Smart Towns Wales: Maximising High Street Impact through Local Collaboration
Challenge
Breaking Down Barriers to Business Support
The Menter Môn’s Welsh Government funded Smart Towns programme offers invaluable, no-cost support to help high street businesses thrive in a digital economy. However, high levels of participation are never guaranteed. Local traders are often time-poor and can be hesitant to engage with external schemes. Additionally, providing the necessary feedback to demonstrate a clear Return on Investment (ROI) to the Government can be difficult, particularly when delivery teams are not based locally.
Solution
The Cowbridge Business Community – A Gateway for Engagement
Utilising the Cowbridge Business Community—an existing project by Little Bird Consultancy—served as the vital infrastructure required to facilitate the Smart Towns rollout. The support provided included:
Facilitation: Actively bringing town centre traders together to improve communication and collective prosperity.
Direct Access: Organising and hosting two group sessions and several one-to-one sessions to facilitate direct engagement between traders and the scheme.
Local Coordination: Using a locally-based lead to bridge the gap between the technical offerings of the North Wales-based team and the daily practicalities of Cowbridge traders.
Outcome
Delivering Measurable ROI for the Welsh Government
The collaboration enabled significantly higher engagement and delivery of the programme. By utilising a local partner to act as a coordinator and relationship manager, the Smart Towns team achieved:
Increased Engagement: Medi and the Smart Towns team were able to engage with significantly more traders than would have been possible through standard outreach alone.
Seamless Access for Traders: By managing the administrative and relationship hurdles, Little Bird Consultancy allowed traders to engage with the scheme. This enabled them to access a fantastic programme to support their business planning and marketing decisions.
High Return on Investment: By streamlining the engagement process, the Welsh Government achieved a significantly higher impact for its investment, ensuring resources directly benefited the heart of the high street.
Summary
Maximising Welsh Government Investment in Smart Towns
The Cowbridge project demonstrates that for government schemes to succeed, a local "link" is often the missing piece of the puzzle. By partnering with Little Bird Consultancy, Menter Môn was able to achieve greater engagement with the Smart Towns programme, delivering tangible results for the Cowbridge Business Community and the Welsh Government alike.
Testimonial
~ Medi Parry-Williams, High Street Data Advisor, Smart Towns Menter Môn
Jess from Little Bird Consultancy has been fantastic throughout the Smart Towns Wales project supporting local high street businesses in Cowbridge. From the initial call, through planning and organisation, to delivering 1-2-1 consultations and arranging a presentation for businesses and stakeholders, Jess has been invaluable. Her professionalism, attention to detail and proactive approach have played a key role in helping Smart Towns Wales deliver its mission of sharing data and insights with local businesses to enable more informed decision-making. This type of tailored, hands-on support is essential to maximising impact and achieving meaningful outcomes, helping high street businesses become more sustainable, resilient and work smarter.
Thank you very much,