Dawlish Chamber of Trade is to hold more free business seminars later this year following the success of the scheme it launched earlier this year.

The seminars, funded by Dawlish Chamber and Devon County Council, are run via the Chamber’s Small Business Academy and are open to any small business owner in the Dawlish and Teignmouth area, not just Chamber members.

Each seminar is limited to 14 people and is designed to be interactive and tailored to the needs of those attending. There are handouts to take away afterwards.

‘It’s not just someone talking at you, it’s about how people can use the information in their own business,’ commented Dawlish Chamber of Trade chair Colin Jolliffe.

‘Feedback to the seminars already run has been amazing,’ he added.

Melinda McDougall, who has attended several seminars, said: ‘I love the interaction and the small group size. You can’t learn everything in two hours but the content is tailored to the audience. And even if there are bits you think you know, they are a good refresher and it reinforce your skillset.’

Seminars include: leadership and management; marketing; sales; finance; productivity; HR; business strategy; Excel; data analysis and cyber security.

The Small Business Academy, which is based at the Dawlish Work Hub, was set up in February this year.

It was designed to help businesses and local entrepreneurs from Dawlish and beyond to develop and grow.

At the time, Colin noted that ‘the economy isn’t the best at the moment and we really want to help businesses weather the storm as much as we can’.

Dawlish Chamber of Trade also runs regular networking events that are open to anyone working in businesses around Devon. These include a business breakfast, which takes place every third Thursday of the month, and its ‘Coffee Connections’ group, which meets on the first Thursday of the month.