A former editor is launching a project to help small companies get ahead in the cost-of-living crisis – despite it potentially affecting her own business.

Amanda Chalmers, who used to edit the Stratford Herald and now runs Chalmers News PR, has joined forces with fellow Warwickshire public relations firm Cotswold Connected to hold a one-off workshop for small business owners.

The ‘Empower PR’ course is described as a “one-stop shop affordable workshop created to help businesses that either don’t have a marketing budget or want to learn more about how it works”.

Amanda launched Chalmers News PR five years ago after leaving the Herald, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, and has since won two national awards – The Woman Who Achieves in Media Award 2022 and Ladies First Excellence In Media Award – for her work in the industry.

Amanda Chalmers, right, with Katie Wilber

She said: “You don’t work in newspapers for so long without learning a thing or two about effective PR and marketing.

“And for the past five years running my own PR agency it’s really brought home to me what a huge appetite there is among the growing number of small businesses, for learning these skills – but particularly now, when budgets are being squeezed more than ever.

“Public relations is important because it can elevate an almost anonymous business to a brand that connects with its audience.

“PR makes that happen by establishing communication channels, providing and releasing positive content, ensuring that content reaches the target audience and so reassuring them of your brand’s values.”

Amanda added: “It is recognised that PR is of vital importance to businesses of all sizes but, sadly, it’s usually the smaller ones that miss out on the opportunities good PR can generate because they either don’t know how to approach it or don’t have the time to address it among all their other day to day responsibilities.

“More and more small business owners are discovering they can’t afford to outsource to a professional, so this workshop offers the perfect solution when it comes to learning the important basics.

“From how to write a stand-out press release and where to send it – to how to pitch and build key relationships, it’s all invaluable insight and knowledge that they can take with them going forward.”