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Faster Business

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Dianne Worrall, Way2Go Adventures

Way2Go Adventures is a family owned outdoor activity provider in the Forest of Dean and Wye Valley, run by mother and son team, Dianne Worrall and Wayne Morgan. Dianne has accessed a range of business support and training offered by Fastershire, FasterBusiness programme.

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Icon Faster Women Pic How women are making the most of superfast Icon Faster Farms Pic Speeding up the agricultural industry Icon Faster City Pic From hot spots to business spots.
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Faster broadband comes to Churcham Business Park

24th October, 2019

Businesses at the Churcham Business Park can now benefit from faster broadband thanks to a grant from Fastershire. Part funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the grant provides up to 100% of the capital installation cost, up to £25,000.

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Business Stories

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Dianne Worrall, Way2Go Adventures

Way2Go Adventures is a family owned outdoor activity provider in the Forest of Dean and Wye Valley, run by mother and son team, Dianne Worrall and Wayne Morgan. Dianne has accessed a range of business support and training offered by Fastershire, FasterBusiness programme.

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Louise Robert, Alimenti Food Sciences

Louise Roberts runs Alimenti Food Sciences and offers technical consultancy to small food and drink businesses. Louise has attended a range of FasterBusiness training sessions and had a one-to-one Business Review with FasterBusiness advisor, Jack McCaughtrie.

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Claire Howlett - Digital future for dairy farm

Claire Howlett runs Wicton Farm, an organic dairy farm in the heart of the Herefordshire countryside, with her brother following the retirement of their parents three years ago. Claire returned to Herefordshire to run the family farm after previously working in Tanzania, Senegal and Cambodia for an international volunteering organisation.

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Faster Business Review

The Faster Business Review is a free consultancy session with one of our specialist Faster Business Advisors and is available to any business in Herefordshire and Gloucestershire.

This session is completely tailored to your business and can cover any topic, including, social media, online marketing, websites, e-commerce, data/online security, software and hardware or you can seek expert advice on any area you feel would most benefit your business.

Whether your business is a start-up and a small or medium sized business looking to grow, the Faster Business Review can help.

To request a business review please complete the registration form at the bottom of the page and one of our business advisors will contact you to arrange your free face to face review.

Please note: Business Reviews will be delivered via video or telephone call during the Coronavirus COVID-19 period

Meet with a Faster Business Advisor

Our network of local experts are on hand to provide you with a free face to face review and bring with them both IT know how and a real understanding of the pressures on small business. They will work with you to review your business and help you identify ways that IT, can help your business grow, reduce its costs by saving time and money.
 
Our Advisors
  Faster Business Action Plan
Following your review you will be receive an infographic action plan that includes an indication of your broadband requirements against the speeds you can access, a list of the top 5-10 things you can do to improve the way the business operates and a commentary of your Faster Business Review.

 Faster Business Voucher & Exclusive Offers

With your action plan you will receive £100 worth of Fastershire Vouchers to help you deliver one of the actions. To claim your Faster Business voucher, please click here. These vouchers can be redeemed to pay for software subscriptions, online marketing or even a professional's time. As a Faster Business you will also have access to a range of exclusive offers from local businesses. 

Request a Business Review

Business Review Details

Cost: Free

Location: Your premises (or as arranged)

Discussion topics: Troubleshooting, social media, connectivity, software, hardware but you can drill down into any particular area you feel would most benefit your business.

Duration: The discussion can last anything between a couple of hours and half a day.

What topics do you wish to cover in your review?

Faster Events

7 Aug 2020
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Social Media Content and Planning Essentials

In this FREE webinar training session, Faster Business advisor, Jack McCaughtrie will help you to create more engaging content and advice on how best to plan your social media campaigns.

 

Location: Online

Date: Friday 7th August 2020

Time: 12:00-13:30

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11 Aug 2020
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Fastershire Community Meeting (Devereux Wootton & Mansel Lacy)

Fastershire and Gigaclear are hosting a community meeting to explain the rollout of ultrafast fibre broadband in the network build areas, Devereux Wootton & Mansel Lacy.

 

Location: Online Meeting

Date: Tuesday 11th August 2020

Time: 18:30-19:30

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12 Aug 2020
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Fastershire Community Meeting (Lyonshall & Pembridge)

Fastershire and Gigaclear are hosting a community meeting to explain the rollout of ultrafast fibre broadband in the network build areas, Lyonshall & Pembridge.

 

Location: Online Meeting

Date: Wednesday 12th August 2020

Time: 18:30-19:30

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14 Aug 2020
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Online Team Collaboration Tools

In this FREE webinar training session, Faster Business advisors, Anna Wilde will help you to use Microsoft Teams and Slack.

 

Location: Online

Date: Friday 14th August 2020

Time: 12:00-13:30

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11 Sep 2020
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Google Advertising Essentials

In this FREE webinar training session, Faster Business advisor, Catherine Banks and Mandy Sims explain how advertising on Google can be an effective way of raising awareness of your business and increasing sales.

 

Location: Online Webinar

Date: Friday 11th September 2020

Time: 12:00-13:30

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Business Broadband Grant

Your business could qualify for a £25,000 grant to bring high speed connectivity.

Fastershire in partnership with Connecting Shropshire and Superfast Telford and part funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), have designed the Marches and Gloucestershire Broadband Grant.  

The grant will provide up to 100% of the capital installation cost and through our registration portal we aim to help to match your business with potential suppliers who can install your high speed connectivity. 


Eligibility  

Your business must be located in either Herefordshire or Gloucestershire and is:
  • Not included in Fastershire’s main rollout programme (To check, please use the address check above)
  • A small and medium sized enterprise (SME) and operates within an eligible sector
  • Able to demonstrate an economic case for high speed connectivity

How to register

Step 1 - Register on the Marches and Gloucestershire Broadband Grant portal, click here. Registration is subject to approval and can take up five working days. 
Step 2 - Once approved, you will be required to complete a ‘request for quotation’ form
Step 3 - Suppliers registered under the scheme will then submit quotes and you are able to select your preferred supplier.


Passport

Herefordshire Council is committed to ensuring that each business or resident who can prove the need for a Next Generation Access (NGA) connection of over 24Mbps is able to get one. If you receive a basic broadband service, but not an NGA service, through the new network and need to upgrade, there are a number of funding options available.
 

Who is eligible?

Your eligibility for this additional funding will be assessed upon your expression of interest. The following criteria will be assessed:
  • The application must be for a business or residential premise in Herefordshire
  • The premise or group of premises you are seeking support for must be in the eligible area of Herefordshire
  • The premise or group of premises will not receive NGA through the main project funding
  • You can demonstrate why you need NGA as opposed to the basic provision you will receive as part of the main project

How do I apply?

Because the rollout of the new fibre network is phased, additional funding for each area will only become available once work has started in an area. So applications will be processed in stages:
 
Step 1 - Submit your expression of interest by filling out the form below
Step 2 - If you are a business the Fastershire team will be in touch to arrange a session with an Objective Advisor to help build your business case.
Step 3 - Once funding becomes available in your area and you are eligible you will be sent an application form to complete
Step 4 - Submit your completed application form by the specified date
Step 5 - The Fastershire project team will inform you of the outcome of your application
 

Where to buy

Here's a list of business broadband providers who offer packages for businesses connected by Fibre to the Cabinet (FTTC) or Fibre to the Premises (FTTP), with links to their web sites, so you can find out if they're up and running where you live.

Click here to view FTTP providers >

Fibre to the Cabinet (FTTC) Providers

Fibre to the Premise (FTTP) Providers

Fibre to the premises (FTTP) is one of the world's most cutting edge types of fibre broadband with blistering speeds of up to 330Mbps and 1000Mpbs.

If you get enabled with FTTP, you can order it through one of the following Service Providers.

We'll update this page as more ISPs start to offer FTTP.

Where to buy

Here's a list of business broadband providers who offer packages for businesses connected to Gigaclear's ultrafast broadband network, with links to their web sites, so you can find out if they're up and running where you live.

Gigaclear Providers

Useful Videos

Below is a list of videos from our YouTube channel.

Faster Women

Grow online and boost your business - or craft a new career.

Thanks to funding from the Government Equalities Office we have now run two Faster Women projects to support Herefordshire and Gloucestershire women to develop the digital and internet skills required to setup and develop their businesses. The second project ended in April 2016. We are now offering occasional workshops throughout the year.

Please register your interest through the link below if you would like to be notified when Faster Women workshop dates are confirmed.

If you are part of a local business network organisation that would be interested in providing workshops and training to your members and others please email faster-women@fastershire.com.

Faster broadband provides an opportunity for businesses and potential entrepreneurs to take advantage of faster speeds to expand current or set-up new businesses, including home-based businesses, however the Women’s Business Council has found that for women in particular increasing digital confidence and internet know-how is key to this. Thanks to funding from the Government Equalities Office, Fastershire provided Faster Women networking opportunities, workshops and training for women to take advantage of how the internet can boost new and existing businesses.

Pic Upcoming Workshops Click here for our Fastershire events page, which includes details of any Faster Women workshops... Pic Faster Women Stories "I've learnt new ways of doing things and how to use my time much more effectively so I can focus more on working with my clients than running the day-to-day elements of my business."

Calling Digital Ambassadors

Are you a successful business woman working in Herefordshire or Gloucestershire who would like to share how you’ve used the internet to effectively develop a business? Do you make the most of the benefits that using the internet can bring whether it’s marketing through social media, online selling, maintaining a website, cloud computing, running a business from home?

If you’d like to help shape future projects by sharing your own knowledge and experience of successfully using digital technology please get in touch.

Faster Farmers Business Support Programme

Free business support for farming, agricultural and land-based businesses in the Herefordshire and Gloucestershire. 

The Fastershire broadband project and the Herefordshire Rural Hub have come together to create our Faster Farmers project, offering:  

Faster Farmers Workshops

Faster Farmers offers free training and advice to help farmers exploit new digital technology and methods of working to expand and grow their business.  Please visit the events section for details of Faster Farmers workshops, and workshops available to all businesses.

Events List

Tailored One-to-One Advice

For tailored one-to-one advice about your business's use of IT and the internet, covering topics such as new software, hardware, social media, online marketing, websites and more, Farming businesses can also request a free Faster Business Review.  

Request a FasterBusiness Review

Contact for Faster Farmers

For any other information about Faster Farmers, please contact us.  

Faster City

Speeding up your city

The Fastershire broadband project and the Hereford Business Improvement District (HBID) have teamed up to create the Faster City project.

The Faster City project has developed a WiFi city centre scheme in Hereford that delivers three elements:

Icon Hereford boasts the largest retail offer in the county with many of Herefordshire’s key retail and tourism businesses located in a highly concentrated area.

Icon The Faster City project will enhance the shopping experience for consumers and help city centre retailers to understand and exploit the changing market trends

Icon The scheme will also pave the way for other innovations including smart infrastructure including an upgraded CCTV circuit and interactive signage.

Latest News

Faster City launches free WiFi network in Hereford City Centre.

To read the full story, please click here.


Voucher Application

Which single recommendation from your Action Plan do you wish to use your voucher to help achieve?

Enter the action point number and description as written in your action plan:

What activities and costs are involved? Please include full details of whatever service or product you intend to purchase:

Payment Details

BACS

CHEQUE

Application Statement

I/we understand that this grant can only be redeemed for expenses incurred towards the activities outlined in section 2 of my action plan and up to a maximum contribution of £100.

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How are we doing

96,516 Faster homes & 
businesses
99 exchange areas
now live
7,000 km of
fibre laid
621 cabinets
now live

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Stay in the loop

Faster broadband is being rolled out across Herefordshire and Gloucestershire between now but it is not possible to flick a switch to make every area go live on the same day and some areas will go live before this. Register your interest today and we'll let you know when you can order.