Hertfordshire Growth Hub’s flagship ‘All the Help You Can Get’ Business Support Show took place on Wednesday 6^th December 2023 at Knebworth Barns near Stevenage.

Aimed at those looking to start, grow or scale their business in Hertfordshire, the event was attended by 123 visitors including small and medium-sized business owners and Growth Hub partners. 

In addition to offering businesses the chance to gain actionable advice, discover opportunities and connect with the wealth of support available locally and nationally, the event celebrated the special partnership between businesses and regulatory services known as Better Business for All (BBfA) reaching a milestone 10 years of delivery in Hertfordshire.

The show’s opening address was delivered by Adrian Hawkins OBE, Chair of Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), and Chair of the LEP’s Skills & Employment Board. Adrian highlighted the vital role played by Hertfordshire Growth Hub, which is delivered on behalf of Hertfordshire LEP.

Adrian said: “Hertfordshire Growth Hub has supported over 9,000 businesses and over 600 jobs since it was launched in 2014, with 98% of those receiving high intensity support last year seeing improvements to their scale up and growth. This is a fantastic result, especially considering the current economic climate.

“I hope this event has driven home the impact that the Growth Hub can have on a business’ growth trajectory. I encourage all our SMEs to kickstart 2024 by taking advantage of the support on offer.”

Later delegates heard from a panel of business owners and leaders in a ‘fireside chat’ about how the support they had received from Hertfordshire Growth Hub and its partners had benefited their businesses.

Delegates then had the choice to join three expert-led workshops all based around the show’s theme of ‘Grow Yourself, Grow Your Team and Grow Your Business’ before enjoying a festive buffet lunch and some business networking in the show’s exhibition area. 

Over 15 organisations exhibited, showcasing the publicly funded business support and advice services available in the county which can be accessed via Hertfordshire Growth Hub. 

Matt Clark, Partnership and Events Manager at Hertfordshire Growth Hub, said: “I extend my thanks to all the partners who exhibited and those who delivered workshops on the day and to the business owners for attending the show and helping to make it a tremendous success”. 

Peter Taylor, Elected Mayor of Watford, then delivered a speech recognising the successes and impact of the Better Business for All (BBfA) partnership since its inception in 2013.  

For the last 10 years Better Business for All (BBfA) has been demystifying business regulation and helping the county’s regulators to understand the needs of businesses. It produces a wide range of resources to help businesses comply with regulation, from guidance notes, checklists, templates and posters, across a variety of topics from health and safety to fire advice, consumer law and information for landlords.

It played a vital role in helping businesses to keep up with ever-changing regulations throughout EU exit and the pandemic, with BBfA being shortlisted as a finalist for the OPSS Regulatory Excellence Awards in 2021 for the quality of its COVID-19 resources. Most recently, the partnership has released a Hertfordshire Food Safety Management System which can be downloaded, along with other useful materials from the BBfA website.

Sam Hudson, BBfA Programme Manager, said: “This is a very exciting milestone for Better Business for all, the partnership has made a real impact to businesses in the county over the last 10 years and will continue to do so for many years to come.”