THE MILFORD HAVEN Business Circle is holding its next meeting on Monday (Jan 19) at Moon Goddess Emporium in Charles Street.

The meeting is due to start at 6:00pm at the shop’s premises at 53 Charles Street, Milford Haven, and is open to local businesses and members.

An agenda circulated ahead of the meeting includes items on plans for the year’s events, a “Founders Day”, and how the group communicates with Milford Haven Town Council — including a proposed question to be put to the council.

Members are also expected to discuss the idea of a soup or community kitchen, advertising member businesses on the group’s social media page, and whether people should be able to attend meetings remotely via Zoom.

The agenda includes confirmation of the minutes from the previous meeting, any updates on meeting etiquette, and an “any other business” item before dates are set for the next meeting.

Anyone interested in attending is advised to check the Milford Haven Business Circle page for the latest details.

WEST WALES business owners are being invited to an online briefing later this month to help them understand forthcoming Business Rates changes, amid concerns that new rateable values could lead to sharp increases for retail, hospitality and tourism firms.

The session will be held on Monday, January 26 at 10:30am and will be hosted by Paul Davies MS and Samuel Kurtz MS. Guest speakers will include the Valuation Office Agency, who will explain how the changes will work in practice and what businesses can do to prepare ahead of the new valuations coming into force in April 2026.

Organisers say many businesses across the region have already seen significant rises in rateable value, increasing pressure on high streets, local jobs and investment. Hospitality and tourism operators, in particular, have warned that further increases could be unsustainable.

The briefing is aimed at business owners, employers and managers seeking practical information on what is changing, how it could affect their premises, and what steps they can take ahead of April. The event will also give businesses a chance to raise concerns directly with elected representatives.

Samuel Kurtz MS said: “Too many local businesses are facing sharp increases in their rateable values, at a time when costs are already rising. This session is about making sure business owners understand what is coming, what options are available to them, and how we can make the strongest possible case for a fairer system.”

Paul Davies MS added: “Hospitality and tourism businesses are the backbone of our local economy, particularly in West Wales. We want to hear directly from businesses about the challenges they face and ensure their voices are heard as decisions are made about Business Rates in Wales.”

The online briefing will cover an overview of the Business Rates system in Wales, what the new rateable value changes mean for local businesses, and how firms can have their say as the case for a fairer system is made.

More details and registration are available via Samuel Kurtz MS’s website.

WELSH businesses are set to benefit from a £2.1 million funding package aimed at helping small and medium-sized enterprises adopt artificial intelligence in an ethical and practical way.

The investment, announced by the Welsh Government, is designed to support SMEs, entrepreneurs and microbusinesses across Wales to use AI to improve productivity, boost innovation and strengthen competitiveness.

As part of the package, £600,000 will be allocated to the Business Wales service to develop and deliver a dedicated AI awareness and adoption programme. The work will build on recommendations from recent reviews into SME productivity and the use of artificial intelligence.

A further £500,000 will be used to support the tourism and events sectors, including an AI “pollination project” delivered in partnership with specialists from the Hartree Centre Cardiff Hub and Cardiff University’s Digital Transformation Innovation Institute. The scheme aims to accelerate the take-up of AI tools among event organisers and tourism businesses.

Up to 1,000 tourism microbusinesses and SMEs are expected to benefit from in-person workshops focused on practical AI skills for digital marketing and content creation.

An additional £1 million will be invested through the Flexible Skills Programme to create a new AI upskilling offer. The scheme will focus on closing digital skills gaps and supporting inclusive growth, with employers contributing 25 per cent of AI training costs and 50 per cent for other Flexible Skills Programme courses.

One company already making use of artificial intelligence is Swansea-based Something Different Wholesale. The giftware business, which employs seventy-five staff and serves more than 12,000 business customers worldwide, uses AI to analyse data, gain market insight, automate routine tasks and enhance customer services. The company is also launching a new global website using AI-powered translation tools.

Founder Jane Wallace-Jones said AI was advancing rapidly and that businesses which adopted it effectively would gain a competitive edge, but warned many SMEs lacked in-house expertise.

She said the funding would help Welsh businesses access high-quality training, improve productivity and support growth, innovation and job creation.

Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning, Rebecca Evans, said the funding built on showcases of Welsh innovation seen at recent national technology and investment events.

She said AI was already transforming the business sector and that the programme would help ensure SMEs across Wales were ready to make the most of emerging technologies in a responsible and inclusive way, while supporting the delivery of the AI Plan for Wales.

Skills Minister Jack Sargeant said the Welsh Government recognised the potential of AI to drive economic growth and was committed to helping businesses develop the skills needed for future success.

He added that the new funding would help bridge digital skills gaps and accelerate the responsible adoption of artificial intelligence across Wales’s rapidly evolving digital economy.