With so much business support on offer it seems timely to remind you of what’s available and where.
Delivering on behalf of Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership and funded by Westmorland & Furness Council through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund we’re able to support those looking into self-employment as an option or with a firm idea they need some support to get off the ground.
Supported by our knowledgeable, experienced and well established adviser team we can offer support in areas such as general, marketing, digital marketing, business planning, sales & pricing, finance & bookkeeping, funding and applications, access to finance, employing people, and supply chain (including bidding/tendering support).
Ignite your new business: an Introduction to Start Up Loans
Date: Tuesday 5th March 2024
Time: 11am to 12noon
Venue: Online
Join us for a free one-hour webinar to hear more about Start Up Loans and how government backed loans can Start, Nurture and Grow your new business.
Discover how the loan operates, eligibility criteria, the application process, and hear real-life examples from Cumbria. Ashley Alletson, Business Support Manager at GC Business Finance, will lead the session. Don’t miss the chance to ask any questions you may have during the webinar.
The webinar is primarily aimed at start up and new business founders trading for less than three years in both Cumberland and Westmorland & Furness.
GC Business Finance
GC Business Finance (GCBF), is the alternative lending provider to mainstream lenders and has a proven track record in supporting thousands of SMEs. Through their Government backed finance products they support new and growing businesses.
GCBF are part of a network of national support partners delivering the Start Up Loans Scheme. The Start Up Loans Scheme is a subsidiary of the British Business Bank.
GC Business Finance Start Ups provides both finance and business support to new and early-stage businesses.
Fully funded business support for individuals and businesses in Barrow (LA13, LA14, LA15, LA16 and selected LA12 postcodes)
Starting a business over 50
Dates: 21st February, 28th February, 6th March, 13th March (4 session programme)
Time: 2pm to 5pm
Venue: Online
The best time to start a business is when you are mid-40s onwards. Ray Kroc took McDonald’s global but he started when he was in his late 50s.
So age is a number – the most important factor in business is developing a product or service that meets a need.
Has your career hit a dead end? Does your job not inspire you?
If so explore the option of starting a business. After a career or 20-30 years you have developed specialist skills that have value but perhaps aren’t being utilised or recognised. Make them your business – from administration to project management to event organising.
This 4-week programme will encourage you to look inside yourself and identify the skills that you can use to set up a business. Once mined we will guide you on how to frame the business offer and lay the foundations for success.
You will finish the programme with an action plan and a framework to create a business with target customers and confidence to go it alone.
27th Feb – 9.30am to 11.30am – Introduction to self-employment workshop
Emergency First Aid at Work
Date: Thursday 7th March 2024
Time: 10am to 5pm
Venue: Skills Shop, 2-6 Derry Street, Barrow in Furness, LA14 2EF
What does Emergency First Aid at Work cover?
- First Aid responsibilities
- Reporting incidents and near misses
- Assessing an incident
- Managing infection
- Dealing with an unresponsive casualty
- Performing effective CPR
- How to use a defibrillator (AED)
- Treating for hypovolaemic shock
- Chocking
- Dealing with minor bleeds
- Dealing with minor burns
- Help someone having a seizure
- Treating minor injuries
- Treating anaphylactic shock
This course meets the requirements of the Health & Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981 (Northern Ireland 1982). The course is delivered and assessed by Skills Shop in accordance with current Resuscitation Council UK guidelines.
Tuesday 12th March, Wednesday 13th March & Thursday 14th March 9:30am to 1pm – three day business start-up course – The Forum, Duke Street, Barrow in Furness
There’s also adviser support available for any business with real growth ambitions as well as support for individuals up until the end of March 24.
Start a business based in your hobby as a side hustle
Dates: Saturdays 24th February, 2nd March, 9th March, 16th March (4 session programme)
Time: 10am to 1pm
Price: Fully funded by Cumberland Council
Venue: Online
Do you have an itch that you keep coming back to? Or a skill that you think could generate money for your family, or pay for the holidays?
Everyone has the chance using technology to turn that hobby into a side hustle that you run alongside the day job.
But how?
This 4-week programme will explore how to develop your side hustle idea and fit it around your day job and your other commitments so that you don’t burn yourself out but generate the extra income or the satisfaction from developing following a dream and you never know if it grows it could be your day job…
Running an online business
Dates: Mondays 26th February, 4th March, 11th March, 18th March (4 session programme)
Time: 3pm to 6pm
Price: Fully funded by Cumberland Council
Venue: Online
The world is online. We spend 3-7 hours a day on devices, surfing, exploring and working – from Facebook to TikTok. There are gamers, beauty products sales and crafts people or plain influencers that generate significant businesses with nothing but a mobile or an internet connection.
But how? This 4-week programme has been specifically designed for those that want to run an online business whether this be delivering counselling to selling designer furniture.
We will explore what makes a successful online business and use this to turn your online business ideas into reality.
The programme will provide the skills and knowledge needed that gives you the confidence to take the plunge and develop your online business.
You will come away with a clear offering and the tools to make it happen.
Developing awesome new products and services and bringing life back to existing ones
Date: Tuesday 5th March 2024
Time: 9.30am to 4pm
Price: Fully funded by Cumberland Council
Venue: Energus, Blackwood Road, Lillyhall, Workington, CA14 4JW
This workshop will introduce a powerful yet practical innovation process that directly connects with what customers want and need. The process can be used to create totally new products and services or to bring new life to existing ones. During this thought provoking and interactive workshop you will actively work through the innovation process and apply a range of tools and techniques.
Through the workshop you will:
- Be introduced to a 5 stage new product and service process to drive forward innovative ideas and projects
- Test drive the 5 stage new product and service process and identify how it can used in your business
- Actively create new customer offers and value propositions
- Tune into trends/opportunities and turn them into new ideas
- Learn how to a range of creative tools and techniques to develop and take forward new ideas
There’s also 3hrs adviser support available to individuals and businesses.
Anyone interested in any of the above please contact Lesley Robinson, Head of Business Support – lesleyr@cumbriachamber.co.uk or call 07876861266.