TWELVE free workshops are on offer to local business people.

The sessions, which start next Tuesday and run until the end of August, are provided by growth hub Oxfordshire Business Support.

Aimed at new and growing firms, topics include finance, digital marketing, tax-efficiency, sales and writing a business plan.

There are four this month and four in July, with the final batch in August.

The first session, on Tuesday at Bloxham Mill Business Centre in Banbury, is Starting Your Own Business.

On June 15, a workshop at Howbery Park in Wallingford aimed at existing businesses covers Raising Finance, while one on Digital Marketing Know-how takes place at the Said Business School on June 22.

The fourth, also on Digital Marketing Know-how, is for start-ups and will be at Howbery Park on June 29.

OBS’s Heather Martin said: “I know how challenging it can be to take your first steps into running and growing a business and to have the confidence to take your business to the next level.

“Having access to high-quality support, knowledge and expertise is essential in business, but it is priceless at these critical stages.”

The programme, which will run until mid-2019, is funded by the European Regional Development Fund, the Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

Emma Jones, of national small business network Enterprise Nation, will run the start-up workshops.

For a full list of workshops and to book a place, see oxfordshirebusinesssupport.co.uk