Wokingham Borough Council and the Real Business Club offer help for new entrepreneurs

Wokingham Borough Council and the Real Business Club are offering help for new entrepreneurs through a project to help residents get their business ideas off the ground.

The project will see a series of roadshows and workshop held across the borough to offer help and support to people trying to develop their business ideas.

Isabel King, from the Real Business Club, said: “This is an exciting opportunity for Wokingham Borough residents who have often considered starting up a business but need that extra bit of help – the roadshows and workshops will help people develop where their future business opportunities lie.”

The roadshows will help people understand why new businesses fail and the pitfalls to avoid. A series of workshops are also planned where people can get free expert help and advice on a range of issues from producing a business plan to developing a sales and marketing strategy. Individual mentoring will also be provided to help people develop their ideas more fully if needed.

Josie Wragg, head of strategic partnerships, said: “This is fantastic news for budding entrepreneurs across the borough. Providing strong support to help people grow and create their business is absolutely critical in the current economic climate and is central to our economic growth strategy.”

The project will look to establish links with other organisations that can provide help, in particular with local banks and building societies that may be able to help with access to finance. It will also provide additional support to other initiatives such as the Business Academy which is being led by The Forest School to help young entrepreneurs.

If you have an idea for setting up a new business and would like to get more involved in this initiative then please contact Alison Munro, community partnership manager, on (0118) 974 6043. Alternatively, you can contact Isabel King at the Real Business Club on (01753) 526 020.