Central Bedfordshire Council Daily Digest Bulletin for 16th September 2014

Business seminars and events 16-09-2014 Free business clinic - 1-1 sessions available Organised by Central Bedfordshire Council in partnership with the Velocity business support scheme, one hour sessions are available for businesses to talk through their plans and ideas with a business advisor. Date: Tuesday, October 7th Venue: The Incuba, Brewers Hill Road, Dunstable Sessions are free to attend but must be booked in advance.  Please contact the Council's Business Support Team for more information, on 0300 300 8272 or email business@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk Innovative Management - free management training from the University of Bedfordshire ‘Innovative Management’ is a fully-funded management qualification, supported by the European Social Fund in partnership with Central Bedfordshire Council. The programme combines innovative leadership and management workshops and leads to a nationally recognised CMI Level 5 Award in Leadership and Management. Designed for leaders and managers who wish to develop themselves as innovative practitioners in all aspects of their business, the programme consists of three full day workshops.  Topics covered include staff motivation, managing expectations, routes to market and targeting customers. Delegates must live or work in Central Bedfordshire and be employed by or own a small business with less than 50 employees (certain post code restrictions apply). The programme begins on 1 October 2014 at the CPD/Postgraduate Centre, Luton  To register or for more information, visit the University of Bedfordshire Knowledge Hub. Experience Bedfordshire's First Hospitality Sector Surgery Organised by Experience Bedfordshire, the tourism partnership for Bedfordshire, the event is aimed at all businesses in the hospitality sector and focuses on growing your business through social media. Date: Friday, 10 October, 9am to 1pm Venue: Ramada Encore Hotel, Airport Way, Luton LU2 9LF Amanda Brown of Alterra will be leading a morning of training, covering areas such as raising brand awareness through Facebook and building relationships through Twitter.  Grants4Growth, Yellowstone (web development) and C&C Printers (marketing materials) will also be presenting on the day.  A buffet lunch and opportunities to network will further be available. To book, visit Hospitality Sector Surgery. The usual cost of this training is £90 but a discounted rate of  £19.55 (including VAT and card payment fee) is available for members of Experience Bedfordshire, the Chamber of Commerce and start-ups. For non-members the cost is £23.35.  Velocity Business Growth Workshops   As part of the Velocity programme, a number of free workshops are being held across the South East Midlands area.  The workshops last from 8.45am to 12 noon and cover a range of topics vital to supporting business growth.     Forthcoming local workshops, to be held at Mitchell Hall, Cranfield, include: How to build your website - September 25th Smash your Sales Targets - October 14th Attracting and Managing Investors - November 10th A full list of workshops, with dates and venues, and further information, are available on the Velocity website. Advice from experienced business owners The Incuba have put together a series of workshops aimed at helping small business owners getting the right help and support. The workshops begin on September 24th with: Make your IT work for you, not the other way around (9.30am-10.30am)  and Brand Planning – Start up to exit plan (11am -12noon) Workshops are charged at £5 (plus VAT) per business workshop including refreshments or £20 (plus VAT) for ALL SIX Workshops including refreshments and networking opportunities.  For further information or to reserve a place, contact  info@theincuba.com or call 01582 343 810   First Impressions – Free One Hour Taster Session Relate Bedfordshire and Luton are pleased to invite employers to a one hour taster session on their ‘First Impressions’ course.  Lasting impressions are formed within the first few moments of an initial phone call, if that impression is a positive, efficient and approachable one, your whole organisation is seen in the same light. Join the event to see how Relate can work with your business to provide training to your staff so they give the best First Impression possible. Venue:  The Incuba,  1Brewers Hill Road, Dunstable Date:  Tuesday, 14th October 2014 Time:  1030am – 1130am Registration is essential. For more information contact Relate on 01234 342503 or training@relatebedsandluton.org.uk Keep in touch with Central Bedfordshire Council F ollow them  on Twitter, find them  on Facebook and watch thei r latest videos on YouTube. Questions for Central Bedfordshire Council? Contact us Budget 2015 - still time to have your say 16-09-2014 Budget 2015 - still time to have your say Every year Central Bedfordshire residents and businesses are asked for their feedback on the  budget proposals and this year is no exception. Your views are very important to CBC  and they  want to understand how you feel about what is most important to you and your community. You can have your say by completing the online questionnaire by 6 October 2014. All the feedback receive d will be reported to Members of the Council as they make decisions about council spending and efficiencies early next year. United We Stand 16-09-2014 United We Stand  19 September This new play focuses on the 1972 Builders' Strike and events that led to the imprisonment of building workers Des Warren and Eric Tomlinson. This production aims to bring the full story of this compelling dispute to life, challenging and entertaining it's audience.  The play features popular and political songs from the period. Written by: Neil Gore Directed by: Louise Townsend Music directed by: John Kirkpatrick Townsend Productions are a local group who developed the show at Leighton Buzzard Library Theatre and will be touring the UK after opening here. Prices and booking information Tickets: £10 and £5 concessions Call: 0300 300 8125 Email: lbtboxoffice@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk