Celebrating the CHART project
Let’s Do Business Group helps the aspiring entrepreneurs of Bexhill and Hastings achieve their dreams of launching their own businesses
Let’s Do Business Group have been delighted to take part in the recent project which came to an end in July 2022, which marked two successful years of delivering free support to local entrepreneurs and businesses that wanted to take their ideas to the next level.
The *Connecting Hastings and Rother Together (CHART) project was a Community-Led Local Development (CLLD) Programme which included tailored and free support to help start-ups and established businesses in Hastings, Sidley and Central Bexhill to grow. The project was part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) under Hastings Borough Council, and delivered by business and finance experts from Let’s Do Business Group’s team in St Leonards.
CHART* aimed to support projects that bring a fresh approach to tackling deep-rooted problems which conventional strategies hadn’t managed to solve. It focused on helping disadvantaged people to start a business or set up as self-employed, stimulating the local economy to create jobs suitable for local people.
Through the project, Let’s Do Business Group was able to offer 12 hours of free business support to each business to help with anything from marketing strategy, sales, recruitment, logistics and accounting.
The Group also ran regular workshops for aspiring entrepreneurs in the area, both online and in-person. Led by experienced business manager Lisa Young, the Ready for Business and My Biz start up business workshops helped local people who had their business idea get ready for launch, by teaching vital skills and building their confidence, to get their dream off the ground.
The project has enabled Let’s Do Business Group to help over 300 local businesses in the area – many of which are now hugely popular on the high streets and in the towns in Hastings, St Leonards and Bexhill - like HEIST, The Yard and Sleeper Bagels, to name a few.
From the support offered to local residents to develop their skills to run and maintain their own businesses, this has also helped to create 46 new jobs for local people.
“The Let’s Do Business Group has been hugely helpful to an array of businesses in The Yard.
Emily has been fantastic in connecting up businesses with the right help for them, making it easy and accessible.
It’s all about removing barriers. Some people may be afraid to ask for help if they need it.
Emily and the Let’s Do Business Group genuinely have the best interests of the businesses they support at heart. It isn’t a tick box exercise, it’s a really tailored service”
Graham Marley, the Chief Executive of the Let’s Do Business Group said:
“We have been delighted to help so many businesses and people thinking about starting a business across Hastings and Bexhill, in what has been such a challenging period for everyone.
I am proud that the team have been able to play a part in helping businesses to navigate through these challenges and helped many to work towards a more positive future - this sort of business support project is essential for places like Hastings and Bexhill, as it enables growth and economic opportunity.”
Although the CHART* project has come to an end, the Let’s Do Business Group team are still able to offer local entrepreneurs free support, advice and workshops when it comes to starting and growing their business in the South East of England. To find out more visit https://www.letsdobusinessgroup.co.uk/
