3.2 Face-to-face support

A lot of face-to-face small business support and training is provided at a regional or local level, which can give you a useful perspective if your idea/product/service is aimed at a local audience.

As before, you don’t need to follow these links now, but if a particular resource catches your eye have a quick look at it to familiarise yourself with the content and then come back to this page. You’ll then get an opportunity to look in more detail in Activity 4.

(Remember, to ensure you don’t lose your place in this course you should open these in a new browser window or tab. To do this on a computer hold the Ctrl key (or Cmd on a Mac) when you click a link and select to open it in a new window or tab.)

• British Chambers of Commerce [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)]

  Search for your regional chamber and investigate what they have to offer. It may include individual advice on a range of issues, access to useful networks and groups or relevant training events.

• The British Library Business & IP Centre

  The British Library Business & IP Centre has a National Network that provides entrepreneurs and small or medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across the UK with free access to databases, market research, journals, directories and reports worth thousands of pounds. There is also a programme of free and low-cost events and workshops on a range of topics including business planning, marketing and intellectual property.

• Business Support Helplines

  Government helplines that provide free advice:

  • Business Support Helpline (England) Telephone: 0300 456 3565, enquiries@businesssupporthelpline.org, Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm

  • Business Gateway (Scotland) Telephone: 0300 013 4753, Textphone: 0800 023 2071, Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm

  • Business Wales Helpline Telephone: 0300 060 3000, Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 5:30pm

  • Invest Northern Ireland Telephone: 0800 181 4422, Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 5pm

• Growth Hubs

  The network of 38 Growth Hubs are local public/private sector partnerships led by the Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs). They join up national and local business support so it is easy for businesses to find the help they need. They offer impartial, expert advice and their services are free to use.

• Prince’s Trust

  A youth charity that provides small business support and advice for 18–30-year olds – from online resources to enterprise training programmes.

Watch this short video to see an example of how one regional Growth Hub helps start-up businesses.

Download this video clip.Video player: Video 2

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Transcript: Video 2

[MUSIC PLAYING]

NARRATOR:

If you are a start-up or early-stage business with ambition to grow, The Growth Hub for Start-ups can support you to develop your ideas and achieve your goals. Our members can access dedicated support services, including modern office spaces, collaborations with other members, networking opportunities, events, and mentoring. Mentoring provides critical support for early-stage businesses.

CATHERINE EVERY:

The Growth Hub for Start-ups has been a fantastic support for my business. It gave me three mentors to help me address the three barriers to development in my business. So together, we worked on entering a new market sector, putting together a long-term marketing strategy and plan, and also building my own sense of self-confidence. It's been fantastically successful for me, and my business is in a completely different place to where it was six months ago.

NARRATOR:

Our mentors are talented and experienced professionals who have been instrumental in growing business.

JOSHUA MORSE:

There are elements of nature and nurture in every entrepreneur. You have to be born with an innate ability to take risks, to be prepared to jeopardise your livelihood to follow through on an idea. Once you've made that leap, you need nurturing. You need support around you. You need people to share ideas with to encourage you to develop that idea into a successful business.

NARRATOR:

Many are entrepreneurs in their own right and are now looking to support others through the challenges of starting and growing a business.

JOSHUA MORSE:

The Growth Hub for Start-ups has really helped my business. Because it's taken a great idea, which has been working for me for 18 months, and it's taken it from the kitchen table into a great office space to work in, with brilliant support around meetings. But it's not only that. There's also mentoring support, business networking opportunities, and loads of stuff which really helped me to step the idea up, as I say, from the kitchen table into a much bigger business, which hopefully will continue to grow.

NARRATOR:

This is one of four start-up spaces throughout Gloucestershire. We also have a network of associate members who still access the support we offer, but do not need the office space.

CATHERINE EVERY:

If I had to give one piece of advice to someone thinking about setting up their own business, I'd say just do it. It will be the best decision you've ever made. That said, always seek all the help and support you can. And The Growth Hub is a great place to start.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

End transcript: Video 2

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Video 2

Training

Several of the freelancers featured in the introductory video benefited from attending short courses aimed directly at people starting their own businesses. Listen to Lucy share her experience here.

Download this video clip.Video player: Video 3

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Transcript: Video 3

LUCY MARCOVITCH:

The absolute best bit of support was a free two-day course, which was a local-- I don't know whether it was just Warwick and Leamington or whether it was more general. And it was EU funded. And it was for people starting their own business. And I signed up to it. It was completely free.

I did a day in Rugby, and then I did a day just up the road. And it was amazing. You've got this free training about everything to do with starting a business where you have to think about finances, how you charge, websites and logos, what to call yourself-- everything across the board. And the trainer was absolutely fantastic.

And you met other people there as well who were completely different from me. Absolutely completely different. But it was so nice to just meet a whole range of people across the board and find out what they were trying to do and hear their stories. And we had lots of exercises doing things. So that was amazing. And it was invaluable.

End transcript: Video 3

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Video 3

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If you decide to undertake some small business training, depending on the provider there will sometimes be a fee, but this is often highly subsidised.