Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago’s Post

Key lesson from the Cornwall Business Fair today: that the appetite for business investment in nature does exist... In fact, many smaller businesses based here want not only to put their money into nature, but their blood, sweat and tears too. They want to see, feel, hear, and smell their impact. They want it local, and they want it effective. It's easy when we work at the national level to get ambitious about scale and reach, and always be looking to do MORE over FURTHER. And there's a place for that - it's vital. But it starts at home, it starts small, and that's key too. My goal going forward: to keep my national head on but with my heart always beating local. National Landscapes Association #landscaperecovery #localnaturerecovery

⚫ The end of an era of Local Enterprise Partnerships ... ⚫ On 4 August 2023 the Minister for Levelling Up and the Minister for Enterprise, Markets and Small Business sent a joint letter to LEP chairs, combined authority mayors, local authority leaders and the Mayor of London, confirming the government’s decision to withdraw government funding for LEPs from April 2024 and transfer their functions – namely, business representation, strategic economic planning, and the delivery of government programmes - to local and combined authorities ⚫ I was proud to attend the final legacy event on 22 March at Alie Street, London of my own South East Local Enterprise Partnership (SELEP) event where it showcased the incredible successes of its 13-year tenure ─ and all of the panels were truly upbeat, I felt a tinge of sadness at the reasons why govt has seen fit to dismantle the LEP network ??? ... "if it ain't busted, don't mend it" ... ⚫ Govt says that some LEPs may choose to continue operations without core funding, either until a devolution deal is agreed for their area or in perpetuity and states that where an upper tier local authority or authorities wish to continue using the LEP as a vehicle to continue delivery of these core functions, or if they wish in due course to pursue integration of a LEP, they are free to do so – the nature and status of such arrangements are a decision for them to make ... hmm, what an odd situation to create! ─ why do that?‼ ⚫ Video of the last SELEP Strategic Board https://lnkd.in/eeeyeyms Well done South East Local Enterprise Partnership for the job you have all done during challenging times and hope the legacy continues! https://lnkd.in/epvZyyY3

Large businesses routinely use advisors to grow their business, but SMEs often shy away from external advice for a variety of reasons: time, cost and trust amongst them. However, research has consistently shown that business support has a significant positive impact on small and medium businesses, including: 📈Increased growth: Business advice facilitates the growth and expansion of businesses, helping to find new customers, move into new markets and increase profits and employment. 💡Enhanced innovation: Access to advice and support encourages innovation, resulting in new products and services, as well as better ways of working which leads to cost-saving and greater efficiency. 🌳Greater resilience: Expert guidance helps identify and manage business risks, helping to increase resilience in the face of economic downturns and crises. ⏳Improved longevity: Businesses that receive business support services are more likely to thrive in the long term than those who don’t. Elevate Worcestershire offers 121 business advice with highly-qualifed advisors and group peer learning sessions. And, once you have evidenced your growth ambitions, you may be eligible for a grant up to £10,000. The programme is offered by Worcestershire County Council and six District Councils and funded by the UK government. Invest in your business’s future by registering today at: https://ow.ly/sSCs50RahFC #worcestershire #elevategrowth #futuresuccess Worcestershire Growth Hub Bromsgrove District Council Malvern Hills District Council Redditch Borough Council Worcester City Council Wychavon District Council Wyre Forest District Council

Top news stories from Business News Wales today 👇

Thursday's Top Stories ⬇ #Thursday #BusinessNews #Wales #BusinessNewsWales

The council is revising its corporate plan which sets out ambitions and priorities for the district for the remainder of the decade. Towards 2030: A Strategy for Mansfield, is our tactical response to the changes experienced in past recent years and how to meet the challenges facing the district in the future. The strategy is focused on five themes: communities, the district, the economy, the environment, and the council, under an overall goal - to be an ambitious, caring and confident district where everyone can prosper. Its main ambitions are: • Supporting communities to live safe, healthy and happy lives; • That communities benefit from employment opportunities, skills development and investment; • Protecting communities with measures to tackle the impact of climate change; • For communities to benefit from a resilient, financially sound and well run council that works with partners; • To present the district as a great place to live, work and visit and to promote community pride. The revised policy was considered by the council’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee yesterday and is due to be adopted by the Full Council in May. Executive Mayor Andy Abrahams said: “We have seen many changes in the district since the last corporate plan was adopted – not least the effects of a global pandemic and ensuing challenges of higher inflation on the cost of living. “There has also been more positive changes such as the significant successful bids for government levelling up funding to help regenerate this district. As such it was necessary to look at the council’s overall strategy again to take account of the shifts in the economic environment, and ensure that the council is addressing the most urgent local needs in a financially resilient position. “This strategy builds on the many successes we have seen in this district in the first half of this decade so that we can face the future with renewed drive and optimism.” Full story: https://ow.ly/ULgK50QWxbl

Not long now until National World plc / The Yorkshire Post officially launch The Great Northern Conference 2024, a must attend event focusing on the future of the North of England. With the recent elections and the Labour Party's pledge it is more important than ever that we address what this means for the North and how this will impact our future. The full day event will be made up of keynote & breakout panels with plenty of networking opportunities in between to engage with business leaders, local authorities, media and politicians. Panels already confirmed include Net Zero Pledge, Skills plenary, Get The North Building, Transport, Investment and Innovation. Alongside this we are still considering other key topics which need to be acknowledged. What do you think we need to voice - ideas are welcome? If you are passionate about the North and interested in being associated with as a partner/sponsor of the event, get in touch. jodie.selby@nationalworld.com Mark Harsley James Mitchinson Haroldine Lockwood Helen Lambert Zach Morman Russ Cowling Michael Druce Amanda Lee Melody Lowe Sinead Cardwell Marcus Schofield Chris Burn Greg Wright #northofengland #ourfuture #conference #northeast #northwest #yorkshire #hull #humber #innovation #investment #netzero #skills #building #projects #construction #transport #manufacturing #healthcare #digitalconnectivity #dataanddigitaltransformation #digitalconnectivity #businessleaders

So this week we had no power due to the storms in Melbourne. It's not very often that I need to activate the steps that I teach so many other small business owners myself. But this week I did. The steps were simple because I was ready. When you're in the grind of daily tasks it's easy to put disaster or disruption planning in the "I'll do it later" pile. But typically later doesn't come. If you are a Council or Government department responsible for sustainable and resilient small businesses across your community - reach out. At Resilient Ready we are delivering toolkit programs, advisory services and strategic plans to help all businesses across communities to thrive. We set people (like me) up to do business better in the good times, so they survive the hard times. Because we know there are more hard times ahead! Relevant to retail, services, agribusiness, tourism, trades and everything in between! #doingdisastersdifferently #smallbusiness #communityresilience #businesscommunity #businessresilience

Business Bites is back on Thursday 17th April 2024. In this session we will be joined by Charlotte Laherty from Chamber Patron Members Caxtons Property Consultants. Charlotte will be discussing how the past six months have impacted Kentish Property. Find out more here: https://hubs.la/Q02pLkqk0 #KentProperty #BusinessBites #Webinar