The Harborough Business Development and Advice Service (HBDAS) is growing and now offers free, face-to-face workshops to help local businesses build skills, gain confidence and move forward with practical guidance.

The next workshop takes place on Tuesday 18 November, 9am–4:30pm, with a flexible finish time for anyone who needs to leave earlier. This session covers Start-Up Essentials — from registering your business and understanding tax and insurance to meeting regulations, marketing your brand and managing your finance.

More workshops are coming soon, including Business Strategy and Planning, Pricing Strategies, and Sales Forecasting (dates TBC).

These workshops add to HBDAS’s already successful free 1-to-1 support, available to businesses at every stage. The service helps businesses:
• Develop strong business plans
• Explore finance and grant options
• Plan for growth
• Access specialist support and resources

Follow Invest Harborough on LinkedIn and Instagram for updates.

Get ready for the colder months with this informative Communities Network Zoom session on Thursday 27 November 2025, 1.00 pm – 2.30 pm.

Local experts will share practical advice to help residents, businesses, volunteers, and community groups prepare for winter. Topics include:

• Community resilience and household preparedness

• Community response plans

• The Snow Warden initiative

• Flood risk management and how to get involved

The session will finish with a live Q and A panel, giving you the chance to put your questions directly to the experts. Register here.

There is also an appeal for volunteers to help keep communities safe — become a Community Flood Warden and support local residents before, during and after flooding incidents. Don’t worry — you won’t be entering flood water; your role is to share information, report issues, and help your community stay prepared. Find out more here.

Airbnb has launched a new £1 million ‘Back the Best of British’ fund, offering grants of up to £100,000 to support UK-based businesses, social enterprises and community groups that help make Britain a great place to visit. The fund is open to projects celebrating Nature and Outdoors, Food and Dining, Music and Arts, and Culture and Heritage — perfect for local attractions, accommodation providers and experience-based businesses in Harborough District. Applications close on 23 November 2025, so if your business has a great idea to enhance the visitor experience, don’t miss this opportunity.

The festive season is a great opportunity for local businesses to get involved, attract visitors, boost the local economy, and help make our town centres shine.

There are plenty of exciting events happening across the district this year, including:

• Market Harborough Christmas Lights Switch-On – Saturday 22 November

• Lutterworth Christmas Lights Switch-On – Friday 28 November

• Market Harborough Late Night Shopping (6pm – 9pm) – Friday 28 November Enjoy festive food, free drinks, and unique gifts while catching up with friends and local traders — plus free parking throughout the evening.

• Market Harborough Christmas Fayre – Friday 5 December Experience a festive mix of food, drink, fairground rides, and stalls, perfect for celebrating the season and supporting local traders.

• Small Business Saturday – Saturday 6 December Shop locally with independent retailers for a chance to win prizes from local shops. The Visit Harborough team will be in town with live music, free gifts, and more.

To find more festive events across the district, head to Visit Harborough District.
Stay up to date by following Visit Harborough District on Facebook and Instagram.

Stay competitive with business events. The Invest in Harborough page lists expert-led workshops, seminars, and networking opportunities from quality partners like the FSB and East Midlands Chamber. Book your place and keep your business one step ahead.

Here’s a selection of free events, funding, and training opportunities from organisations working to support local businesses. Click the titles for more details!

Connect with funders and growth experts at Momentum Valley's Female Founders Raise on 5 March 2026 for International Women’s Day. Join 250 leading female-owned businesses and investors in Nottingham for a day of high-level content, personalised workshops, and crucial connectivity designed to secure real support and funding for your business.

Access free sustainability advice and resources to boost profitability, cut costs and stay compliant. Get practical support to help your business reduce its impact, operate responsibly everyday and thrive successfully.

Join this free cyber security webinar to understand risks, boost resilience and protect your small business from threats. Learn essential principles from expert Jim Wright—book your place today.

The Economic Development Team provides free, tailored resources for all businesses in Harborough District. To ensure our future provision is as valuable as possible, we need to hear from you.

By completing our short survey, you can tell us exactly what your business needs to succeed. Your insights are vital, so please also share the survey with others in your network.

Whether you need help finding funding, locating property, or connecting with local suppliers, our Economic Development Team is here to support you.