Welcome to the Skipton and Ripon page of the Business North Yorkshire newsletter. Here you will find details of local networking groups, events in the area, and business news from around the constituency.

To feature your business news or events, contact us by email.

Networking events in your area

Co-working days in Ripon

The Ripon Inn

• 2, 3, 5, 10, 11, 18, 19, 26 February, 9:30am

Bring your laptop, work, network and create.

Book a co-working day place on Eventbrite

Skipton Business social – speaker session

Elsworth at the Mill, High Corn Mill, Chapel Hill, Skipton

• 3 February, 6pm to 10pm

Book a business social place on Eventbrite

Skipton Business breakfast

Coopers Café and Bar, Skipton

• 4, 18 and 24 February, 8am to 10am

Book a business breakfast place on Skipton Business

Medley Ripon - Ripon Women in Business meet-up

Café in the Park, Spa Gardens, Ripon, HG4 2BD

• 24 February, 9:30am to 10:30am

Monthly coffee catch-up for Ripon women in business - connect, chat, share, and feel supported.

Book a business meet-up place on Eventbrite

Skipton Business social

Ovino Lounge, Skipton

• 24 February, 6pm to 10pm

Book a business social place on Skipton Business

News and events in the Skipton area

Visitor levy meeting with Mayor David Skaith

• 3 February, 9am to 10am

Elsworth at the Mill, High Corn Mill, Chapel Hill, Skipton

The Mayor of York and North Yorkshire is visiting Skipton to address any concerns surrounding a potential Visitor Levy with the local business community. 

Book a levy meeting place on Eventbrite

Skipton businesses – are you recruiting?

• 11 March, 9am to 1pm

Advertise your vacancies at the Skipton Job Fair. Organised by Jobcentre Plus, this free, well‑publicised event attracted 130 jobseekers last time. A great way to meet candidates face‑to‑face and raise your local profile.

Book a Skipton business place on Eventbrite

Craven Business Expo – secure your stand

• 17 June, 10am to 2pm

Businesses are invited to exhibit at the Craven Business Expo on 17 June, 10am to 2pm, at The Coniston Hotel, Coniston Cold, Skipton. The expo brings together local entrepreneurs, professionals and businesses for a day of networking, showcasing services and building new connections.

Whether you’re an established business or just starting out, exhibiting offers a valuable opportunity to raise your profile, meet potential clients, and discover new opportunities. A one‑per‑sector policy applies, so early booking is advised. To find out more, contact lizbrewster@cravenconsultancyservices.co.uk.

York and North Yorkshire Property and Economic Forum ‘Planning Policy Meets Agricultural Innovation’

• 3 February 8am to 10am, Harrogate

An excellent opportunity to network and hear the latest updates from across York and North Yorkshire. Meet Kathryn Daly, Assistant Director – Place Shaping and Growth at North Yorkshire Council, with an update on growth and planning, and Tim Whitaker from Askham Bryan Agricultural College, showcasing how their electric cow turns waste into electricity and fertiliser.

Book an economic forum place on Eventbrite

Practical AI to help you win more clients

6 February, 11:50am to 2:30pm, Harrogate

Being run by Business Ladies Around Harrogate Networking Group. At this event, Sally Rasmussen, Managing Director of Fearless Marketing, will lead a down-to-earth, practical session showing how she uses AI day-to-day to support client growth. This is not a theory. Sally will walk through real AI tools, share example prompts, and explain how to adapt them, so they genuinely work for your business — even if you don’t consider yourself “technical”.

Book a Practical AI workshop place on Etickets

Tourism on Track: save the date

19 March, Bolton Abbey Station

This event will feature a literature exchange, giving attractions the chance to share marketing materials with hotels, bed and breakfasts, and self-catering providers. In turn, accommodation businesses can pick up guides and leaflets showcasing the best things to do in the area, ensuring guests make the most of their visit to North Yorkshire.

Attendees will also hear from key speakers, including Head of Tourism, Tony Watson, who will provide an update on the Visit North Yorkshire journey so far, next steps for 2026 and outline opportunities for businesses to get on board.

Keep an eye out for additional speakers announced soon.

Book a Tourism on Track event place on Visit North Yorkshire

Ingleton and Grassington Area businesses

Time is running out to secure a free place on Next Step’s highly successful peer‑to‑peer programme, which has helped transform local businesses and build strong connections over the past five years.

Participants meet weekly for tailored workshops, peer review of business practices, progression planning and focused problem‑solving. Previous cohorts report lasting benefits, ongoing collaboration and strong support networks long after the programme ends.

Although time is precious for small businesses, many say the investment is invaluable — with one participant noting, “I didn’t think I could afford the time away. Now I realise I couldn’t afford not to.”

This is a fantastic opportunity to share ideas, gain insight and connect with fellow North Yorkshire businesses who understand the local landscape. Let me know if you’d like to take up a place before they fill.

To find out more, contact nextstepcalling@gmail.com

From Masham to Manhattan: how nearly new Cashmere found a US audience

Nearly New Cashmere is a small business based in Masham, North Yorkshire, specialising in high-quality second-hand 100% cashmere. What started in founder Ali’s spare room has grown into a much-loved online brand, built on reconditioning luxury cashmere and making it accessible at affordable prices. Alongside steady UK growth, the business has seen great success on social media, recently noticing a surge in followers and engagement from the United States. The brand’s Yorkshire roots, friendly tone and behind-the-scenes storytelling have particularly resonated with US customers - many of whom say there’s nothing quite like Nearly New Cashmere available in the US market.

With the Business Innovation Fund export grant, Nearly New Cashmere trialled a paid Facebook and Instagram advertising campaign aimed specifically at US customers. The goal was to test demand for second-hand cashmere and better understand how American customers shop.

The campaign proved highly successful, helping drive a year-on-year increase of almost 200% in US revenue while delivering valuable insights into customer behaviour. Crucially, these learnings were applied across the rest of Q4, contributing to Nearly New Cashmere nearly tripled US revenue year on year and doubling its US customer base.

Ali Orr, founder of Nearly New Cashmere, says: “This project couldn’t have been achieved without the time and care Michaela Young dedicated to supporting us throughout the application process. While the grant questions didn’t always naturally align with how we intended to use the funding, Michaela helped us interpret and reframe them so we could clearly articulate our plans and objectives. Her guidance ensured our application was as strong as possible and ultimately helped us secure the funding.”

The experience has given the team confidence to keep building on this momentum - showing how a small Yorkshire business can reach customers from Masham to New York with the right support and a clear story to tell.

To find out more, visit Newly New Cashmere.

Your local Senior Business Advisor

As Senior Business Advisor for Skipton and Ripon, Michaela’s primary role is to promote and support business growth and the economic potential of North Yorkshire, and she works with colleagues, partners and key stakeholders to help deliver our Economic Growth Strategy. Michaela takes the lead responsibility for delivering a bespoke one-to-one business engagement and support service to the businesses of the Skipton and Ripon constituency.

During the last 33 years, Michaela has held leadership positions in a number of businesses, including manufacturing and engineering, construction, retail and the charity sector. Her particular strengths include skills and business planning, funding applications and business development. Outside of work, Michaela is a keen gardener and enjoys the great outdoors.

To book an appointment, contact us by email.