The thought of starting a business doesn’t have to be so daunting.
Last month we talked about why self-employment might be suitable for you – whether it’s the thought of becoming your own boss or having a more flexible lifestyle – it certainly has its advantages.
But going self-employed can be a scary thought, right? Thankfully, there’s support out there to make your business dream a reality.
Every year hundreds of budding entrepreneurs come to our advisers at the BIC to utilise our free start-up support – and from my experience – people often need reassurances to know their idea can work.
Having confidence is great when it comes to anything in life, but it’s especially important when going self-employed. You need to be sure about important matters like whether or not there’s a market for your product and what will happen after launching your business.
The first step of starting up is bringing your idea to the table and reaching out to professionals who can help you with business planning and advise you on how to attract customers to your product or service.
It’s good to talk. We’ll happily go through what you’ve planned – a lot of the time people just need someone to point them in the right direction.
And all advice is impartial. We’ve had so many diverse ideas from architects to gardeners – so whatever your plan is – we’d love to help.
The information provided can cover many topics such as knowing your competitors, legal matters and how to raise finances. There’s lots to learn about so don’t worry – nobody is expecting you to know everything!
If the time comes when you’re ready to launch your start-up, we’ll help you officially register as self-employed and you’ll be ready to venture into the business world with us supporting you every step of the way. You’ll be amazed at how many like-minded individuals will help you on your new journey.
So embrace the friendly and welcoming business community in the North East – there’s so many networking events going on around the region and at our centre, where you can make new connections and generate referrals. It’s also worth remembering that a lot of networking events are free so your finances won’t take a hit.
Additionally, there’s access to co-working environments like our business lounge. These shared spaces provide an ideal and cost-effective stepping stone for anyone that needs to get away from their home office to operate in a professional environment.
So if you want to go self-employed but you’re worrying about the pitfalls and have so many questions, just remember that there’s so much support out there.
Interested in starting-up? Please call 0191 516 6111 to arrange an appointment.