If there was ever a time to start your own business, then now is that time!
Vision Redbridge Culture & Leisure in collaboration with the London Borough of Redbridge launched the Enterprise Desk on Wednesday evening (7 October) and I went along to see what it was all about.
Impassioned Project Manager, Jane Leighton explained that over the next 9 months, this project aims to help new businesses to get off the ground and enable existing small businesses to grow by sharing experiences with other businesses and industry leaders through free events, workshops and networking opportunities.
In his speech launching the event, The Leader of the Council, Councillor Jas Athwal, spoke of his own entrepreneurial endeavours from his earlier years and what a struggle it had been without such support being available.
Keynote speaker for the evening was the inspirational Emma Jones MBE, Founder of Enterprise Nation which is the UK’s most active small business network. Emma had a positivity that was simply infectious, she spoke of the opportunities especially within councils who are now committed to use one third of their tendering spend within the new and small business community. Of the many other positive initiatives she covered, the reduced business rate relief scheme enabling new businesses to get a head start on the high street got me thinking about what I could do. Emma enthused about the joy of growing your idea from a seedling and seeing it through to fruition with the help of others that had enjoyed both success and failure and were willing to share their experiences.
I have a permanent job that I enjoy but even I started to get excited about the possibilities of starting up my own business. If I had a penny for every time my husband and I have said that we work hard and should put all that time and energy into doing something for ourselves, then I would already be a rich woman!
If this is you too, then why not visit the website or pop along to the Library to meet the team and see if their support and advice could be just what you need to start the ball rolling towards a new future!
If you just need a working space or access to on-line resources including COBRA (Complete Business Reference Advisor) you can also find this at the Enterprise Desk located on the 2nd floor of the Central Library.
Membership is free to Library card holders. So if you don’t have your library card yet, pop into the library and get one and start networking…. Let the Enterprise Desk help you to turn your good ideas into great businesses!
Find out more about the Redbridge Enterprise Desk
More information on Enterprise Nation
Cathy Pace
Do More 