Starting your own business

Having a business idea is the first step towards creating your own business.

Starting a business can be both challenging and exciting

There are lots of considerations even at the ideas stage towards creating your own business. It doesn’t matter what type of business you want to start – the same basic principles apply.

Download: Worcestershire Start up Guide and the Top 10 Tips

Taking action and researching your business idea will help you to maximise your chances of success. To discover some of the other considerations including why you should start your own business and advice on your business idea visit

Starting a business

You can also visit Worcestershire Growth Hub for well-informed information and signposting:

Worcestershire Growth Hub: Starting your business

Business Planning
Legal Structure of Businesses
Business Insurance
Regulatory Requirements
Market Research
Business Tax
Employing People
Importing and Exporting
Finance and Funding
Running a Business from Home
Premises
Graduate Start Ups
Start-up Checklist

TedTalks about people who have started their own business

Follow the link below to watch useful TedTalk about people who have started their own firms and how they found success and even failure. It is important to remember failure is part of a business becoming successful. Within the link there are numerous talkers who explain the different difficulties faced in starting a business and how they overcame them, as well as how they became successful.

TedTalks playlist for when you want to start a business

It is also important to have a reason for setting up a business. Without a reason a business is futile. Business’ aren’t always there to make a profit but having a clear idea on why you want to start a business, will help you in the long run.

Have you done all of your research and are ready to start your business plan?

Princes Trust provides a detailed guide on how to write the perfect plan, including tools and templates to support you

Prince's Trust Business Plan

Princes Trust also run an Enterprise programme, a free business programme for 18 to 30-year-olds which helps you turn big ideas into a business reality. The programme is packed with training from their team of experts to help you plan and test your ideas to ensure they're successful. As part of this, market research is key, to help you understand your target audience. The more you do, the easier it will be in the future to make decisions about your marketing strategy, pricing, budget and sales target. To find out more about the programme and the supporting tools offered by Princes Trust visit their website:

Prince's Trust Enterprise programme

Grants and Funding

There are a variety of grants and funding schemes that are available both throughout Worcestershire and Nation-wide in order to support you with starting up your business.

The following websites explain the different options available and how to
apply for the grants and funding.

Enterprising Worcestershire

The Enterprising Worcestershire programme is funded by Worcestershire County Council, the District Councils and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The Programme offers a variety of support to enable start-up and early stage enterprises to develop and prosper. From Start-up workshops to help you get your business off the ground to grants and early stage support that will help your business grow

Full eligibility criteria applies. For more information, and to check eligibility please contact Worcestershire Growth Hub on 01905 677888 or visit their website:

Worcestershire Growth Hub - Enterprising Worcestershire

You can also email info@business-central.co.uk to register your interest in participating.

Worcester Enterprise

The University of Worcester is a significant stakeholder and community anchor for business growth in Worcestershire. In line with the Universities ambitions in this area, they have developed the Worcester Enterprise brand.

Worcester Enterprise aims to involve, inform and inspire students and the wider community in Worcestershire about doing business. This could range from simply learning a little more about business if you have an interest in it; right through to receiving support and signposting to develop a business idea, access to business working space when you put your idea into practice and access to the appropriate support you might need, thereafter, to grow your business.

Worcester Enterprise’s offer includes:

A Co-Working and Business Incubation space for local pre start-ups, and micro enterprises.
An Enterprising Worcestershire Summer Start-up Bootcamp programme which take place every July. This is a free business start-up programme that is available for any resident in Worcestershire if they are looking to start a business.
An annual #Worcesterpreneur programme of events hosted by the University of Worcester, which aims to get students, local business start-ups and community members together to learn more about business and doing business effectively.
The Worcester Media lab. A student graphic design agency that undertakes commercial project work for business. worcestermedialab.com
A weekly business ideas clinic run by local Entrepreneurs attached to the University of Worcester. The clinic is available to anyone who is keen to receive support to develop a business idea in the local area.