FREE Start Your Business Workshops - Dates & More

This two-day course is the starting point for thinking about a business plan and marketing strategy in a friendly environment.

The thought of setting up a business can be frightening, whether it is worrying about tax and finances or the daunting task of writing a business plan. 

In this training session, our team will support you with:

Market research – the essential starting point for any business.

Marketing – how to get the word out about their business

Learning about the different social media tools available for business, blogging, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn – understanding which platform is best for their business

Building a social media strategy

Finance – business start-up finance, sales and cash flow forecasting

Understanding your customers and competitors

This course is completely FREE to residents of Greater Manchester who are not yet self-employed. We have a number of upcoming 2-day sessions in the following venues, running 9.30am - 4.30pm:

FULLY BOOKED - Pomegranate, The Lexicon, 10-12 Mount Street, Manchester - 11th & 12th March

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/93890945345

FULLY BOOKED - Confucius Institute, University of Manchester, Oxford Road - 20th & 27th March

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/91592308059

NatWest, 1 Hardman Boulevard, Manchester M3 3AQ - 22nd & 23rd April

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/93892445833

Booking is essential.

If you would like to speak to us, and find out more about this course, you can email us on hello@thewo.org.uk or ring us on 0161 327 0967

Natasha Whips Up Gluten-Free Goodness for Liverpool with The Gildergreen

Having lived a gluten-free lifestyle for five years, Natasha wanted to use her passion for baking to show people that eating gluten-free doesn’t have to compromise on taste and quality. 

Natasha inherited a love for baking cakes through her mum and grandparents, but a change in diet meant that she had to rethink how she prepared food and the ingredients she so often used: “I started to research the science behind gluten and what steps you had to take to recreate the properties. I experimented with my own flour mixes and eventually started to make delicious cakes again.”

Feeling unhappy in her office job and with the support of her family, Natasha decided that setting up a business was now or never.

The business-planning process made Natasha feel slightly overwhelmed, but after contacting The Women’s Organisation, Business Adviser Jo Mountfort helped to simplify the process and break it down into small tasks: “I started to feel really excited, motivated and believed that I really could do this.”

Jo helped Natasha to streamline her idea through regular meetings and access to training and courses: “Enterprise Hub has provided me with countless resources, spreadsheets and tools. Jo has been incredibly helpful, I come out of every meeting feeling empowered”.

Used to working in an office environment, Natasha considered herself a hard-worker and good at time-managing but worried about being the only person responsible for her own success – would she be as motivated under her own leadership?

But motivated, she was.

The Gildergreen is a gluten free bakery that sells fresh handmade cakes online and to local businesses. All cakes are made to order and catered to the customers vision, what Natasha believes is more special and unique than supermarket-bought treats.

Natasha told us it’s early days, but she is slowly and surely building up her social media presence and building the Gildergreen brand. She has several regular stockists including a space at Woolton Farmers Market and the university square farmers market who are keeping her busy. Natasha has most recently launched an online cake subscription service, sending out monthly letterbox-friendly selection of bakes alongside tea sourced from The Liverpool Tea Warehouse.

Now running her own business, Natasha is proud of the journey she’s taken to reach today and is relishing having the freedom to make her own decisions and work at her own pace.

And what does the future hold for Natasha? As the gluten-free industry continues to develop with variety, Natasha hopes to fly the flag for gluten-free treats across Merseyside and beyond.

She said: “I hope to have stalls at festivals and markets throughout the summer. Do come and have a taste of the Gildergreen bakes – even if you aren’t gluten free, you may be surprised!”

Natasha added: “The support from The Women’s Organisation has been invaluable and I don’t know what I would have done without it!”

If you'd like to try out Natasha's desserts, head to here website: www.thegildergreen.co.uk.

If you'd like to contact Natasha directly, email: info@thegildergreen.co.uk

You can also keep up with everything Gildergreen through Facebook or Instagram!

Are female-centric office spaces the key to addressing gender imbalance in business?

With International Women’s Day just around the corner CEO of The Women’s Organisation, Maggie O’Carroll, has spoken out about the need for more dedicated spaces for women in business.

It’s been well reported that women are more than half as likely to take the plunge into starting up a business as men. 

The Unilever Foundry’s global study into start up diversity has shown that only 17% of start-ups are founded by women. While finder.co.uk has found that the typical business owner on Companies House in the UK is 51, British and male.

Liverpool based charity The Women’s Organisation, which is dedicated to the economic development of women, has found that there is a growing need for more office spaces in the business community which buck the trend in this male-dominated landscape.

CEO Maggie O’Carroll is a firm believer in the power of female-centric spaces, like the charity’s international centre for women in business at 54 St James Street, which offer the community and networks critical to improving women’s economic participation.

CEO of The Women's Organisation, Maggie O'Carroll

She explains: “For many women the prospect of taking their young start-up into the physical business world can be exceptionally daunting. This next step in taking on office space requires an incredible level of conviction and assurance - not to mention monetary resources. That’s why spaces like 54 St James Street are essential to creating safe and supportive networks, where women can feel empowered and access further support to succeed in business.”

“Another fundamental barrier many female-led start-ups face as they begin their journey is the fact that they are working from home. The experience of many of our service-users is that this only serves to compound a common issue for women who typically find themselves as primary caregivers. This prevents them from making a clear distinction between home life and working life, often reducing their capacity to focus on their business.”

Since opening its doors in 2011, 54 St James Street has helped to create over 1,000 new businesses and created over 2,000 new jobs in the Liverpool City Region through the work of The Women’s Organisation and the Enterprise Hub programme which is funded by the European Regional Development Fund.

54 St James Street is an international hub for women in business

Councillor Gary Millar, Deputy Mayor of Liverpool & Cabinet Member for Business Economy & Skills, says: “Enabling female participation in the local economy is critical to addressing the gender imbalance we see in business and that’s exactly what facilities like 54 St James Street are doing by providing the support and space needed to succeed in business. To be among a group of likeminded entrepreneurs is important to any business person to feel inspired and supported.

“Without these spaces, we risk leaving behind a pool of un-tapped female potential and talent which would otherwise be a significant contributor to driving the economy on a local and national level.”

Tenant of 54 St James Street and Director of Every Cloud Associates, Kate Morris, says: “As women, I believe that we already have a natural and shared ability to network. We are relation-seeking beings with an emotional empathy like no other. 54 St James Street offers the perfect incubation space for this to take hold and flourish.

“The peer to peer support, working alongside other passionate, female entrepreneurs who are trying to do their ‘thing’ better is a key benefit of this community. It’s hugely empowering for women to see other women lead and achieve, grow and develop. It’s like a ‘rising tide’, we bring each other on.”

Every Cloud Associates office at 54 St James Street

If you would like to find out more about the facilities available for female-led businesses at 54 St James Street and how you can become part of the community, you can visit www.54stjamesstreet.com

Helping Katie to Get Her Word Out

With 18 years’ experience in marketing communications under her belt Katie Crozier decided it was about time to take the plunge and set up on her own, all with a little help from The Women's Organisation.

After leaving her full-time job, and a stint upcycling furniture, Get Your Word Out was born. Offering copy-writing and proof-reading services for marketing materials, from websites and blogs, to leaflets and brochures, Get Your Word Out is all about helping businesses to communicate with their clients more effectively.

Katie says: “I’m a big fan of plain English and getting to the point. No one has the time or inclination to read much these days, so what you have to say needs to be delivered quickly, clearly and authentically”. And this is the mantra on which her business is built.

“I would recommend that if you can, give yourself a good 6-12 months of planning your new business and networking with potential clients, while you’re in full time work, before making the leap.”

Katie soon approached the Enterprise Hub to find out what support was on offer and she was set up with our business advisor, Jo Mountfort, to help get her business off the ground. It wasn’t long until Katie was ready to take on Enterprise Hub’s range of courses, from social media training to help understanding tax and national insurance.

She says: “I had the works! I attended every course and met with a business advisor regularly and can heartily recommend it - it’s essential to have that support because quite unknowingly you can have some really silly ideas and indeed, miss the really obvious ones!”

To read this case study in full, head to the Enterprise Hub blog! 

If you would like to find out more about Get Your Word Out, you can visit www.getthewordout.uk  

Enterprise Hub is part funded by the European Regional Development Fund and offered FREE to residents of the Liverpool City Region. For more information on how to get support to start your business call 0151 706 8113 or email enterprisehub@thewo.org.uk

Jennifer Makes Interior Design Simple With The Mini Interior Design Company

Jennifer Kay launches The Mini Interior Design Company with the help of  Enterprise Hub

With a passion for interior design and 10 years’ experience of working in the merchandising industry, Jennifer Kay, the founder of The Mini Interior Design Company approached the enterprise hub to make her dream of starting her own interior design business a reality. The Mini interior Design Company offers a professional but quick, easy and inexpensive online Interior Design service with the main goal of providing beautiful room ideas to everyday people. 

Taking a leap into self-employment, Jennifer said “I have always loved Interior Design and liked the thought of being self-employed, whilst working my 9-5, I qualified as an Interior Designer and after having my son I decided I had to give it a go”

Studying and gaining her design degree from Liverpool Hope University then completing her interior design diploma online via The Interior Design Institute in London, Jennifer comments “I decided not to take the conventional interior designer approach. Instead, I wanted to offer an affordable, time-saving and convenient service for everyday people”

After designing rooms for family and friends, she decided it was time to create a real business out of it “I set up social media business pages and had a basic website created. I felt very excited about starting up, but I was also nervous and unsure about what to do next”

Always working for big organisations, Jennifer soon realised that being self-employed was very different and that she needed some guidance and an action plan “It is daunting because it’s just you trying to find your own way. I had been used to working in big offices full of people and departments that specialised in certain areas of business that I could turn to”

Jennifer approached The Women’s Organisation for business start up advice and guidance “The advice and support given by The Women’s Organisation has been invaluable to me” she also speaks of her business advisor Francine, “She was so helpful, and I really enjoyed our meetings” touching on many aspects of the business, Francine helped Jennifer create a thorough business plan along with lots of tips and advice.

Jennifer also speaks about the business courses she attended at The Women’s Organisation “They were extremely useful and always presented in a fun and engaging way, making them so enjoyable. Everyone I have met at The Women’s Organisation have been extremely down to earth and approachable. It’s been lovely networking with so many kinds of people, letting you pick extra help up along the way and exciting business ideas”

Running your own business along with living your life can sometimes be a tough act to juggle, when asked about managing that, Jennifer comments “I’m married with a two-year-old son, so I am conscious that I must separate work from family life. It is hard as there is always an email you want to look at outside working hours. You can manage your own time so core working hours can be around whatever suits you.”

...and how is the company doing now?
“I have now found that interest is growing, more enquiries are coming through and most importantly sales are increasing. I am really enjoying working through all the different aspects of my business. It is extremely rewarding to hear nice comments about what I am doing and there is nothing better than making a customer happy with a room idea I have designed especially for them.”

Jennifer enjoys putting her own stamp on things and working the way she wants, being who she wants allows her to enjoy every day. When asked what advice she would give a friend setting up their own business “Give The Women’s Organisation a call, you won’t regret it! This is advice I’ve already given to my friends who want to be self-employed”

Jennifer has started her hand at blog writing as she wishes to inspire and excite people in the world of interior design. “I will be showing my work and projects in more detail through this channel as well as talking about interior news, latest trends and advertising new products”

The Mini Intererior Design Company was recently featured in the Liverpool Business Post which you can read here! 

You can contact The Mini Interior Design Company on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest!

They also have a website and can be contacted with any queries on info@theminiinteriordesigncompany.com

If you have an idea for a business and would like to receive advice and support we can help you get started! Contact our team on enterprisehub@thewo.org.uk or 0151 706 8113.

“I Fulfilled My Dreams And Made Them A Reality” says Jackie Williams of Ballroom Blitz

Not many people can immediately frame a redundancy as a positive opportunity, but Jackie Williams can, and did! And that business is…Ballroom Blitz! In her own words; ‘Ballroom Blitz offers adult dance classes, socials and events across the Wirral and Liverpool’ and is Jackie’s dream of a lifetime to run!

Prior to starting her own business Jackie worked as a Global Quality Specialist for industry giant; Unilever for almost 20 years but had always danced and had a passion for dancing and everything that it encompasses. ‘For many years I have been joking about retiring onto a cruise ship to teach Ballroom and Latin dancing! So, when my dance school offered the opportunity to qualify as a teacher, I took it!’

Coincidentally this coincided with Unilever offering voluntary redundancy and Jackie saw this as the opportunity she was waiting for; ‘to go and fulfil my dream and make it a reality!’ She told us that she is usually someone who is risk averse so making this decision was huge as the thought of not having a regular income was new and scary. ‘I got around this fear by taking a small part time job, so I had a base income.’

Now that Jackie had her idea she knew it was time to go and get some support and advice; ‘At first, I wrote down all of my ideas and possible venues for the classes and researched the competition that was out there. I also took the opportunity to get in touch with The Women’s Organisation.’ Jackie was paired with Senior Business Adviser; Claire Pedersen who helped her with all aspects of her business start up process.

‘At the start of the process I was extremely nervous as I was stepping out into the unknown. But the thought of this turned to be worse than the reality.’ With the support of Claire, and the courses that Jackie was able to access at The Women’s Organisation, with some hard work and a bit of time…Ballroom Blitz was up and running!

One of the hardest things for Jackie was finding a venue for these classes though, and she says that it took a lot more effort and was more challenging than she originally anticipated. ‘Through talking to lots of people and google searching I found the venues I now use, but since starting in July 2017 I have changed 2 of the 3 initial venues with positive results, so I’d say to others be prepared to change and be flexible in business!’


One of these changes is super recent, and Jackie let us know that as of April 16th 2018, 3 out of 4 of her weekly classes will now be held at Pensby Boys School; 'truly giving Ballroom Blitz an identity and a home!' 

Starting initially with 3 nights a week the business has grown and progressed so much that Jackie now runs 4 evenings each week as well as having a number of private clients! She says one of the things that is unique about Ballroom Blitz is that; ‘It’s social! Through offering social Ballroom and Latin dance classes this makes me unique as usually there is lots of focus on medals and competitions. Whereas my passion and mission is to spread the joy of dancing for social pleasure.’

It’s great to see Jackie living out her dreams of dancing and teaching dancing as a full time job, and at The Women’s Organisation we were delighted to support her with this. When we asked Jackie how she felt about what she had achieved so far she told us; ‘Words cannot really describe how I feel! I am immensely proud and thankful. I feel truly blessed for all the support I have had and I’m excited about the future.’

‘This is the happiest I have been in all my life!’

And isn’t that amazing to hear!? If you want to find out more about Jackie’s business; Ballroom Blitz, you can do by following the contact links below…

www.ballroom-blitz.co.uk

jackie@ballroom-blitz.co.uk

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

And if you’d like to turn your dreams into a reality, like Jackie did, and start your own business or become self-employed, then get in touch with us! Call us on 0151 706 8111 or email hello@thewo.org.uk

'I Kind Of Always Knew This Is What I Wanted To Do But In A Very Different Way And On A Bigger Scale' - Lucia Krivosudska

Lucia Krivosudska's long work commute on the London tube, from East to West London, got her thinking. Twelve years living in the capital, working in retail management, but was it really what she wanted to do? 

She had taught children to dance in children’s centres in her home country and knew this is what she wanted to do - “but in a very different way and on a bigger scale”. 

Whilst living in London, Lucia started to do her research and soon concluded that children’s centres had a similar set-up, they all seemed to be doing the same thing. She wanted to give parents what they wanted, but felt she could offer something more than what was already out there. 

Fast forward some time and Lucia’s plans were put on hold when she had her first baby. This gave her the opportunity to start writing up potential activity plans for what she hoped would be her future business. She believes she was spurred on by the creative environment she lives in; her partner designs cartoon characters! 

When her baby was 5 months old, the family decided to move to Liverpool. Here, she began to visit children’s centres, this time as a parent herself. She still felt her business idea could offer something more. 

It was at one of her play centre visits that she first learnt about The Women's Organisation . Coincidentally, Lucia is a Liverpool Mutual Homes tenant, who are a strategic partner of Enterprise Hub, which The Women's Organisation delivers on! 

After feeling satisfied with her research, Lucia took the plunge and booked a meeting with a business adviser. She was assigned to Business Adviser, John Jones, who helped to book her on to relevant workshops and training courses.

She said: “I realised the set up of my business idea would be a challenge due to funding, it would cost a lot to set up. After considering my options, I realised that I couldn’t keep on waiting, it’s better to get things moving slowly than not moving at all.”

Encouraged by the advice she received, Lucia decided to set up Bumbleland, a children’s entertainment business, initially on a small scale with the intention to grow.

She said: “Our aim is become a well-known children’s organisation or club, with various creative activities under one roof. We want to be the place where every child’s story begins.”

Being your own boss, is a big plus point for Lucia, but finally becoming a business owner means a great deal more. She added: “For me, it’s about personal fulfilment. Owning and running your own business can be more satisfying than working for someone else.”

Lucia says the biggest barrier she has faced is the financial aspect. She admits that she has had to keep earning from other work. Now a mum-of-two, she has to make sure she can provide for her family whilst still getting funds to develop her business further. She is in the process of applying for a start-up loan.

How does she cope? She says it’s all about planning and prioritising – “Just keep moving, bit by bit, but moving”.

Lucia was helped by The Women’s Organisation, who can help women with advice and workshops, to enable them to start their own business. If you are a woman and would like more information on setting up a business, you can contact them on hello@thewo.org.uk / 0151 706 8111.

To learn more about Bumbleland, you can visit their Facebook page here. Or email info@bumbleland.org.

Women Gathered to Find Out How to 'Make Childcare Your Business'

On Thursday 1st December we held another brilliant session from our 'Make it Your Business' series, this time based on childcare – from independent childminder to nursery care. It was a perfect morning for anyone interested in childcare, whether considering a career change or currently studying 'Early Years’. As is our custom, refreshments started the day with pastry delicacies to get us motivated for the morning.  

Our guest speakers Saeeda & Sarah with Sabah from The WO

The event began with a brief introduction from Jo Austin, marketing and engagement coordinator, about The Women’s Organisation, the free services we provide to start-ups through the Enterprise Hub programme (part funded by European Regional Development Fund) and the support you can expect from us.

We were very lucky to have hosted Saeeda Aslam from 'Happy Children Nursery' and Sarah Higginson from ‘Liverpool City Council’, both experts in the field. First up Saeeda gave a brief introduction to the unique nursery she helped set up in L15. She shared her experiences, highlighting the challenges including managing turnover of staff and rewards of setting up a childcare business. Saeeda told us that childcare is a demanding yet a rewarding field as long as you are truly passionate.

Following this Sarah educated our attendees on the qualifications required and the legal aspects of setting up a childcare business. She also offered top tips of how to succeed in obtaining a registration from OFSTED. Reflecting on her own experience of running a nursery and then retraining in business to offer advice, Sarah advised that a good mix of knowing what you are doing in terms of childcare and building your business skills is a good mix if you are looking to go self-employed in this field.

Along with this, we held a question and answer session. This was a great opportunity for attendees to ask questions from our experts and find out a bit more. Thank you very much to both, our attendees really valued the tips you gave them!

After a quick break to grab another pastry, Sabah Shams, from the engagement team delivered the rest of the session. This included: a quick tour of the qualifications required to set up a business may that be childminding or nursery or after school club. Further, covering the legislation, insurance cover – basically everything you need to know! The most important message Sabah gave to our attendees was the significance of business planning and market research – as these really do determine the success of your business.

We had fantastic feedback and attendees thoroughly enjoyed the day. Below are some of the fabulous feedback we received:  

·        “Question answer sessions were really beneficial, really enjoyed the relaxed and informal session which was delivered in a professional friendly way. I have learnt really useful tips.”

·        “A really helpful session, coming away with more confidence and insight to setting up my own business.”

·        “So happy I attended this session today, made me think about lots of aspects of running a business.”

Do not worry if you missed out, we will be holding many other events next year – so be sure to keep an eye out!

An in the meantime if you would like to speak to one of our business advisers to look closely at your business idea on a one to one basis then contact The Women’s Organisation on 0151 706 8111 or drop a line to hello@thewo.org.uk

Business Psychologist and Coach Sarah Connell Proves That A Positive Attitude Can Be Life Changing

Sarah Connell is a Business Psychologist and Coach. In 2013 she founded MindingMe Psychologists with the support of The Women's Organisation.

After finishing her degree in Psychology, Sarah Connell was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) at the age of 22, a neurological condition affecting the nervous system.


















Before receiving the news, Sarah was considering doing a Masters degree and despite having doubts she decided that the condition was not going to get in her way. The following year she moved to Liverpool and completed her Master of Science (MSc) in Occupational Psychology.

At first her symptoms were limited, making it possible for her to take a full time consultancy job in Manchester. Unfortunately over the 5 years her symptoms progressed and although her employer was very supportive, Sarah began to question how much longer she could continue in full time employment.

‘My symptoms were getting worse and I was starting to feel anxious about the future. Would I be able to continue working in a full time job? One of the things it is important to ensure with MS is that you manage your symptoms by following a healthy lifestyle, which includes getting enough rest… I was finding it harder and that’s when I started to think about starting my own business.’

It was the flexibility that self-employment allows that appealed to her the most and although the idea was daunting, her friends and family were very supportive of the idea. However, she felt that she didn’t know where to start and needed more help.

By chance, the Liverpool resident came across a leaflet in LEAF on Bold Street about the services The Women’s Organisation can offer to women in Merseyside wanting to start up their own business.

‘It was scary at the start… It took me a long time to accept myself as a business woman. I felt like I needed to make more connections so contacted The Women’s Organisation. I thought that it looked exactly like the kind of thing I was looking for… They provided me with a business advisor who gave me lots of helpful advice. I also attended a number of helpful workshops about Tax and NI, marketing using a social media strategy etc.’

She continued: ‘At first I didn’t understand why a business plan was necessary but it helped to give me a structure, recognise and articulate my strengths and weaknesses and gave me a sense of being a proper business.’

Although Sarah considered her MS as a weakness at the start, she now feels that it has helped give her a different outlook on life…

‘Having a condition like MS is scary but I have overcome big barriers myself and that gives me the confidence to work with others doing the same thing. I am passionate about this and want to help other people to get the most out of their lives’

It was that confidence and optimism that allowed her to open MindingMe Psychologists as a Business Psychologist & Coach. Her unique selling point is that she has over 10 years’ experience working with high profile clients from the private, public and voluntary sectors, including NHS and Macmillan.

Sarah understands the psychology of coaching from a cognitive-behavioural perspective and applies a range of advanced coaching techniques to business, health, performance and life coaching. MindingMe offers clients an objective, supportive and non-judgemental way to help them overcome challenges and achieve their goals, which is completely tailored to the individual’s needs.

‘I work with people to help them reach their potential. I can help to improve their self-awareness, identify when their thinking is impacting on their performance and their ability to move forward in their lives, offering suggestions and strategies to help challenge any negative or unhelpful thinking.’

The most common issues MindingMe deal with include confidence building, overcoming procrastination, dealing with anxiety and stress, clarifying where people are going in their lives and their career.

The main message Sarah aims to get across is that ‘we are sometimes faced with big challenges in life that can feel overwhelming, but we don’t have to let them take over. We can take steps that will allow us to move forward in a positive way. People have the answers within themselves; I’m here to hold up a mirror to help find them.’

With these beliefs, MindingMe is currently going strong with a steady stream of clients and a very impressive 100% return rate. The long term aim is to grow the business further by opening up her own office and employing staff to help more people across Liverpool and the North West of England.

Sarah is a great example of what people can do when they work to keep a positive outlook and are open to the opportunities that arise from both positive and negative situations.


If you are looking to change an aspect of your life that you’re unhappy with, or would just like to find out more, you can visit http://www.mindingme.co.uk or contact Sarah directly at sarah@mindingme.co.uk or 07784 574 482.

And if you feel it's the right time to move forward with that idea you've had for a while, there is free support available from The Women's Organisation. Call 0151 706 8111 or email info@thewo.org.uk for more information.

By Beckie Kinsella