A national programme of funded support designed to boost local enterprise and make sustainable business more accessible is heading to Kingston. 

'Impact October' is an initiative being led by small business and coworking experts Town Square Spaces Ltd (TownSq) in partnership with sustainability advisors, Profit Impact.

As part of the month, funded workshops and one-to-one surgeries are touring across the country, giving tailored advice and support to help businesses improve their social and environmental impact as well as boost their own sustainability. 

The initiative will visit Kingston riverside at the coworking and small office space Town Square Kingston at 10am on Wednesday 09 October.

There are limited spaces available on a first-come-first-serve basis, and businesses can sign up by going to www.townsqkingston.co.uk and clicking on 'What's on'.

TownSq Kingston offers an open workspace (Image supplied)

Those who sign up will first be able to find out their social, environmental and business 'sustainability score' to see how they measure up in terms of people, planet and profit.

Then, as well as taking part in the workshops, each business will get the chance to have an in-person, one-to-one surgery to look at the specific challenges they face, and how they can grow their business more efficiently.

The workshops will take place in Tunbridge Wells, Kingston, Bicester and Hereford with a different focus topic each week.

Businesses that sign up can take part in the workshops at other locations remotely, then head to the workspace when Impact October comes to their town. 

Image supplied

Ryan Gough, Hub Manager for Town Square Kingston where the workshops will be held, said they wanted to tackle the stigma that responsible businesses had to be less profitable.

Gough said: "There is a misconception that being a sustainable business means you must forgo making a profit and instead operate as a special enterprise or charity, but this isn't the case.

There are many ways that companies can make themselves more sustainable and that isn't limited to the environment, be it quick wins that help reduce waste, right the way through to longer-term strategies like growing local supply chains and working with your community.

He continued: "For us, it's all about helping businesses grow by connecting to and enriching the local economies around them.

"So often that happens by reaching out to the communities and building supply chains and ecosystems that make a genuine difference to those living and working around them.

"That way, success is shared and leads to further collaboration, which, in our experience, is what leads to sustainable businesses."

Hub Manager for TownSq Kingston, Ryan Gough said:

Managing Director at Profit Impact, Sarah Whale will be delivering the workshops.

She said: "It's often thought that sustainability is just for big companies, but actually there is a lot of growth and opportunity for all.

The path to sustainability may seem challenging for SMEs with limited resources, but it's completely doable with the right guidance.

"Those looking to take part in Impact October can take our scorecard quiz before them, and then we can guide them through how to become a more sustainable business, financially, socially and environmentally."

Profit with a purpose is the cornerstone of the B Corp initiative, a growing movement of certification helping companies navigate their social and environmental impact.

Both TownSq and Profit Impact are certified B Corp companies, and the ethos is part of the inspiration behind Impact October.

For more information or to sign up, visit www.townsqkingston.co.uk and click on 'What's on'.

TownSq creates communities across the UK that foster the creation and growth of enterprise through collaboration, support and leadership. The business operates hubs in Wales, Oxfordshire, West Sussex, Devon, Hereford and London, and can support people from an idea right through to founding, investment and growth.

It runs Startup Club, an after-work support program to help people who want to start a business but are unable to quit their job, as well as TownSq Accelerator, to fast-track businesses that are aiming to grow quickly.