Flying Start Workshops
What are Flying Start Workshops?
Whether you’ve a side hustle idea, want to turn a hobby into an income or you’re ready to go into full-time self-employment, Flying Start is here to help you take that first step – with confidence.
Brought to you by the North East BIC, Flying Start is a monthly series of five FREE live, online workshops, designed for people in Sunderland who are curious about becoming their own boss.
We cover all the business basics in a supportive environment where you’ll meet others on the same journey and start building your business know-how and self-belief you need to make your ideas happen.
Workshop One:
How to start your own business
This first workshop Flying Start workshop is designed to give you a clear, realistic introduction to what being your own boss actually involves. It’s a relaxed session where you’ll explore the motivations, the fears, and the practical considerations of starting a business.
You’ll also learn how to identify if your idea is viable, what kind of support is available, and how to take your next step – even if you’re not sure what that looks like yet.
What you'll learn
- Whether self-employment is the right fit for you
- How to explore your idea and bring it to life
- What’s involved in starting a business – the good and the challenging
- Basics of budgeting, start-up costs and legal structures
- How to run a business from home
- How to use AI tools as a smart assistant for your early business tasks
Workshop Two:
How to create a winning business plan
Whether you’re hoping to secure finance, build credibility with customers and suppliers, or just gain clarity for yourself, a strong business plan is essential to getting off to a flying start.
In this second Flying Start workshop, we’ll show you how to take the fear out of planning and turn your idea into a practical plan that works.
After all, nobody knows your idea better than you – we’ll just show you how to structure it and bring it to life.
What you'll learn
- Understand the benefits of a concrete business plan
- Learn how to structure and write your plan with confidence
- See how to plan for the future and prepare for common challenges
- Discover the building blocks for a successful plan
- How to use AI as a helpful assistant to shape parts of your plan – and understand its limitations
Workshop Three:
How to manage your finances
In this informal session, we’ll cover the essential financial terms, tools, and techniques you need to manage your money and plan ahead with confidence.
Bringing you together with others on the same journey, this third Flying Start workshop will answer the big questions around what it costs to run a business, how much you need to earn to make it work and what HMRC expects from you.
We’ll also show how your financial forecasting links directly to your business plan and market research, helping you make smarter, better-informed decisions as you bring your idea to life.
What you'll learn
- Understand key financial terms and phrases every business owner should know
- Learn how AI tools can support financial planning – and why it’s essential to understand and validate the numbers yourself
- Know the importance of monitoring your finances from day one
- Discover options for external finance, such as loans and grants
- Gain clarity on HMRC requirements, including Tax and National Insurance contributions
- Explore the pricing process and why getting it right matters
Workshop Four:
How to secure your first customers
In this practical session, we’ll help you understand who your ideal customers are, where to find them, and how to reach them – even on a tight budget. You’ll also gain a clearer picture of your competitors and how to stand out from the crowd.
This fourth Flying Start workshop breaks down the fundamentals of marketing, market research, and branding to give you the tools to confidently start attracting the right people to your business.
Whether you’re planning to sell a product or offer a service, we’ll help you take the guesswork out of getting started.
What you'll learn
- Profile your target customers – what they want, where they are, and how they behave
- Understand the basics of market research – and why it matters
- Make the most of low cost and no-cost marketing tools
- Identify your unique selling point (USP) and build a compelling elevator pitch
- Develop your marketing strategy, brand identity and values
- Use AI to assist – and know where your own judgement needs to come in
Workshop Five:
How to use social media for business
If you’re starting a business, social media can be one of your most powerful tools – especially if you use it with purpose.
In this beginner-friendly session, we’ll walk you through the basics of social media marketing, so you can start building an audience, promoting your products or services, and creating content that connects with the people you want to reach.
You’ll learn how to plan, post, and promote in a way that feels doable – and discover how even minor interactions on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok can lead to meaningful results for your business.
What you'll learn
- Understand the purpose of social media marketing for small businesses
- Create a simple social media strategy that aligns with your business goals
- Identify and audit your audience, your competitors, and your own profiles
- Learn what kind of content to post, when to post it, and how to stay consistent
- Understand how to schedule posts, manage your profiles and create ads
- Use AI tools to help generate ideas – while staying in control of your brand voice
Who it’s for
This event is perfect for:
- People living in the Sunderland Local Authority Area
- Those with a business idea or curiosity about self-employment
- Anyone who hasn’t registered as self-employed with HMRC
- Learners who like to get answers to questions there and then
Meet your workshop hosts
You’ll be supported throughout by one of our experienced and friendly business advisers, who’ve all run their own businesses and know the reality of self-employment.
Hina Joshi
Helen Wardropper
John Forth
Ongoing Support
After learning the business basics from the Flying Start workshops, you’ll have the opportunity to book a free one-to-one session with a business adviser to dive deeper into your business idea and build a plan that suits your goals and circumstances. This is your gateway to everything else the BIC offers to help businesses get off the ground and grow.
You’ll also unlock free access to 44 Smarta online learning modules to explore topics including digital marketing, intellectual property, health and safety, and more. Dip in and out at your own pace to go deeper into topics that interest you most.
This series of workshops is supported by Enterprising Sunderland and is funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
