Harrogate Drop-In sessions: Connect Over A Cuppa
19 Jun 2025
‘Connect Over A Cuppa’ Harrogate drop-in sessions help businesses to share new ideas, solve problems, and connect with like-minded businesses.
Free session: 9.30am – 11am

About this Harrogate Drop-in session
Organised by North Yorkshire Council, and supported by SME Growth Managers, the free monthly 90 minute Harrogate drop-in sessions are already sparking new ideas, highlighting opportunities for funding support and identifying new business opportunities.
With a key theme every month and guest experts, ranging from Marketing and Sales, through to Managing Team Performance, Strategy, Improving IT, Legal and Finance, the team cover the business issues that matter most.
Many of us will agree a problem shared is a problem halved, but how about an opportunity?
Whatever your business challenge, bring it to Connect Over A Cuppa in Harrogate on June 16th, and join up to 40 other business owners in solving them.
Every month over 40 companies from all kinds of backgrounds attend Connect Over A Cuppa, making it one of North Yorkshires most successful business learning and networking events.
Ideas into action is the theme for June, hear from two business speakers: Colette from Goat Drinks Ltd and Aimee from The Graze Maids Ltd.
Turning ideas into action, then into a business takes a lot of skill, determination and vision. This month we will be hearing from Aimee, as she sets her new business up, The Graze Maids. Hear about her first steps, initial customer wins, and how belief in her skills and passion led her to this business and change in career direction.
Colette has a very different business journey. Inspired by nature and a belief that taste doesn’t need to contain alcohol, and energy drinks can be better for you, Colette has paved a successful path as a drinks entrepreneur, selling her products in the UK and internationally.
Hear about her challenges so far, what it feels like to see your products on customer shelves, and what future challenges might hold.
Towards the end of the session, we will also be welcoming Phil Whild, Emergency Planning Manager for North Yorkshire Council. Phil will give us a brief insight into robust business continuity practices for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) throughout North Yorkshire and the City of York.
‘Connect Over a Cuppa’ is free to attend for SMEs based in North Yorkshire. At present, all 90 minute sessions will be held in person in Harrogate in 2025.
Interested?
To learn more about the event and to register, please click the link below.
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Once the session is over you’ll have the opportunity to contact any of the support specialists to follow up for more in-depth advice and help.
Previous topics at Harrogate drop-in sessions have included:
- Strategic Business Growth
- New Business? Sourcing new clients. Growing existing & Bid writing. How to find it and win it.
- Chat GPT and your business
- The Innovation Challenge – Part 1 & Part 2
- Grow your business locally
- Skills gaps: mapping your skills needs, recruitment, training and and how to address it.
Further information
If you have any questions or would like further information, please contact Michael.Reynolds@northyorks.gov.uk