Supporting entrepreneurs with free coaching and training

A Devon charity is marking the tenth anniversary of Small Business Saturday by encouraging small business owners to come forward and register for its free enterprise support programme.

Mark Brownbill, project manager and enterprise coach at Devon Communities Together, said: “The support offered from Devon Communities is designed to help people take their first steps into running a business and really helps give people that initial boost to the skills needed to take a professional approach.”

Last year, the number of registered companies in Devon rose to 60,022, up from 57,278 in 2020. The small business landscape is increasingly tough, yet, nationally, the 800,000 businesses started during 2020 and 2021 have the potential to add £20 billion to the UK economy.

Devon Communities Together supports hundreds of start-ups and small businesses through the Devon Social Enterprise Network and its New Start Devon programme, which receives funding from the European Regional Development Fund to provide free advice and coaching to start-ups and other micro-businesses.

Project manager Hannah Reynolds said: “The pandemic and uncertainty around jobs has, led to people looking at alternative career routes. Lots of us have ideas that have been brewing in the backs of our minds for a little while and lockdown gave some people the time and space to develop these ideas further and begin small businesses. The fall out from the pandemic and the current cost of living crisis has also created opportunities for community interest companies (CICs) and social enterprises that provides services to support people in their communities.

“Our New Start Devon programme provides a minimum of 12 hours’ completely free support to anyone who has an idea for an enterprise, or existing small business owners who aren’t sure about their next steps. We provide a mix of one-to-one coaching, an online ‘bootcamp’ and tailored workshops with experts to help people develop their ideas and businesses. We aim to create a really open, supportive environment where people can feel inspired and upskilled to achieve their goals.”

So far, since the programme started in 2019, more than 200 businesses and entrepreneurs have benefitted from New Start Devon programme.

To find out more about New Start Devon, visit https://devoncommunities.org.uk/projects/enterprise-coaching-new-start-devon. For an informal chat about whether you could be eligible for this free support, email Hannah Reynolds at hannah.reynolds@devoncommunities.org.uk or call 01392 248919.

Devon Communities Together also runs the Devon Social Enterprise Network, which counts over 240 of Devon’s social enterprises as its members. Social enterprises are commercial businesses that reinvest profit into doing something good for their local communities or further afield. For more information and to join the network, visit www.devoncommunities.org.uk/devon-social-enterprise-network.