There is a wide range of ways in which we are helping to support local businesses. These include:

Quicker payment of bills
To help local businesses immediately, we have speeded up our payment to our suppliers and other creditors by reducing it from the standard 30 days down to 20 days. The Council pays out approximately £400 million to suppliers per annum, so paying our bills promptly is expected to help the cash flow of local businesses considerably.

Supporting business development
We are currently helping the food and drink sector by running a series of business workshops covering topics such as developing websites, eMarketing, eCommerce as well as more traditional business support. Grant funding is also available to help local businesses take advantage of the latest technology.

A very practical way we're supporting local businesses is through Buy With Confidence the approved trader scheme run by our Trading Standards Service. If you're looking for a competitive edge which will set you apart from the competition visit www.devon.gov.uk/approvedtraders for more information.

Skills and training
Over £1.7million is also to be given to various projects and schemes over the next two years to promote local business growth and create skills and training opportunities. This money comes from the business rates paid by companies and organisations in Devon which goes to central government and is then re-distributed to local authorities through the Local Authority Business Growth Incentive scheme.

£250,000 is allocated for Skills and Worklessness Projects which encourages the unemployed into training opportunities, the Devon Rural Network is to receive £50,000, and £100,000 will go towards South West Forest, a rural regeneration project based on woodlands and wood products which includes the creation of community woodlands across northern Devon.