ECP Growth Hub Business Partnership
Reengage your business, employees, and clients; providing support to restructure your business and help improve business efficiencies, processes, and technology.
Business support available to you
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Crafts Council
HOTHOUSE
Hothouse supports makers at the start of their career
Hothouse is the Crafts Council’s national programme of creative and business support for makers at the start of their career.
It is a part-time programme run over the course of six months that gives makers the tools they need to build a successful and sustainable craft business. Monthly full-day training sessions and a residential course will give you the skills to:
• Create a business plan
• Set business goals
• Know how to do your accounts and price your work.
• Write and talk about your work confidently.
• Market your practice well.
Digital Boost
Digital Boost is a partnership between BCG Digital Ventures and Founders4Schools, offering a platform for organisations in need to connect with volunteer digital experts.
BCG Digital Ventures is a global company specialised in building new businesses or digital products for corporate clients. We are part of the management consultancy The Boston Consulting Group, and have a talented team of entrepreneurs, designers, digital marketers and software developers.
Founders4Schools is an award-winning educational technology charity, whose mission is to inspire students and prepare them for the rapidly changing world of work. They do this by connecting educators with leaders of successful growing businesses in their community.
Visit Britain / Visit England
Business Support Hub – Travel and Tourism
Topics currently covered on the Hub are:
- Start your business
The key target markets in your destination, guidance on the practicalities of setting up a new business and where to get help from mentors.
- Find funding
Funding options for your business and guidance on managing finances more effectively to maximise your profit margins.
- Know your legal obligations
On what grounds you can refuse a booking, what licences you need to provide TVs and how to comply with health & safety regulations. You can also buy a printed copy of the popular Pink Book: legislation for tourist accommodation.
- Understand health and safety
Your legal responsibilities, how to run a safe business and create a Fire Risk Assessment using a free online tool.
- Make your business accessible
Guidance, tools and resources to help you provide access for all – and gain a share of a £12 billion market. You can also create an Accessibility Guide for your businesses using a free online tool.
- Make your business sustainable
How to save money, reduce your impact and win more customers with practical sustainability tips and case studies.
- Employ and manage staff
Step-by-step guides to finding and employing staff, guidance on managing employees and information on apprenticeships.
- Find training
Training courses for you and your staff on customer service, digital skills and inclusion.
- Get quality assessed
How to get an official star rating or accreditation for your business from the national tourist board.
- Enter the Awards for Excellence
How to apply for one of the highest accolades in English tourism – the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence.
- Market your business
VisitEngland/VisitBritain marketing opportunities, our Digital Marketing Toolkit and best practice communication guides.
- Attract international visitors
Guidance to help your business get ‘international ready’, including extensive research on overseas markets and our Inbound Tourism Toolkit.
- Find local support
An online tool that tells you who your local Destination Organisation (local tourist board) an Growth Hubs are.
Federation of Small Businesses (FSB)
As experts in business, we offer our members a wide range of vital business services including advice, financial expertise, support and a powerful voice in government. Our mission is to help smaller businesses achieve their ambitions. We are a not-for-profit organisation, led by a team of our members, which exists to serve the small business community across the UK.
Starting at just £147 in the first year plus a £30 joining fee for businesses with no employees we pride ourselves in supporting smaller businesses like yours.
Open to FSB members and non members:
FSB Coronavirus Hub (includes free Webinars)
FSB Membership Benefits include:
Creative Growth South
Creative Growth South is funded by the Partnership for South Hampshire and provides free personalised support to Creative Businesses and Freelancers. This could include a one-off diagnostic session. Or a sustained period of up to six personalised business support sessions, to enable your business to bounce back after the Lockdown. For more information visit their website.
Tech Nation
Empowering ambitious tech entrepreneurs to grow faster through growth programmes, digital entrepreneurship skills, a visa scheme for exceptional talent, and by championing the UK’s digital sector through data, stories and media campaigns.
Our story began in Shoreditch in 2011 when we were launched to support the East London tech cluster known as London Tech City — or Silicon Roundabout. Since then we’ve been on a journey, spreading our activities to cover other parts of the UK, and set up Tech North to run programmes across the North of England. In November 2017, the launch of Tech Nation was announced, consolidating Tech City UK and Tech North’s impact.
Now as Tech Nation, we’re expanding our network of growth programmes, events, skills and data resources to reach all corners and clusters of the UK.
Read More: https://technation.io/
NatWest Entrepreneur Pre-Accelerator
Pre-Accelerator is designed to give entrepreneurs the power to start, scale and succeed. It is a fully-funded, quick-fire, intensive eight-week course for early-stage entrepreneurs. The course is eight weeks long but starts with an exciting, immersive,
‘Ignition’ event and ends with a chance to celebrate and swap experiences. We concentrate on providing early-stage businesses with the best environment, digital learning and networks.
To find out how to apply and how we could help #PowerUp you and your early stage business, contact us at accelerator@natwest.com
Digital Business Academy
Free online courses to help you start, grow or join a digital business.
Our mission is to build a pipeline of high-growth tech businesses by nurturing talent, publishing insightful research, and championing the UK tech sector nationally and internationally.
The Digital Business Academy is at the core of our strategy to build the pipeline of homegrown digital talent. We developed it to help aspiring entrepreneurs learn the skills they need to turn their dreams into real products and real companies. It is working. Almost 20% of our graduates report that they are starting digital companies after finishing at least one skill.
We have partnered with leading educational institutions as well as industry experts to bring you the latest insights to help your business grow.
City Eye
City Eye exists to inspire and promote film and digital culture in the region and is supported by Southampton City Council.
Based in Southampton, we are here to support the community, arts organisations, individuals, emerging talent and established talent in the achievement of film-making goals. We achieve this through a wide range of projects and activities including our production work, our education offering and our screening programmes including Southampton Film Week.
Support organisations for film makers: http://www.city-eye.co.uk/links.html