Much of the help and support businesses have come to expect from Cumbria Business Growth Hub is now available online.

Growth Hub advisers have continued to work throughout the coronavirus lockdown, using Skype or Zoom to interact with clients rather than meeting them face to face.

Now many of the Growth Hub’s popular workshops – including the course for people starting a business – have been redesigned to run online because social distancing rules make conventional workshops impractical.

The free start-up course covers the basics of running a business including business plans, business structures, legal issues, cash flow, bookkeeping, pricing, contingency planning, marketing and social media.

It is now being delivered in three three-hour online sessions.

Two courses scheduled for June and July are already fully booked but, because of demand, additional dates are being added and will be confirmed soon.

Lesley Robinson, Growth Hub Project Manager, said: “We’ve actually seen an increase in enquiries during lockdown from people looking to start a business.

“Some have been made redundant and that has prompted them to pursue a long-standing ambition to run their own businesses.

“Others have been working from home and have discovered that it suits them. They are looking to start a business that gives them a better work/life balance.

“There’s no doubt that the coronavirus pandemic has been hugely disruptive and damaging but disruption always creates opportunities.

“If you have the right business idea, and the right offer, this could be a good time to start-up as the economy emerges from lockdown.”

Click here for details of our Business Start-Up Support (BSUS) programme.

To register interest or find our more, email: info@cumbriabusinessgrowthhub.co.uk

The funding that supports the Growth Hub comes from a range of sources including Cumbria Chamber of Commerce, the European Regional Development Fund, Sellafield Ltd., Carlisle City Council, South Lakeland District Council, Penrith Industrial BID and  Cumbria LEP.  The Growth Hub and is receiving up to £2,528,767 of funding from the England European Regional Development Fund as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020. The Ministry for Housing Communities and Local Government is the Managing Authority for European Regional Development Fund. Established by the European Union, the European Regional Development Fund helps local areas stimulate their economic development by investing in projects which will support innovation, businesses, create jobs and local community regenerations. For more information, click here.