From Cash flow to marketing, getting a new business up and running can be a difficult task, but new entrepreneurs will benefit from these 10 start-up tips which ensure you have all the boxes ticked before you start your business. 1 Seek Help There are many issues that you will face while starting up a business so why not seek advice from others who faced the same problems. The business growth service is just one of many organisations which have rich information about problems that start-ups may face. 2. The Structure The ownership options differ from a limited company, a…

This year’s Commonwealth Day celebration will commemorate the annual event’s 76th anniversary, with performances by a local school at a special citizenship ceremony. Commonwealth Day, which is on Monday 10 March, is observed by people in 56 countries and all over the Commonwealth – in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and the Americas, the Pacific and Europe. The 2025 theme is ‘Together We Thrive’, and the day is an opportunity to promote the unity, diversity and shared values of the Commonwealth family across the world. The celebrations, led by the Lord Major of Birmingham, Councillor Ken Wood, will begin with a…

Left: Mike Foster, City of Wolverhampton Council rough sleeper coordinator, Paul Burns and Shaz Kaur (Good Shepherd), Paul Hale (Recovery Near You), Councillor Jasbir Jaspal, Cabinet Member for Adults and Wellbeing at City of Wolverhampton Council, Kate Downing (P3 Charity), Councillor Steve Evans, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for City Housing at City of Wolverhampton Council, John Doyle (Recovery Near You), Cheryl Langford (West Midlands Police), Jo Leek (Wolverhampton BID) and Jim Corry (P3 Charity) Rough sleeper numbers in Wolverhampton remain in single figures as partnership work spearheaded by the council goes on, official statistics show. The data snapshot -…

A series of community events will be held across the Walsall borough to coincide with the COVID-19 Day of Reflection on Sunday 9 March 2025. The events will give residents an opportunity to remember loved ones lost to COVID-19, reflect on personal and collective experiences and give thanks to health and social care workers, key workers, community groups, volunteers and many more for their response to the pandemic. Some of the activities taking place include a lighted memory tree at Moxley Peoples Centre on Wednesday 5 March from 12pm to 2pm, where residents can write a message on wooden hearts…

Hagerty’s newly launched Hagerty Drivers Club UK partners with Mike Brewer and Petrolheadonism to present Wheeler Dealer Live at Bicester Motion Sunday 1st June. Mike Brewer has been buying, selling and talking cars on our TV screens since the late 90s, but it was Wheeler Dealers that made him a household name. Launched in 2003, Wheeler Dealers is now aired around the world, and has since seen a number of spin-off series, all with Mike as the frontman. Wheeler Dealer Live is the first show presented and hosted by Mike, along with leading automotive event presenters Petrolheadonism, creating an exciting…

Subaru UK & Ireland recently celebrated the achievements of its Retailer network at its Annual Conference & Awards, held near Reading. Aird Motors Ltd, a long-standing Subaru dealership based in Beauly, Scottish Highlands, was named the overall Retailer of the Year for 2024, cementing its reputation as a key pillar of the Subaru dealer network. With over 35 years of dedicated service, Aird Motors exemplifies the brand’s commitment to local, personalised automotive excellence. The event recognised outstanding performance across multiple categories, with Proven Motor Company securing the Fleet Dealer of the Year Award, D. M. Keith claiming the Finance Retailer…

*Eligible families in Walsall will benefit from more activities during the school holidays as the council’s Holiday Activity and Food (HAF) programme has been extended. Walsall Council has received an additional £1.8million from the Department for Education (DfE) to deliver another 12 months of the well-established programme. Since launching in 2021, approximately seven thousand children and young people in Walsall have benefitted from the HAF programme, attending fun activities and receiving healthy and nutritious meals. The council works closely with 75 providers in the borough to put on activities for two weeks over the Easter break, four weeks during the…

Deputy Mayor of Walsall Cllr Louise Harrison with members of the Bloxwich Launchpad On Wednesday 19 February, Bloxwich Library and Theatre hosted the Bloxwich Launchpad Expo event, where residents were invited to speak to service providers and find out more about what will be on offer when the new centre opens in Spring.  Bloxwich Launchpad, which is currently being constructed on the site of the former Post Office in the centre of Bloxwich, will provide digital skills training and support, as well as business support for entrepreneurs. Walsall Council is delivering Bloxwich Launchpad as part of the Bloxwich Town…

The biggest annual celebration of Indian culture in the Caribbean returns for a special 30th anniversary event on March 1 in Trinidad and Tobago. The Chutney Soca Monarch competition, which sees top singers compete for a huge cash prize recently had a star-studded launch event at the Queen’s Park Savannah, in the countries capital Port of Spain. This year’s competition commences with a semi-final on February 8 ahead of the main event on March 1 at Skinner Park, San Fernando. The biggest event in the calendar for popular music genre chutney, which combines strong South Asian influences with soca, African…

Work to create more ‘bee beaches’ and restore historic heathland habitats is being carried out across the West Midlands. This conservation effort is part of the Purple Horizons Nature Recovery Project, led by Natural England. The work involves using diggers to remove vegetation and create bare ground areas – known as ‘bee beaches’ – which are crucial habitats for many threatened pollinators. This project, now in its second year, has created even more bee-friendly habitats across seven sites: Shire Oak Park, Barr Beacon, Pelsall North Common, Chasewater Country Park, Brownhills Common, Wharf Lane and Muckley Corner.  The work is being…