Bedford Business Bulletin – Jan 24

It’s your time to shine!

Put your business in the spotlight and gain national recognition with the FSB Celebrating Small Business Awards 2024. It’s free for all small businesses and the self-employed across the UK.

It’s not just free to enter – if you’re brilliant enough to be shortlisted for your category, you’ll get a free ticket to the spectacular awards final to be held at the iconic Winter Gardens Empress Ballroom in Blackpool. The headline sponsor for the FSB Awards 2024 is Tyl by NatWest.

From start-ups to sustainability, there is a category for you. They are recognising the achievements of small businesses in a wide range of areas, like innovation, export and digital. After judging, shortlisted businesses will be invited to a networking event where you’ll get to meet fellow finalists.

Closing date is 11 February – enter here now at:-  fsbawards.awardplatform.

The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Bedfordshire are holding their annual business conference at the Rufus Centre, Flitwick, MK45 1AH.

13 February, 6.30–8.30pm

As business owners, this event will be an opportunity for you too:

• get together to discuss business safety and business crime
• understand the current overall picture of business crime and how the police plan to tackle this
• understand cybercrime and how to protect your business.

Contact PCC@beds.police.uk to sign up or log onto website for further details, at bedfordshire.pcc.police.uk

Tuesday 30 January, 10am–12.30pm, University of Bedfordshire campus at Polhill Avenue.

Are you looking to expand your business into new international markets?  Open to UK-based businesses of any size, this free event is tailored for enterprises aspiring to achieve international growth.

The event will cover the topics below, and more:

• accessing finance for international growth
• opportunities for selling your products and services to customers overseas
• challenges and benefits of trading outside the UK
• cultural values: A people-focused view of doing business across cultures
• key business planning considerations & risk management
• innovation support for internationally focused commercial growth.

Delegates can view the event agent and register at : www.beds.ac.uk/beyond-borders-event

The Public Health Workplace Health Team support local workplaces across Central Bedfordshire, Bedford Borough, and Milton Keynes to promote a healthy, productive, and motivated workforce. If you need help to improve the health and wellbeing of your workforce visit the Healthy Workplace webpages. They have a wide range of resources and free Workplace Health and Wellbeing offers covering all aspects of workplace health.

If you would like to discover more and register for The Healthy Workplace Standards go to Health-and-wellbeing-hub/workplace, or email the Workplace Health Team for more information at: public.health@milton-keynes.gov.uk