St Helens Borough Council launches economic support packages for market traders and local businesses

This initiative, funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, is designed to help local traders develop and improve their commercial operations in areas such as ecommerce, digital marketing, visual merchandising and cost management. The advice and support will be provided through a series of tailored online webinars.

The sessions are open to established market traders and town centre businesses located at St Mary’s or Earlestown markets and will be led by a team of experienced Associate Business Advisors, who will help businesses navigate growth and engaging effectively across online platforms.

Session Dates:

· 9 January 2025 - Introductory webinar

· 15 January – Ecommerce Workshop

· 20 January – Customer service and cost management

· 29 January – Visual merchandising

· 5 February – Social media and marketing

· 19 February – Community build & peer support session 1

· 6 March – Community build & peer support session 2

Along with providing valuable resources, the webinars will also encourage increased visibility, networking opportunities, and mentorship through one-to-one advice from seasoned traders and business experts. The initiative also offers access to an online platform for co-ordinating and managing all social media activity.

Councillor Richard McCauley, Cabinet Member for Inclusive Growth & Regeneration at St Helens Borough Council said: “As the retail landscape in Britain evolves, being local-first is becoming more important than ever, and our market towns are at the heart of that community. Earlestown Market, with its historic status as the home of the oldest working market in the country, is a vital asset and a new modern Market Hall forms an integral part of the first phase transformation of St Helens town centre.”

“This support package will help our traders and businesses alike to tap into new opportunities and grow sustainably, with the digital tools they need to thrive in an increasingly online world. We’re looking forward to helping our local business community evolve and succeed and would encourage as many of our diverse businesses to get involved.”

To learn more about the service, join the introductory webinar on January 9, 2025. For further details and to register, visit www.growthco.uk/st-helens or contact Ava Saunders at [email protected].