Starting Up A Business

Exclusive: New start-up grants announced
Startups can exclusively announce the launch of a new grant fund for entrepreneurs and small businesses. Fund101 will provide non-repayable micro-credit, in sums ranging from £50 to £500 via an online application process.

Check Out These Free Online Resources for Small Businesses
Not much in life is free, but “freemium” - a business model offering basic services for free while charging a premium for more advanced features - is exactly that, making it ideal for small firms on a budget. There are now hundreds of sites offering freemium business services. Our thanks to small business support website Donut for picking out five of the best.

TeenBiz: The UK's First Business Start Up Scheme
Aimed at teenagers aged 13-18 years
Launching 1st November, to coincide with Global Entrepreneurship week www.gew.org.uk.
From the 1st January 2012 every month two students* will receive up to £500 start up funding, a business mentor and a start up pack. It's called 'Business in a Box' which will give students items they need to do business for real; for example Companies House set up, business cards, a website, a stationary voucher, office space, USB sticks, logo design, legal advice and virtual PA service. Winners will also receive a Natwest Business Bank Account.
TeenBiz aims to provide talented entrepreneurs a step on the ladder and over the next 3 years we aim to help 100 new businesses.
* One student per month must be a social entrepreneur - a business which makes money whilst their work helps other people - and this award is called the Teenbiz Live UnLtd award.
Contact: (01924) 277343. Email: info@teenbiz.org.uk. www.teenbiz.org.uk/#

StartUp Britain (www.startupbritain.org)
A new National campaign to encourage more start ups and support existing businesses to grow. Launched this year, StartUp Britain is a national campaign to encourage enterprise. It seeks to help start-ups and support businesses wanting to grow, with links to useful resources and offers from leading brands. The campaign is being run by a team of 8 business owners and entrepreneurs, with strong backing from the government.

StartUp Saturdays 
Become your own boss! StartUp Saturday is a nationwide course designed to help you turn a passion, hobby or skill into a way of making a living. Classes are taking place across the country run by business support company Enterprise Nation and training provider CragRats. You can sign up for the 12 week course for just £100 - and get the StartUp Saturday Workbook for free! - or pop into a single class for £10. StartUp Saturday is a fun way to get your business idea going or even brush up on your business skills.

Think Horsham
The Horsham District is widely regarded as a vibrant and attractive place to live and work with an entrepreneurial culture. Check out these web pages for more details on why so many businesses are moving to the Horsham District and what help there is on offer.

Enterprise Nation (http://enterprisenation.com)
Enterprise Nation will help you start and grow a business. Sign up to benefit from daily content, a friendly marketplace and forums, books, eBooks and kits as well as weekly classes and national conferences. Enterprise Nation may also provide the money (called Fund 101) you need to get going and growing!

Enterprise Nation Teams up with Facebok to Help Support Small Businesses
Enterprise Nation has formed a partnership with social networking giant Facebook to support the UK’s small businesses. The partnership will be based around an ebook toolkit produced by Enterprise Nation which will help UK businesses use Facebook to engage with customers and grow their business. The news comes as Facebook reveals its £2.2 billion contribution to the UK economy and announces £4.2 million of advertising credits for UK small businesses. Enterprise Nation

Business Link (www.businesslink.gov.uk)
Businesses just getting started should look no further than Business Link, the official government support website for businesses of all sizes. This comprehensive website offers free business advice and support services through the new BIS Business Improvement Programme. 

Topics covered include all the important issues you will need to consider when starting a new business as well as advice and support on how to grow and develop the enterprise including the latest information on what grants may be available to you as well as networking opportunities with local businesses.

Become a registered user of the Business Link website and create and personalise your own print portfolio, allowing you to gather together a collection of guides relevant to your business enquiry, and save them in your very own 'online portfolio'.  A key guide you should look at first is called Are you ready to start up? which includes the following topics:

  • Introduction
  • The day-to-day reality check
  • The entrepreneurial quality check
  • The business skills check
  • The market research check
  • The financial commitment check
  • Find out if you have got what it takes
  • Here's how I decided I was ready to start up my business

Once you think you are ready to start up a new business Business Link offers advice on the following:

  • Starting a business when economic conditions are tough
  • Business start-up organiser
  • Prepare a business plan
  • Starting a business from home
  • Different approaches to starting your own business
  • Research and develop your business ideas
  • Business Advice Open Days
  • How do I survive until my business is off the ground?
  • Common mistakes when starting up - and how to avoid them
  • Starting a part-time business

Once you are in business the Business Link website also offers a wide range of advice to help maximise your business effectiveness and keep it growing.

Need More Information and Support?
Horsham District Council is committed to supporting local businesses. The Business Development service at Horsham District Council organises events to promote and support local businesses and works in partnership with a wide variety of organisations to ensure that Horsham businesses have all the appropriate specialist help they need to grow and prosper. Other Council departments also support businesses – organising initiatives to encourage recycling and conserve energy, and putting in place policies to maintain industrial land and buildings as well as affordable housing.

Please visit our other pages listed under Business Development for more information on topics such as New Business Opportunities, Property and Land, Food and Drink, Horsham Business Directory, Horsham District Profile, Locating to Horsham District, Selling to the Council and Support Organisations.