was then able to help Scott build a focussed marketing campaign on this ‘person’.

“This involved developing a marketing message to pitch and then looking at the best marketing channels to enhance this targeted activity.

“I am confident the more focused approach that Scott is adopting will really help his business moving forward, giving a much more visible online presence to his target audience.”

Sarah Slaven, Business Durham’s interim Managing Director, added: “This programme is all about increasing sales, raising your business profile, and helping you get back on track. I encourage all County Durham micro and small businesses to take advantage of the scheme.”

Eligibility To be eligible for this support businesses must:

• Be based in County Durham
• Have 15 or fewer employees
• Have been adversely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Durham Business Opportunities Programme is a six-year programme funded by the European Regional Development Fund (EDRF) for SMEs running up until November 2022.

To find out more about the programme visit www.businessdurham.co.uk/dbop

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Business Durham .