Small business help,in plain English.
Straight answers to the questions small business owners in Cheshire, Liverpool and Wirral ask most, with links to the local business support that can help.
Starting a business
Most new businesses start with a simple plan, a cashflow forecast and the right structure: sole trader, partnership or limited company. A government-backed Start Up Loan comes with free mentoring, and your local growth hub can point you to start-up programmes nearby.
Grants and funding
Grants for ordinary trading businesses are rarer than people think, but they do exist for innovation, hiring, decarbonisation and social purpose. Crowdfunding, angel investors and community funds fill the gap, and CICs can often apply to community foundations.
Tax, VAT and accounts
Register with HMRC as soon as you start trading, keep digital records and know when you will cross the VAT threshold. A qualified accountant usually saves more than they cost, so check they belong to a professional body.
Staff, contracts and the law
Acas gives free advice on hiring, contracts and disputes. Most businesses that keep customer details need to pay the ICO data protection fee, and a trade mark protects your name. For late payment, start with a clear letter before action.
Premises and business rates
Check a property's rateable value and whether Small Business Rate Relief applies before you sign a lease. Ask the council's planning team before changing how a building is used.
Getting found online
A fast website with local area pages, a complete Google Business Profile and a steady flow of reviews does more for a local business than most paid advertising. You do not need a big budget to do it properly.
Saving time with AI and automation
AI tools can answer calls and messages, reply to reviews and draft your posts, and simple automation can join up enquiries, quotes, bookings and invoices. Most small businesses win back hours every week.
Free local advice
Both sub-regions have a free growth hub: Growth Platform for the Liverpool City Region and Enterprise Cheshire and Warrington. Your council's business team, chambers of commerce and business improvement districts all help too.
(02) Free templates
Free templates.
(03) Questions
Common questions.
Where can I get free small business help in Cheshire or Merseyside?+
Start with your growth hub (Growth Platform in the Liverpool City Region, Enterprise Cheshire and Warrington in Cheshire), your council's business team and the national services in our local business support directory, such as Acas, Start Up Loans and Find a Grant.
Are there grants for small businesses?+
Some, mostly for innovation, hiring, decarbonisation or social purpose. Search the government's Find a Grant service and check with your growth hub and council for local schemes.
How can AI tools help a small business?+
AI tools can answer phone calls and messages out of hours, reply to reviews, draft social posts and handle routine enquiries. Wizardtec sets them up from £300, teaches you to run them and charges no monthly fees.
How much does a small business website cost?+
Wizardtec builds complete small business websites from £299, with booking, enquiry forms, AI tools and local area pages set up for Google.
Do you only work in Cheshire and Merseyside?+
Most of our clients are in Cheshire, Warrington, Liverpool and Wirral, where we can meet in person. We also work online with businesses elsewhere in the UK.
(04) By town
Help in your area.
Cheshire & Warrington25 places
Market towns, a walled city, salt towns, science parks and some of the North West's busiest logistics corridors. Businesses here are spread out, so good systems and a strong online presence do more of the heavy lifting.
Liverpool City Region26 places
Liverpool, Wirral, Sefton, Knowsley, St Helens and Halton: one combined authority, six councils and a dense mix of high streets, creative studios, trades and hospitality on both banks of the Mersey.
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