Business networking and engagement
Business Networking
Grow your business by joining one or more business networks. Perhaps the two most well-known organisations supporting businesses in Nottinghamshire are:
- East Midlands Chamber (Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire) is a membership organisation with 3,800 businesses and 3,000 affiliates and is the second-largest chamber in the country. Members benefit from a wide range of business support services from lobbying and campaigning, helping businesses realise their international trading ambitions, showcasing and market making activities to workforce training and development
- Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) is a business pressure group promoting and protecting the interests of the self-employed and owners of small firms. The FSB also delivers a wide range of high quality business services to its members.
Nottinghamshire Business Clubs – There are a host of local business clubs operating across Nottinghamshire and if you would like to know more about those active in your area, please contact us at ecdev@nottscc.gov.uk.
Nottinghamshire Sector Support – Across Nottinghamshire, support for business sectors is led by the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership, which has identified eight key sectors of business and industry in which existing businesses show that the sector is robust and have the greater potential for growth. The key sectors are:
- Construction
- Creative and Digital Industries
- Food & Drink Manufacturing
- Life Sciences
- Low Carbon
- Transport & Logistics
- Transport Equipment Manufacturing
- Visitor Economy
Each key sector has its own action plan.
Business Engagement
A crucial part of our understanding of business needs, especially micro, small and medium sized enterprise (SMEs) across the County, is achieved through the Nottinghamshire Business Engagement Group or NBEG, which has been offering a voice for and championing the needs of SMEs since 2010.
NBEG comprises the chairs or leads from a range of business groups active across the county, which regularly meet to share information and champion the cause of SMEs, influencing the LEP and other business support activity. NBEG attendees include East Midlands Chamber, FSB, Institute of Directors, CBI, alongside local business groups including Mansfield 2020, Newark Business Club and Southwell Business Club, as well as those organisations that provide business support. NBEG revised its Terms of Reference in January 2016, as follows:
There are 26,350 micro and small businesses in Nottinghamshire, comprising 97% of the total number of businesses across the County. The Group’s overall aim is to support, sustain and grow micro and small-sized businesses in Nottinghamshire.
It will do this by providing:
- information for micro and small-sized business in Nottinghamshire on local issues and opportunities for growth;
- a coherent voice whereby the issues, needs and desires of the micro and small-sized business community are communicated to the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership, the D2N2 Growth Hub, local councils and other business support and development organisations, with the ambition of influencing delivery and outcomes;
- a range of platforms (be they events, meetings and web/social media based) whereby Nottinghamshire’s micro and small-sized business can network with each other and potentially work together on relevant projects and opportunities.
The Group will champion the strength and diversity of micro and small-sized businesses; increase the awareness of the resources and support available to them and act as a means whereby service providers can gain a better understanding of their business needs and tailor their services accordingly.
NBEG is actively looking for more business groups to get involved and if you would like to learn more, please contact us at ecdev@nottscc.gov.uk.
Keep in touch
- sign up to our emailme service and get the latest news delivered directly to your inbox. You may filter the email to receive details of specific interest to you, including business news
- we actively engage with local businesses of all sizes to get their views on Nottinghamshire's economy, the issues affecting business development and the support available to them. If you would like to tell us more about your business, please get in touch with us at ecdev@nottscc.gov.uk.
