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Ahead of pubs and restaurants reopening Portsmouth MP offers practical support to sector

Bringing together local businesses today, Stephen Morgan MP teamed up with Google with an online event to help our city’s pubs, restaurants and hospitality sector plan for reopening after challenging few months

Opening the meeting, Mr Morgan explained what he’s been doing to safeguard the sector before listening to issues and concerns.

The meeting closed with an Digital Marketing Course run by Google’s experts to help Portsmouth’s small businesses with their reopening.

Stephen Morgan MP said:

“The hospitality sector, particularly our pubs and restaurants, are an essential cog in the success of our city. Listening to concerns from those directly at the coalface is essential if we are to effectively plan our city’s recovery from this pandemic and economic crisis.

Findings from today’s event confirm that uncertainty remains around government’s guidance on PPE and protective measures.

I will continue to raise these concerns in parliament and push for clearer guidance and more comprehensive support for our hospitality sector here in Portsmouth.”

Once the roundtable concluded, Google Digital Garage staff led a bespoke training session on Digital Marketing designed to help Portsmouth’s hospitality sector keep up to date on the best business strategies amid Covid-19.

Google’s Open for Business programme is a new initiative which was launched last week to help one million small businesses by 2021. It has been designed with a specific focus on helping businesses who rely on in-person interaction – such as pubs, restaurants, shops and hairdressers.

Open for Business will provide support in a number of ways:

  • Through Google’s partnership with Digital Boost, they will connect small businesses and charities with Google Digital Garage coaches and Google employees, who are offering 10,000 hours of free 1:1 support and mentoring.
  • Support small businesses to update their online profiles to help them be found by customers. A recent IPSOS study showed 90% of customers are more likely to interact with a business if they have a phone number listed online, or if the business has shared images.
  • Sharing £25 million in advertising credits delivered to UK businesses, government agencies and NGOs.
  • Hosting free, live, 60-minute webinars to help local businesses adapt to the ‘new normal’. The content of these webinars varies from ‘Get Started with Live streaming’ to ‘Understanding Analytics’

Stephen’s constituents can access this package of support here.

The Portsmouth South MP added:

“Keeping informed on digital business skills will be an effective tool in combatting the reduced face-to-face interaction between companies and customers amid Covid-19.

While I welcome Google’s leadership in providing this free service to our city’s businesses, I am aware that there are many local organisations who are also there to help.

I encourage all of our city’s small businesses to take advantage of the support and guidance available to them at this challenging time.”

Stephen Morgan MP continues to raise the concerns of the hospitality sector amid Covid-19 in Parliament. He has submitted questions around PPE, put pressure on Ministers over social distancing guidelines and continues to hold listening exercises with local businesses.