Good Karma For Yoga Steve!

Steve Thomas has changed his life having set up a business as an advanced yoga practitioner and holistic therapist in St Helens.

After suffering for 17 years with chronic ill-health, during which time he almost died, Steve is on the road to recovery thanks to his yoga practice. Setting up his own business has allowed him to get back into work and share his healing lifestyle with others.

Having learned from Sivananda yoga masters, Steve wants to bring traditional yoga to the public.

Steve said: “Yoga is spiritual, putting you in a good place and back on the right path, especially if you are coming from a place of depression or stress. I was really in a bad way and I didn’t understand how my lifestyle could have made me unwell.”

Steve is a British School of Yoga qualified meditation teacher with over 7000 hours of practice under his belt. In addition he is qualified in massage therapy, psychology and stress management.

He added: “I got into yoga after meeting an instructor at my local gym and once I opened myself up to the practice I’ve never looked back. I felt emotionally and spiritually better and I could feel the positive change within me. I wanted to share this with others and soon began my yoga teacher training.”

Steve was referred to St Helens Chamber from by Local JobCentre Plus and was assigned a dedicated Business Coach to help him into self-employment.

Steve said: “My Business Coach at the Chamber, Steve Mather, has been incredibly helpful, I really value his constructive advice.

“Every step of the way Steve has supported me and made me feel like what I’m doing is worthwhile. He listened to me and believed in my idea – he gave me the confidence to push ahead with my business.”

Steve Mather, Start-up Business Coach at St Helens Chamber, said: “Steve is incredibly inspiring. He has used yoga to turn the life around and he is very passionate about sharing this with the world. We’re delighted to have supported him into self-employment and we’re excited to see how his business grows.”

St Helens Chamber is part of Enterprise Hub, the enterprise gateway for business start-up support in Merseyside.  Offering expert advice and support to anyone thinking about starting a business including help to:

• Understand the process of starting a business
• Research a business idea
• Build a comprehensive business plan
• Develop a marketing plan
• Create financial forecasts to understand the costs of running your  business and potential income
• Identify sources of finance to get started

Enterprise Hub is funded by the European Regional Development Fund. For more information about the support available email enterprisehub@thewo.org.uk or ring us on 0151 706 8113

Enterprise Hub Partner Wirral Chamber of Commerce Helps Robert Write The Recipe For Success

With many years’ experience in the hospitality industry and a drive and ambition to be his own boss it wasn’t going to be long before Rob Leatherbarrow set up on his own. Wirral based Rob wanted to set up a mobile catering business which offered a high standard of the region’s favourite street food. 

The offering is starting small ‘Wirral Wonder’ burgers and ‘Shack’ dogs are an easy and much loved staple on the menu however Rob believes in bespoke service and working with his clients. When catering for the launch of the Pacific Road Sheds he allowed Enterprise Hub partner; Wirral Chamber to edit the name to Shed Dawgs and added fresh tomatoes to turn the Wirral Wonder burgers red!

Rob’s business has grown from strength to strength which has enabled him to give up his position in a local restaurant and dedicate 100% of his time to the enterprise. The Enterprise Hub sparked Rob’s confidence and supported him with the marketing aspect of developing his business. He has learnt to ask for help and realises he needs to be relentless to achieve his goal of a national brand with at least five vans.

Speaking about the programme, Rob said “It’s a brilliant programme with excellent support from all the team. I have gained confidence in my business abilities, which has helped me to develop and move forward” 

Paula Basnett, CEO of Wirral Chamber of Commerce commented “It’s excellent to be able to support a business like Roberts Snack Shack, it highlights the significance of the Enterprise Hub on Wirral and is a great example of what we offer to entrepreneurs.”

Delighted to be fully in charge of his destiny Rob is looking forward to a busy summer period. Should you wish to experience the delicious gourmet Snack Shack burgers and hot dogs then get in touch with Rob on 07468 577 285 or take a look at his new website www.robertssnackshack.co.uk

June's Start Up Conference Was A Total Success!

Yesterday Enterprise Hub's Start-Up Conference proved to be a great success, as over 50 would-be entrepreneurs attending an informative morning at 54 St James Street, home to Enterprise Hub partner; The Women's Organisation.

Men and women packed out the room and were able to hear stories from individuals who had received support and advice from the Enterprise Hub programme, which helped them to set up their own businesses. 

They were also able to hear from Start-Up Direct, who were able to offer advice to attendees on how to access start-up loans and card services/payment options from the UK's leading payment provider.

As well as this, the men and women present were able to network with each other, talk about their business ideas and register for Enterprise Hub, so they could begin receiving support and advice!

It was fantastic to see so many people in the room who were looking to start a new chapter in their lives, and think about the possibility of self-employment and starting their own businesses.

Got A Blog? Top Five Beginners Blogging Tips...

It’s no big news that blogging is great for your business! It can drive traffic towards your website, help you build a relationship with your customers and clients and lets you share your news in an interesting and creative way.

Top Five Beginners Blogging Tips

Create a Blog Personality – Don’t formulate your posts. Let your voice shine through. Give your blog a personality.

Be Consistent – When starting out, try to post at least three times a week, preferably every other day. Even if you can’t post every other day, once a week is great!)

Keep It Simple – Don’t get caught up in the length of your posts. They don’t have to be long. They can be random thoughts or titbits of news regarding your industry. The key is to make them interesting

Allow Comments – You can moderate comments, but comments create the viral effect by allowing your readers to interact with you. You will also want to research and comment on relevant industry related blogs.

Focus On Your Title – Titles draw traffic. Be creative. Not only do they capture the attention of potential readers but those search engines love blog titles. A rule of thumb is to keep your title under ten words.

After Working In The Dental Health Sector For 12 Years, Katie Started her Own Business

Katie had worked in the Dental Health sector for 12 years, exploring all fields of dentistry. When Katie was unfortunately made redundant, ‘It pushed me to evaluate my life in every way.’ It encouraged Katie to the extent that she was able to start up her own business. ‘Happy Teeth is an Oral Health Education Services company providing training and education looking after our teeth. I provide education to schools, care homes and other healthcare settings to improve oral health in the local area.’

Prior to her business, Katie had worked 3 different jobs in the industry simultaneously at one point to make ends meet. Katie left school after her A levels with no idea of the career she wanted to pursue. She stumbled across an advertisement in the local paper. From this, Katie achieved her Level 2 and 3 Oral Health Qualifications, working as a Dental Nurse Assessor/Tutor delivering those qualifications. ‘I completed Level 4 PTTLLS teaching Qualifications and working in Management I completed a Level 5 qualification in Leadership and Management. I worked my way up from the bottom.’

Read Katie's full story here.

If like Katie you would like to access expert advice to start your own business, get in touch with the Enterprise Hub team on 0151 706 8113 or email us on enterprisehub@thewo.org.uk 

Experienced Journalist Catherine Jones Started Her Own Business As A Writer For Hire

Catherine Jones is a writer for hire within the arts, cultural, tourism and heritage sector. 

Prior to this, Catherine worked as a newspaper journalist for 25 years, ‘Most recently as the arts editor at the Liverpool Echo for eight years, and before that I was Capital of Culture Reporter, covering the build up to 2008 and the year itself.’ During this time, there was a restructuring within Catherine’s department at work. Due to this Catherine decided to seek new pastures and think about setting up  her own business, ‘I felt a mixture of sheer terror and elation – a combination which has continued!'

After deciding to take the plunge, Catherine spoke to friends who had followed a similar path. They suggested contacting Enterprise Hub partner; The Women’s Organisation. They set out to support Catherine and make those initial feelings of ‘terror and elation’ disappear. Catherine received guidance from Business Advisor, Jo Mountfort, to discuss her business idea and to set up a business plan. As well as this, Catherine also attended courses, such as Planning for Success and our financial course on Tax and National Insurance.

Read Catherine's full story here

If like Catherine you would like to access expert advice to start your business, contact the Enterprise Hub team on 0151 706 8113 or email enterprisehub@thewo.org.uk 

Enterprise Hub’s Business Start-Up Conference is back on the 22nd June!

If you have a business idea, why not come along to Enterprise Hub’s Start-Up Conference! This event is always a great success and informative afternoon for the attendees. The initial fear of wanting to start up can prevent you from taking the plunge. But learning about the fundamentals of a business in this event will provide you with both the information and confidence to become self-employed!

During this event, you will hear from several local business owners sharing tips on how they became self-employed. Another topic you will cover is Networking which is a vital aspect for your business, and this event allows you to network with others who are also considering starting up. As well as this, you will be informed of the free support on offer to help you to get your business off the ground through Enterprise Hub, Startup Direct and other local organisations.

This event is free to anyone living in the Liverpool City Region (Liverpool, Sefton, Knowsley, St Helens, Wirral or Halton), aged 16+ who is looking for support to start a business. We are holding the event at 54 St James Street, Liverpool, L1 0AB on Thursday 22nd June 2017, from 10am-1pm.

Previously, we have launched our event at Sefton, which was a successful day full of inspirational speakers and aspiring entrepreneurs. So, don't miss out on the chance to attend this free event.You can book your tickets here or contact 0151 706 8113 or enterprisehub@thewo.org.uk for more information.

This event is brought to you by Enterprise Hub, the Liverpool City Region Business Start-up Programme, part funded by European Regional Development Fund.