Information and help for business
Road map out of lockdown
On 22 February 2021, the Government announced a road map out of the current national restrictions which apply across England. To understand what this means for your business, please read the Government's COVID-19 Response - Spring 2021 announcement.
We've created this handy guide to help businesses reopen safely.
We've also got key guidance for pubs, bars and restaurants here.
High Street Retailers – free Marketing, Social Media and Digital Marketing training
Exclusive for Ryedale based retailers - free webinars to help you improve your marketing
As part of the Council’s Reopening the High Street Safely work supporting our market towns to adapt to and recovery from COVID-19, we partnered with Client Marketing to deliver free webinars to help retailers improve their marketing and use of social media and digital marketing to attract more customers and increase sales.
Regardless of your experience and usage of marketing resources, the webinars will provide you with help, guidance and hints and tips so you make the most of today’s marketing opportunities. Whether you want to improve you use of traditional marketing and communication methods or want to learn more about the digital options available to you, we want to help increase people’s awareness of your business and help you attract more customers.
Download the following free webinars:
- Strategic Marketing Review & One Page Marketing Plan: View the recording and Marketing plan slides (PDF, 28 pages, 1 Mb)
- How to use Social Media to Engage with Customers: Presentation slides (PDF, 55 pages, 2.8Mb)
- How to use digital Marketing to find new clients: View the recording and presentation slides (PDF, 37 pages,852kb)
Government COVID-19 wider business support schemes
Click the box below for current information on the Government's wider support schemes for businesses
We understand that with the constant announcements changing restrictions and subsequent support available it can be difficult to keep on top of information.
For all the latest information and to find out what financial support schemes you may be eligible for visit our business support page.
York and North Yorkshire Growth Hub
The Growth Hub offers additional up-to-date advice and information for your business.
For additional help and support on the COVID-19 crisis visit the York and North Yorkshire Growth Hub's dedicated website
Working safely during COVID-19
These are the businesses that should remain closed during the current national lockdown.
NHS QR posters and NHS app
The Government announced that certain venues, including venues run by local authorities will now be legally required to display NHS QR posters in their venues. This includes all venues from the following sectors:
• hospitality;
• leisure and tourism;
• close contact services;
• local authority venues.
To support you, there is a bank of resources: NHS covid information
NHS QR posters
To make it easier to log who visits a venue, an official NHS QR code poster must be created and displayed by the designated businesses. This is a legal requirement.
Visitors can check-in at different premises displaying the QR code posters, by downloading and then using the NHS COVID app, which is being rolled out nationally from Thursday too.
If individuals choose to check-in using the QR code poster they do not need to log in via any other route. If they don’t want to use the app, then their visit will need to be recorded in the normal COVID-safe way - by keeping a record of their name and contact details.
NHS COVID-19 app
The NHS COVID-19 app is part of NHS Test and Trace. It alerts people who may be at risk of coronavirus so they can have the information they need to protect themselves, their communities and the people they love.
The app’s features include contact tracing, risk alerts by postcode, a symptom checker and test booking.
It is a key part of Government measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus. The more people that do the right thing, by using the app and self-isolating when alerted - the more we keep each other safe and stop infection rates rising.
By downloading and using the app, you’ll be helping protect those around you – friends, family, colleagues and local communities.
- Here are full details of the businesses that need to display the QR posters by law.
- Here is a video explaining how the QR posters work.
- Here is a video explaining how the app works.
- This is the link people need to use to create a QR poster.
- This is a Q and A provided by the NHS.
To download the app, visit your phone’s app store and download the NHS COVID-19 app.
Back to business pack
A 'back to business pack' is available to small businesses. There's a range of posters to choose from, to let customers know how your business will operate under the new restrictions. For more information and eligibility, click here.
Support links for charities and those in the voluntary sector
Community First Yorkshire is the local support provider for charities.
The Government site for Charities
The Small Charities Coalition – lots of useful Covid-19 related links to other sites including funders
The Government site for Community Interest Companies
The National Council for Voluntary Organisations which provides lots of advice and regular blog updates
Free training resources for employers and employees
The York and North Yorkshire Growth Hub has created a Learning Toolkit to help businesses and employees in the region access online learning resources during these difficult times.
Through Skills Support for the Workforce businesses can develop and implement bespoke training programmes, which will help to meet their growth ambitions by satisfying their workforce’s immediate and long term skills needs.
Delivered, at no cost to you, by professional training on a range of business topics, and based around bespoke training plans designed to help your business and people develop and grow.
If you need help with business support click below
If you have any questions please contact the Business team and we will endeavour to reply as soon as possible.
We appreciate this is a difficult time for all businesses, but rest assured, we are working continuously to ensure we support as many businesses as we can in a relevant and timely way.
