Business Training Programme
Horsham District Council's Business Training Programme is an exciting series of business training workshops, projected over three years (2023 to 2025). The Horsham District-focussed programme seeks to help entrepreneurs and business leaders build-in resilience to their business models, keep them well informed and enable opportunities for upskilling.
Using a blend of online and in-person formats, the programme provides skills development and enhanced opportunities to share and learn from the latest best practice. Course content is delivered by locally based independent business experts in their fields.
Please note:
- For each workshop, there is a maximum of 1 place per business. Please contact us if you need more places.
- These courses are being provided by Horsham District Council for businesses in the Horsham District. Some courses have a nominal cost to the ticket with the remainder being paid by the Council on behalf of businesses.
Contents
Here is a list of training available for 2024-25. To find out more, click on the course name.
Business management training
- Business and tax advice 121 sessions
- How to create a strategy for business growth video series and 121 support
- Ready, Set, Grow! 6 intensive SME support workshops
- People power strategy workshop
- Emergency First Aid at Work courses
- Sales and negotiation skills quiz
Business marketing training
- Advanced social media for business masterclass
- Making your brand picture perfect workshop
- SEO for WordPress users workshop
- Introduction to videography for small businesses workshop
- WordPress training workshop
- LinkedIn for business masterclass
- Product photography workshop
- Instagram for business masterclass
Market trading training
To make sure you're the first to know the latest updates on the Business Training Programme, sign up to our fortnightly business e-newsletter.
For a list of workshops that have already taken place for 2023/24 click here.
If you have any additional business training suggestions, please email BusinessDevelopment@horsham.gov.uk with the details and we will contact you if an opportunity should arise.
To support businesses to become more sustainable, we have listed public transport options for each in-person workshop. Did you know your business can access discounts on Southern rail, bus travel, active travel benefits and more through easitHORSHAM? Contact easitHORSHAM to find out more.
Current training opportunities
Business management
Business and tax advice 121 sessions
Join Carolyn Burchell from Composure Accounting for a 121 session on business and tax advice.
- Date: From September 2024
- Time: To be arranged upon booking
- Location: Coolham
How to create a strategy for business growth video series and 121 support
Join Mike Clare from Intrinsia for this online video series, where you will be taken through the process of developing and refining strategies, to enable you to identify and achieve the growth you want and adapt to changes in the business environment when they arise. Mike will also take you through how to best prepare for successful implementation of your plans.
Once you have watched the four-part video series, you can apply for 121 support to help build your strategy.
- Location: Online pre-recorded video series. Sign up for free to the West Sussex Business Hub to access.
Ready, Set, Grow! 6 intensive SME support workshops
Join the team from Digital Islands for 6 expert-led workshops, covering a broad range of topics to help guide you through developing your business. Starting Thursday 9 January 2025 then every Thursday for 5 weeks.
Workshop 1 will be an introduction and welcome session with Gavin from Digital Islands.
At the final session, Workshop 6, there will be an informal, optional, pay your own way lunch from 12:30pm to 2pm.
Workshop 1
- Topic: Welcome, introductions, and your value proposition.
- Date / time: Thursday, 9 January 2025, 10am to 2pm
- Location: Horsham Library, Lower Tanbridge Way, Horsham, RH12 1PJ
Workshop 2
- Topic: Using your value proposition to develop your messaging
- Dates / time: Thursday, 16 January 2025, 10am to 12:30pm
- Location: Horsham Library, Lower Tanbridge Way, Horsham, RH12 1PJ
Workshop 3
- Topic: Creating a Marketing Plan
- Dates / time: Thursday, 23 January 2025, 10am to 12:30pm
- Location: Horsham Library, Lower Tanbridge Way, Horsham, RH12 1PJ
Workshop 4
- Topic: Creating Content for Social Media.
- Dates / time: Thursday, 30 January 2025, 10am to 12:30pm
- Location: Horsham Library, Lower Tanbridge Way, Horsham, RH12 1PJ
Workshop 5
- Topic: Sales.
- Date / time: Thursday, 6 February 2025, 10am to 12:30pm
- Location: Online
Workshop 6
- Topic: Finance, Planning and Profit.
- Date / time: Thursday, 13 February 2025, 10am to 12:30pm
- Location: Horsham Library, Lower Tanbridge Way, Horsham, RH12 1PJ
Horsham Library's nearest bus stop is Horsham bus station (1-minute walk) and the nearest train station is Horsham train station (10-minute walk).
People power strategy workshop
Join Amy Blick from exhilHRate HR Consulting for an interactive and focussed session on attracting, onboarding and keeping talent in your business.
- Date / time: Tuesday, 21 January 2025, 10am to 12:30pm
- Location: Springboard, 52 Hurst Rd, Horsham, RH12 2EP
- Public transport: The nearest bus stop is Law Courts (1-minute walk) and the nearest train station is Horsham train station (4-minute walk).
Emergency First Aid at Work courses
Join Jenny Legg of Training Legs First Aid for a series of 1-day FAA Level 3 Award courses to provide training for businesses on a variety of emergency first aid situations in the workplace.
Courses are available in Henfield, Pulborough, Steyning and Storrington.
Pulborough First Aid course
- Date / time: Tuesday, 21 January 2025, 9:30am to 4:30pm
- Location: Pulborough Village Hall, Swan View, Pulborough, RH20 2BF
- Public transport: The nearest bus stop is Oddfellows Arms (2-minute walk) and the nearest train station is Pulborough train station (19-minute walk).
Steyning First Aid course
- Date / time: Thursday, 23 January 2025, 9:30am to 4:30pm
- Location: Penfold Church Hall, Church Street, Steyning, BN44 3YB
- Public transport: The nearest bus stop is Church Street (4-minute walk).
Henfield First Aid course
- Date / time: Thursday, 20 February 2025, 9:30am to 4:30pm
- Location: Henfield Hall, Coopers Way, Henfield, BN5 9EQ
- Public transport: The nearest bus stop is Henfield High Street (2-minute walk).
Storrington First Aid course
- Date / time: Wednesday, 19 March 2025, 9:30am to 4:30pm
- Location: Chanctonbury Leisure Centre, Spierbridge Road, Storrington, RH20 4BG
- Public transport: The nearest bus stop is Reed Close (3-minute walk).
Sales and negotiation skills quiz
How good is your business at making sales?
Take a five-minute online quiz to test how effective your business is at sales and negotiation.
This aims to inform businesses and the Council alike of the need to improve skills in this area and identify future training requirements.
Business marketing
Advanced social media for business masterclass
Join Michelle Betts from ByJove Media for a masterclass exploring each social media platform in detail so your business can identify which ones you should be using for your business.
- Date / time: Wednesday, 22 January 2025, 9:30am to 4pm
- Location: Horsham Library, Lower Tanbridge Way, Horsham, RH12 1PJ
- Public transport: The nearest bus stop is Horsham bus station (1-minute walk) and the nearest train station is Horsham train station (10-minute walk).
Making your brand picture perfect workshop
Join Sophie Ward Photography for a fun and informative photography workshop. In this workshop, you'll dive into business branding and organizing your imagery, followed by a 30-minute hands-on photography session to bring your ideas to life.
- Date / time: Friday, 31 January 2025, 9:30am to 12:30pm
- Location: Horsham Library, Lower Tanbridge Way, Horsham, RH12 1PJ
- Public transport: The nearest bus stop is Horsham bus station (1-minute walk) and the nearest train station is Horsham train station (10-minute walk).
SEO for WordPress users workshop
Join britweb for an online workshop on how to master Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) for your business, when using WordPress.
- Date / time: Tuesday, 4 February 2025, 10am to 11am
- Location: Online
Introduction to videography for small businesses workshop
Join Silvertip Films for a workshop on how to make video work for your business with tips, tricks, practical work and more.
- Date / time: Wednesday, 5 February 2025, 10am to 4:30pm
- Location: Horsham Library, Lower Tanbridge Way, Horsham, RH12 1PJ
- Public transport: The nearest bus stop is Horsham bus station (1-minute walk) and the nearest train station is Horsham train station (10-minute walk).
WordPress training workshop
Join britweb for an online workshop on how to master WordPress for your business.
- Date / time : Tuesday, 11 February 2025, 10am to 12pm
- Location: Online
LinkedIn for business masterclass
Join Michelle Betts from ByJove Media for a masterclass exploring social media platform LinkedIn and how your business can use it.
- Date / time: Wednesday, 12 February 2025, 9:30am to 12:30pm
- Location: Horsham Library, Lower Tanbridge Way, Horsham, RH12 1PJ
- Public transport: The nearest bus stop is Horsham bus station (1-minute walk) and the nearest train station is Horsham train station (10-minute walk).
Product photography workshop
Join Sophie Ward Photography for a workshop on product photography where you will walk away with the skills and confidence to create stunning content that will make your business stand out from the rest.
- Date / time: Thursday, 13 February 2025, 9:30am to 12:30pm
- Location: Bistro Branas, Broadbridge Heath Centre, Wickhurst Ln, Horsham RH12 3LY
- Public transport: The nearest bus stop is the Shelley Arms (9-minute walk).
Instagram for business masterclass
Join Michelle Betts from ByJove Media for a masterclass exploring social media platform Instagram and how your business can use it.
- Date / time: Thursday, 6 March 2025, 9:30am to 12:30pm
- Location: Horsham Library, Lower Tanbridge Way, Horsham, RH12 1PJ
- Public transport: The nearest bus stop is Horsham bus station (1-minute walk) and the nearest train station is Horsham train station (10-minute walk).
Market trading
How to make the most of your market stall: top tips video series
Join Brendan from the National Market Traders Federation (NMTF) to learn useful tips, as a market trader, on how you can make the most of your market stall. The five-part video series covers what to bring, social media for market traders, maximising your stall layout, pricing and signage and taking cashless payments.
- Location: Online pre-recorded video series. Sign up for free to the West Sussex Business Hub to access.
Past workshops
The following workshops have already taken place as part of the 2023/24 Business Training Programme:
- Don’t Panic! Changes to Social Media - Michelle Betts from ByJove Media hosted a free ‘Don’t panic! Changes to social media’ workshop for local businesses, exploring recent changes to social media platforms and how businesses can work with these to maximise reach and engagement.
- TikTok for business - Michelle Betts from ByJove Media ran a masterclass exploring social media platform TikTok and how businesses can use it.
- Recruiting via social media - Michelle Betts from ByJove Media and Amy Blick from ExhilHRate HR Consulting ran a masterclass exploring the benefits of recruiting via social media and which platforms would work best for businesses' recruitment strategies.
- Debunking the complications of Apprenticeship Talent - Amy Blick from ExhilHRate HR Consulting hosted a masterclass on how to successfully unlock apprenticeship talent.
- Budget setting and cash flow forecasting for small businesses - Carolyn Burchell from Composure Accounting ran two practical and relevant sessions aimed at limited companies and sole traders to help them gain the knowledge and confidence needed to create their own budgets and forecasts.
- Ready, Set, Grow! 7 intensive SME support workshops - the team from Digital Islands ran 7 expert-led workshops, helping businesses in their first two years of trading including 1-2-1 progress review sessions. They developed an action plan including tax and accounting, HR and recruitment, PR marketing and social media for businesses.
- How to make the most of your market stall - Brendan and Tania from the National Market Traders Federation (NMTF) ran an interactive workshop on how to make the most of your market stall.
Did you miss one of these workshops and wish you could have attended? Let us know by emailing BusinessDevelopment@horsham.gov.uk to inform future training opportunities.
Join the West Sussex Business Hub
Sign up for free to the West Sussex Business Hub to access further videos and other resources related to the Business Training Programme, alongside an expanding range of local business support, information, advice and opportunities to connect with other local business owners.
The hub is part funded by Horsham District Council in collaboration with Councils across West Sussex and developed by Digital Islands.
The Horsham District Business Training Programme is part-funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.