As coronavirus restrictions are gradually relaxed, businesses are starting to plan for recovery - and expert advice is on hand in an online session.

Business support company Ops-Box Group has teamed up with Cheltenham law firm Hughes Paddison and accountants Harper Sheldon, based at Staverton, for an online presentation and Q&A session.

Ops-Box directors and founders Richard Neale and Hayley Parker will join Jonathan Rathbone and Kimberley Whalen-Blake from Hughes Paddison, together with James Harper from Harper Sheldon for the Zoom video conference.

The Planning for Recovery session takes place on Wednesday, June 3 from 10-11am with the panel providing an insight on how to plan for recovery, focusing on operations, people and finance.

The presentation will be followed by a Q&A session.

Book your spot on Planning for Recovery  

Mrs Parker believes there are opportunities for businesses as the economy starts up again - but only if they are fully prepared to succeed in a crowded market.

She said: "There are real openings for businesses, but you have got to plan for it and all of your competitors are going to be doing the same.

"We were very much talking about the economy coming back and how businesses need to be prepared for that. The type of conversations we are having are similar to those Jon Rathbone has been experiencing, we were very much on the same page.

"As we were talking to him, we'd had a very similar conversation with Harper Sheldon and Jon, having run these type of sessions, thought there would be an opportunity here to share our knowledge, share our thinking, but in a positive way because people have had enough doom and gloom."

She continued: "This is about how you can be prepared for it, things to consider that you might not be thinking about at the moment because you've been firefighting.

"We've taken the opportunity to work with two well-respected companies to run something which will hopefully benefit businesses which are operating across Gloucestershire or more widely."

For Mr Neale, the session also provides an opportunity for Staverton-based Ops-Box to spread its message after being founded in February - just weeks before restrictions were introduced.

He said: "We've had some really positive feedback in terms of what we are offering and how we are going about it, everyone's saying this is what business needs to know, this is what business needs to do.

"We are coming it at from a slightly different angle. We are delighted to have this opportunity to be able to do this with these two established professional firms and we didn't hesitate because in our previous lives we've both done this sort of thing before, albeit not on video screens but in person.

"So why not take that confidence that people have given us to give something back to the business community and make them think about what world we may be entering?"

 You can book your place at the Planning for Recovery session here. 

To find out more about Ops-Box, visit Ops-Box Group Ltd, telephone 07759 407064 or 07432 557966, or email enquiries@ops-boxgroup.com