Inspiring Women Programme

Please note following Covid-19 these Programmes will be delivered online.

Achieve Your Business Dreams with the

Inspiring Women Programme!

Inspiring Women is a business support programme specifically designed to help women in London start and establish their own businesses, as well as grow and sustain existing early stage businesses.

Support is provided through one to one sessions with experienced Advisers along with a range of business webinars and mentoring. All the services delivered under this scheme are FREE of charge as they are part funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

Find out below how you can access either:

1. A 3 month Inspiring Women Start Up Programme (not trading or registered).

2. The Inspiring Women Business Growth Programme (if you are already running an early stage business which has been registered for less than 42 months).

1. Thinking About Starting a Business?

Apply for the Inspiring Women Start Up Programme

If you have an idea for a business or a social enterprise and need dedicated help to get up and running - your can apply for our Inspiring Women Start Up Programme. This scheme offers a free package of support specifically designed to help women in London start their own business. It is delivered through a range webinars and access to our expert Business Adviser over a 3 month period. This includes help with:

Creating a vision for your business
Researching your market
Exploring your business model
Learning about the skills and mindset required to start your business
Understanding legal requirements
Peer mentoring with like-minded people curious about starting a business
Action planning on how to grow and sustain your business.

To Apply

To be eligible to apply for the next 3 month Inspiring Women Start Up Programme, you must be a woman and:

Be resident in a London borough
Be thinking of starting a business to be based in a London borough
Have a business idea, but not have already registered your business with HMRC or Companies House, or be trading. (If you have registered your business or are trading, you can still benefit from our Inspiring Women Business Growth Service for existing businesses, see 2. below)
Be able to commit to the 3 month period of the course - an average of around 10 hours a week.
Not already be receiving support through other programmes
Not have registered a business / run a business in the last 42 months (from the date of acceptance on this course

The next programme will commence in January 2021, the application form will be available to download here in November 2020.

To gain an overview of what's involved in starting a business, you may also be interested in attending our FREE Smarter Start Introduction to Starting a Business webinar

2. Running an Early Stage Business?

If you running an early stage business, which is under 42 months old and based in London, you can apply to receive dedicated support through our Inspiring Women Growth Programme, part funded by the European Regional Development Fund. The scheme includes a range of free support including expert one to one business advice and a range of Business Growth webinars (12 hours worth of support in total) - delivered online until further notice. Our experienced Advisers can help you:

Develop a business recovery and resilience strategy

Promote and market your business effectively: enhancing sales and developing a marketing strategy, including using social media effectively

Understand your finances: including help with financial forecasting, cash-flow, maximise your profit margin

Get to grips with environmental management including energy efficiency performance, policies and procedures

Develop and review your business model

Human resources: recruitment process, staffing policies and procedures

Are You Eligible?

To apply for the Inspiring Women: Business Growth Service, you must be a woman and:

Have a business which is registered with HMRC or Companies House less than 42 months old at the time of acceptance for Business Growth support under this programme
Be running your business from a London borough
Commit to receiving 12 hours business support (this can be made up of a mix of one to one advice sessions and business webinars).
Not already receiving support through other programmes

How to Register for Inspiring Women Business Growth Service

To make an appointment to speak with one of our Advisers for a business review to identify and agree an action plan for support email .

There is no deadline to apply for the Business Growth service, you can apply at anytime, however, there are limited places available until the end of the Inspiring Women Programme in December 2021.

This support provided under the Inspiring Women Business Growth Service

is free of charge as it is part funded by the European Regional Development Fund