SMALL businesses owners outside the city walls are being invited to share their success stories and voice concerns at a special event.

The Federation of Small Businesses and City of York Council are hosting the support event to lend support to operators outside the city centre.

They want to find out what businesses need from them, as well as to hear about their achievements, experiences and any concerns.

Carolyn Frank, of the FSB, said: “York is packed full of small businesses and I welcome the council’s work to further engage with the business community via events like this.

“I hope that businesses will grasp the opportunity to come along and help shape local policy, to network at the event with other business owners, and to explore how we can all work together to make York a better place to do business. No business is too small to have a voice and collectively the small business community across York and its hinterland is vital to its economic development as a world leading city.”

The event is from 5.30pm to 7.35pm on Monday, October 14, at Acomb Gateway Church, Front Street.

Sally Parker, of Pick and Mix Marketing, who has moved to Poppleton Business Park, will be talking about working outside the city walls and sharing ten tips for making a business stand out on social media.

“It’s estimated that there are 45 million social media users in the UK. Businesses can take advantage of this opportunity not only to reach and communicate with existing and potential customers, but also to attract employees and maintain market share,” said Sally. “I’m looking forward to sharing my knowledge and supporting other business owners.”

Tony Webster will be revealing how his Scotts Fish and Chips at Bilbrough has become a must-visit destination for Chinese tourists.

The council’s skills team will also be on hand to share how apprenticeships can benefit small businesses, while there will also be information on public protection and emergency planning and other support available.

Cllr Andrew Waller, executive member for economy and strategic planning, said: “We really want to support local businesses across York and help them grow and prosper. These workshops are a great opportunity for independent businesses to share their experiences, and talk through how we can better support them, and where appropriate to use this evidence to lobby for changes to help the high street to thrive.”

Carolyn added that such events were important in enabling business owners to get together, make connections and realise they were facing similar pressures at a challenging time for businesses.

Highlighting the many very active businesses outside the city centre, such as in Haxby, Acomb and Poppleton, she said: “We wanted to do something for them. It’s really important we don’t just look at the city centre. It’s really good for the council to hear directly from businesses about issues that matter to them. We all want to make York a better place to do business.

“These events are really important. We know business owners are best when they peer network, where’s there’s that link that we’re all in this together. These connections at these events are really important.”

She said businesses were all in the same boat, facing issues such as digital connectivity and pressures from the rising costs of running a business.

“Everything to do with a small business is becoming more expensive," she said. "There’s lots of pressures on small businesses and one of the things we talk about now is well-being and the general stress of running a small business - being your own book-keeper and your own HR department. But there is a lot of support out there, and we want to know how we can help.”

For information on how to register, visit: https://doing-business-outside-of-york.eventbrite.co.uk