Home HQ launches today

Today we launch an exciting new project aimed at supporting the county’s growing number of at-home entrepeneurs - Home HQ: Shropshire.

What is it?

The Shropshire Star and Shropshire Enterprise Partnership, together with the Rural Regeneration Zone, have joined forces to offer the county’s at-home entrepreneurs the chance to benefit from wide promotion and advertising.

This will be through online and printed directories, display cards and regular features in the Shropshire Star. There will be a series of seminars and events, as well as a new exhibition dedicated to this new commercial sector in Shropshire.

How to register

There is an online registration form here

. The fee is £25 and this is a one-off payment. Once registered, your business will be advertised for you - in cash terms the estimated value of the advertising benefits are in the region of £350. You will also be kept informed by regular ‘e-alerts’ about any developments in the home enterprise market in Shropshire and beyond.

Registration numbers via an ‘earlybird’ offer for Home HQ have already passed the 100-mark - with those businesses already featured in the online directory at www.homehq-shropshire.co.uk.

Peter Pawsey, chairman of the Rural Regeneration Zone said: “One of the key aims of the Rural Regeneration Zone is to create a strong, diverse and sustainable rural economy, and we recognise that our growing numbers of homeworkers play a very important part in achieving this.

The Zone board is accountable to Advantage West Midlands which has further demonstrated its absolute commitment to Shrewsbury, Shropshire and rural areas by its steadfast support for this project.

Shropshire Enterprise Partnership comprises leading business and public-sector members who work together to help improve prosperity across the county.

Based in the county town, the partnership will bring together new directors from all parts of Shropshire to help develop this unique project.

Fay Easton, the project director for the partnership said: “We are delighted to be working with Advantage West Midlands to deliver this important regional project.

There is enormous economic growth potential within the home-based business sector - alongside which, the environmental savings connected to reduced commuting and social improvements, with people spending more time at home, will provide much-valued benefits for our rural areas.”

Picture: Fay Easton, Bruce McMichael of Red Barn Publishing and Peter Pawsey of the Rural Regeneration Zone.