Dundee & Angus Chamber of Commerce is here to support all businesses, from established companies to brand new start-ups.
And this year, helping members through the challenges of running a business is more important than ever.
Alison Henderson – who joined the Chamber as CEO in 2014 – knows all too well that from challenging times, exciting and successful new businesses can be born. After all, she launched her own first business after being made redundant in 2008.
For those who’ve lost their jobs as a result of the pandemic and have taken the exciting step of launching their own business, the Chamber has a special offer to take advantage of.
Its new start-up business offer will allow you to purchase your first year of membership fees for just £100.
“Extending a hand to businesses in their first year of trading is absolutely vital,” said Alison.
“The Chamber can really help a new business get a strong footing in the local business community.
“That first year is often a steep learning curve: building a great local network and learning from others who can share their business experiences will help give new firms a solid foundation.
“Our range of membership services, from HR, Legal and Health & Safety support to providing offers to over 800 local businesses, all help establish a new company.”
Start your business off right
The offer is designed to help new businesses benefit from the many advantages that come with joining Dundee & Angus Chamber of Commerce.
For those who don’t know, the Chamber is a business membership organisation, with over 800 current members.
As well as representing member’s views, it encourages business connections and opportunities. For example, it runs events to help members share practical ideas, hints and inspiration for running a successful business.
Adapting to change is key for success and so currently the Chamber is also focused on supporting members through this transitional period as we move out of lockdown, helping businesses take positive actions towards their futures.
A lot of this involves building the confidence of members. Recently, manufacturing businesses which had initially closed at the start of lockdown were wondering how they could re-open to deal with ongoing customer enquiries. The Chamber helped form a small group of manufacturers to share their experiences and expertise in response.
Take advantage of member services
As well as practical support, Chamber members also get access to a vast range of member services offering the likes of HR help, legal guidance, advice on exporting and overseas markets, help with connecting suppliers and more.
Dundee & Angus Chamber of Commerce, which is the fastest growing UK Chamber for the second year in a row, even won an award for its member services, so it’s a valuable resource to have at your disposal.
The latest addition to the Chamber’s award-winning member services is its new mental health and wellbeing support network, launching with a 7 Steps to Personal Wellbeing programme on 19th August 2020.
“People working in or running businesses are obviously working super hard,” said Alison.
“And whether you’ve been at work or furloughed, it’s really stressful and worrying. Whether it’s financial worries or worries about being safe or how business will look on the other side of all this, it’s definitely causing a lot of stress and anxiety.”
In response, the new wellbeing support network will see members gaining access to a whole series of exclusive webinars from local experts, on topics like mindset, resilience and mental health.
Whether you’re a new start-up taking advantage of the Chamber’s special offer or an established business and long-time Chamber member, this wellbeing network could prove priceless as you manoeuvre through the remainder of this unusual year.
Find out more; visit the Dundee and Angus Chamber of Commerce website or follow them on social media (@dundeeandangus).
