What government / third sector / private industry resources exist in the UK for those looking to establish a startup / SME / early stage?

[John Paulson]

I know that Y Combinator in the US offers www.startupschool.org for e.g.

The US Small Business Administration, also in the US, offers www.sba.gov/business-guide, which pretty much covers the FAQs that those seeking to establish a startup or small business or early-stage business might have, including step by step guides such as www.sba.gov/business-guide/10-steps-start-your-business

I believe in the UK, there are Multiply courses that help newly registered small business owners understand how to run the numbers for their respective business.

There is also, within the UK, www.startuploans.co.uk/support-and-guidance/business-guidance/staffing/skills-gap-analysis, www.british-business-bank.co.uk/business-guidance/guidance-articles/finance/business-loans etc

There is also helptogrow.campaign.gov.uk/, but not sure if it's still available under the incumbent government.

 

[ctrlbrk]

There is also UKBF.

 

[John Paulson]

There is also UKBF.

 

[John Paulson]

The following Google searches gave me promising results:

site:gov.uk free business training
site:gov.uk business training
skills for life business
site:gov.uk funding business
smallbusiness gov

 

[Mark T Jones]

There was a regional agency called Business Link, which initially offered both face-to-face (always variable), and a fairly credible advice-based website. They then downgraded it to a vastly inferior 'Noddy Goes To Business' website, before rolling it into .Gov- which is still a decent, if rather dry source of factual information

Circa 2010 I worked with the Government NEA scheme, delivering start up courses - specifically aimed at Job Seekers. That was merged into Start Up Loans and again, has become a bit more formulaic and target led

The challenge, always, is finding a balance between interesting and factual - sites like this one are far better placed to handle the human aspects than any Government agency

 

[John Paulson]

There was a regional agency called Business Link, which initially offered both face-to-face (always variable), and a fairly credible advice-based website. They then downgraded it to a vastly inferior 'Noddy Goes To Business' website, before rolling it into .Gov- which is still a decent, if rather dry source of factual information

Circa 2010 I worked with the Government NEA scheme, delivering start up courses - specifically aimed at Job Seekers. That was merged into Start Up Loans and again, has become a bit more formulaic and target led

The challenge, always, is finding a balance between interesting and factual - sites like this one are far better placed to handle the human aspects than any Government agency

Indeed, Mark. I was thinking not just in terms, I suppose, of the factual sides, but also in terms of knowing what targeted support and other entitlements you might appreciate as a new or experienced business owner.

If I may probe slightly, were the start-up courses well received by the course participants, or were these your perennial NEETs?

Did you have full responsibility for designing and delivering the startup courses for those on JSA, or were there frameworks to follow, did you have support in design and delivery etc?

I enjoy UKBF, much as I enjoy using other forums such as Bogleheads, Lemonfool, the ContractorUK forums etc. I always appreciate diversity of opinion, which is why I don't put all my eggs in one basket.

Also, on your point about factual vs interesting, I think there are some benefits even to reading, say, the Companies Act 2006 (I have a keen eye for legal texts), versus knowing how to find the right accountant for you on this forum for e.g.

 

[Mark T Jones]

Indeed, Mark. I was thinking not just in terms, I suppose, of the factual sides, but also in terms of knowing what targeted support and other entitlements you might appreciate as a new or experienced business owner.

If I may probe slightly, were the start-up courses well received by the course participants, or were these your perennial NEETs?

Did you have full responsibility for designing and delivering the startup courses for those on JSA, or were there frameworks to follow, did you have support in design and delivery etc?

I enjoy UKBF, much as I enjoy using other forums such as Bogleheads, Lemonfool, the ContractorUK forums etc. I always appreciate diversity of opinion, which is why I don't put all my eggs in one basket.

The courses were somewhat prescribed, but I was free to deliver in my own style, with many diversions and distractions.

Being Government-backed, there was always a strong emphasis on tax, reporting compliance etc.

Attendance was variable - it was mandatory; some went through the motions and made multiple excuses, others attended willingly and learned loads.

 

[ctrlbrk]

@Mark T Jones did you not offer training courses aimed at startups yourself, or am I misremembering?

 

[Mark T Jones]

@Mark T Jones did you not offer training courses aimed at startups yourself, or am I misremembering?

I did - mostly through Further Education (Effectively crippled by bureaucracy)

 

[John Paulson]

The courses were somewhat prescribed, but I was free to deliver in my own style, with many diversions and distractions.

Being Government-backed, there was always a strong emphasis on tax, reporting compliance etc.

Attendance was variable - it was mandatory; some went through the motions and made multiple excuses, others attended willingly and learned loads.

Awesome, thanks for sharing.

Any chance you have some session slides you can share?

 

[John Paulson]

I did - mostly through Further Education (Effectively crippled by bureaucracy)

I'm a young'un, but I've heard that there used to be loads of evening classes at local FE colleges where working people were released by their employers to get additional GCSEs or maybe even A-levels. I have an aunt who taught GCSE French.

Are you part of the generation that delivered these sorts of classes, and was it just a matter of funding drying up for delivery of such courses?

 

[Mark T Jones]

Awesome, thanks for sharing.

Any chance you have some session slides you can share?

I doubt it - it was a long time ago!

 

[Mark T Jones]

I'm a young'un, but I've heard that there used to be loads of evening classes at local FE colleges where working people were released by their employers to get additional GCSEs or maybe even A-levels. I have an aunt who taught GCSE French.

Are you part of the generation that delivered these sorts of classes, and was it just a matter of funding drying up for delivery of such courses?

My 'employers' were outside the State sector - they ran various paid courses,partly to generate income and partly to validate their charitable status (don't ask me, I've no idea)

Some wouldn't accept me because I'm not a qualified teacher. Which kind of highlights the problem- you can't teach running a business. You can train, guide, advise (to limited extent) and stimulate. Multiply that by 100 when it comes to most teachers trying to teach running a business. We actually looked into creating a formal course in 'entrepreneurship ' (ugh!) Which brought it home - teaching entrepreneurship is a total oxymoron.

Those I did run got excellent feedback, but the colleges struggled because there was a lack of process 'would you prefer interaction or process?'

99% 'interaction'. Sorry ,process wins

 

[John Paulson]

My 'employers' were outside the State sector - they ran various paid courses,partly to generate income and partly to validate their charitable status (don't ask me, I've no idea)

Some wouldn't accept me because I'm not a qualified teacher. Which kind of highlights the problem- you can't teach running a business. You can train, guide, advise (to limited extent) and stimulate. Multiply that by 100 when it comes to most teachers trying to teach running a business. We actually looked into creating a formal course in 'entrepreneurship ' (ugh!) Which brought it home - teaching entrepreneurship is a total oxymoron.

Those I did run got excellent feedback, but the colleges struggled because there was a lack of process 'would you prefer interaction or process?'

99% 'interaction'. Sorry ,process wins

Ah, were these courses run by the likes of corporate trainers, or CICs / non-profits / third sector players, maybe partly funded by government funding / grants?

I'm actually trying to find some courses to take that I can expense through the business, in the following:

Business Analysis
Systems Thinking
Design Thinking

But most of these courses in the UK seem to have gone online / virtual classroom since 2020, and I am a firm believer in interacting with your cohort.

Any recommendations on where to go about finding these in-person classroom based courses? Is it worth directly querying relevant university personnel, or is that a fool's errand?

 

[Mark T Jones]

Ah, were these courses run by the likes of corporate trainers, or CICs / non-profits / third sector players, maybe partly funded by government funding / grants?

Nope, paid by attendees

 

[fisicx]

It’s all gone online because that’s what people want. Costs far too much to travel and stay overnight these days. And even online it’s mostly prerecorded.

You are a bit of an outlier @John Paulson.

 

[John Paulson]

It’s all gone online because that’s what people want. Costs far too much to travel and stay overnight these days. And even online it’s mostly prerecorded.

You are a bit of an outlier @John Paulson.

I know, right?

Maybe it's worth finding interactive webinars instead, even on the likes of Zoom, what are the best places to find courses in the above (i.e. Business Analysis, Systems Thinking and Design Thinking) that won't break the bank?

 

[John Paulson]

https://findapprenticeshiptraining.apprenticeships.education.gov.uk/search might offer me some promising results.

 

[fisicx]

Your local adult education might be able to help. Or the Open University.

There are also bazillions of YouTube videos and online academies. But if you want really good education it’s not cheap. One provider I know doing business management training charges around £2500 per term.

 

[Paul Kelly ICHYB]

Nationally, there isn't anything. It has been farmed out to local government.

In London, for example, boroughs will have some form of support and the GLA offer separate advice.

 

[John Paulson]

I have been advised that https://www.systemspractice.org/courses offers some pre recorded and live online lectures on systems thinking, offered through SCIO, the UK industry body for systems thinking practitioners.

 

[fisicx]

Excellent! Sign up and let us know how you got on.

 

[John Paulson]

Excellent! Sign up and let us know how you got on.

I even found free high-quality courses, including free MBA training offered in partnership with London School of Economics and Political Science, @ https://www.santanderopenacademy.com/

 

[fisicx]

And have you signed for these free courses?

This is clearly very personal to you. Not sure these courses will be of much help to most members here.

 

[John Paulson]

And have you signed for these free courses?

This is clearly very personal to you. Not sure these courses will be of much help to most members here.

Yeah apologies, I made it somewhat personal, apologies. I'm doing one on Digital Transformation right now though, which could be useful to those seeking to implement such initiatives in their business in future.

Will let you know how the paid training goes though.