Your Council creating new earning opportunities for you

Turn your dream into reality

If you’re thinking of starting your own business, help is at hand from Hull City Council and its partners

Whether it’s a web page design business, a café or a call centre…if you’ve got an idea for starting your own business, read on.
You may have lost your job in the recession, or are simply keen to try out something new.
Whatever your circumstances, a new package of support is available to help you to start your own business.
Called the Hull Deal, the package includes everything from helping you to come up with an initial business idea to researching it, testing the market, applying for funding, launching and beyond.

Business Link

No matter what size, sector or stage of development a business is at, all participants in Hull Deal can receive free advice from Business Link, the government’s support service for businesses.
Business Link advisors will form one-to-one relationships with local business owners to help them reduce risks, avoid pitfalls and learn from the mistakes of others.
The service, which provides a wealth of information on its website, also includes free workshops and events throughout the year (for contact details see info box).

Reduced rent and rates

Hull Deal participants can also benefit from heavily subsidised rent and rates during an initial start-up period in offices, small starter workshops and industrial units run by Hull City Council.
These premises – called managed workspace centres – are located throughout the city and have no lease requirements.
“They can make ideal start-up bases, particularly in challenging economic times, and involve a no-nonsense, easy-in, easy-out monthly licence agreement,” says Paul Burnley, the council’s business programmes manager.

Loans and grants

Hull Deal participants can also receive loans and/or grants towards start-up costs from Hull City Council’s Acorn Fund (delivered on behalf of the council by the Hull and Humber Chamber of Commerce).
And if an application is unsuccessful, the Hull Deal can point people in the direction of other sources of funding.
“The process of applying for grants and loans is streamlined and straightforward in order to minimise delay,” adds Paul.
“In most cases, participants will receive decisions about their applications within a week of applying.”

Full package of support

Other support includes:

• help with recruitment and training of new staff
• help towards staff wage costs through the Local Work Guarantee Scheme (which pays £75 per week per employee for 36 weeks, if the employee was formerly claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance or Incapacity Benefit and if training is provided)
• access to training, higher skills opportunities and learning progression through the University of Hull, Hull College and other training providers
• access to expertise in areas like product development and consultancy, through the University of Hull
• links to global business with support from the World Trade Centre Hull & Humber.
  This gives expert advice and practical support to help your business and exploit overseas market opportunities
• access to events, including networking opportunities and workshops, on subjects including preparing tenders for public sector contracts

All under one roof

“A lot of what we’re doing involves simplifying and condensing existing information and assistance and making it more readily available to businesses,” says Mark Jones, head of regional development at Hull City Council.
“In addition, the council and its partners such as Yorkshire Forward and ONE HULL have substantially increased investment in the redevelopment of new businesses in Hull.
“And it’s about bringing together under one roof everything people need to know about starting and sustaining a business, so that they don’t have to go to lots of different organisations to get it.”

info

For more information call Hull City Council’s regional development section on 300300, call Business Link on 08456 048048, visit www.businesslinkyorkshire.co.uk or email info@businesslinkyorkshire.co.uk The partners involved in the Hull Deal include Hull City Council, Yorkshire Forward, Business Link Yorkshire and ONE HULL, a partnership of public and private sector organisations working together to create a better city.