Cool Ventures are excited to partner with Emerge Studios to bring to life something truly special: the Creative Business School. This new programme is available for Bath & North East Somerset and surrounding areas creative entrepreneurs.

Our mission is clear – to provide folk like you – Creative Practitioners, Freelancers, and Creative Entrepreneurs – with the inclusive support needed to kickstart your business dreams.

About the Creative Business School

We understand that venturing into something new can be daunting, especially when you’re forging your own path.

But fear not – we’re here for you every step of the way.

Our 12-week part-time programme is crafted with your busy lifestyle in mind. It will allow you to juggle your personal and professional commitments while immersing yourself in the thrilling world of entrepreneurship.

Picture it as a journey where we’ll dive deep into everything from your mindset and professional journey to your creative identity and values.

We’ll even break out the creative enterprise canvas to help you chart your ideas in a way that resonates with you.

What’s on offer

• We’ve curated a mix of workshops and co-working sessions to provide you with hands-on experience and plenty of support from your fellow creatives.
  
  
• In addition to the core sessions, you will have access to workshops to enhance your IT, numeracy, and bookkeeping skills, ensuring you have the necessary tools to succeed.
  

• An opportunity to pitch for a share of £1,000 Creative Business School Funding.

The schedule of the programme:

• 9th May 2024: Crafting Your Vision
• 23rd May 2024: Doing Your Market Research
• 6th June 2024: Understanding Money and Budget
• 20th June 2024: Using the Creative Business Canvas
• 4th July 2024: Pitching Prep and Confidence Building
• 18th July 2024: Pitch Sharing and a Chance to be awarded a share of £1,000 funding award. 

To take advantage of this amazing new programme you will need to be able to commit to attending all the sessions.

All the sessions will take place at the Emerge Studios, nestled within Bath Spa University’s Sion Hill Campus.

Location: Emerge Studios, Bath Spa University, Sion Hill Campus, Bath, BA1 5SF

Come join us, and together, let’s turn your creative idea into the business of your dreams! Secure your spot on Eventbrite.

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This programme will start with two engagement events which will provide an introduction to setting up a business in the UK. Both sessions will be translated into Cantonese. The events will also present a great opportunity to meet other entrepreneurs and find out about further support.

• Starting a Business in the UK Emersons Green – 20th April 10 am – 12 pm (Emersons Green Village Hall, BS16 7AP). Find out more and book a place.
• Starting a Business in the UK Stoke Gifford – 27th April 10 am – 12 pm (St Michaels Centre, BS34 8PD). Find out more and book a place.

Participants in this programme will also be able to attend a series of in-person workshops to help them plan, market and run their new businesses. Some of our experts will be available for more in-depth advice on key business topics.

Upcoming workshops:

• 12th May – Business Structure and Legal Requirements – St Michaels Centre
• 17th May – Business Structure and Legal Requirements – Emersons Green Village Hall
• 22nd June – ‘Ask the Expert’ Drop-in Clinic – Emersons Green Village Hall
• 26th June – ‘Ask the Expert’ Drop-in Clinic – St Michaels Centre

If you are a HKBN (O) visa holder based in South Gloucestershire and are interested in setting up a business in the UK or becoming self-employed, get in touch with us.

The programme is funded by the Hong Kong British National Overseas Hub (https://swcouncils.gov.uk/hong-kong-british-nationals-overseas-welcome-hub). It will finish end of June 2023.

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A timely new programme of business support called ‘Business Scale-up Programme’ has recently been launched to assist businesses in South Gloucestershire bounce back from the pandemic and build resilience. Funded by South Gloucestershire Council, the programme is delivered by business support consultancy, Cool Ventures, and offers small business owners free, one-to-one support to help their businesses get back on track after two tough years of trading.  

The Business Scale-up Programme provides up to 12 hours of specialist one-to-one support and is tailored to tackle the individual needs of the businesses taking part.  This programme allows small business owners to clarify their goals and challenges with a Cool Ventures consultant before working alongside one or more business experts who specialise in either strategy, finance, marketing or HR and can offer practical support or advice.

Cllr Toby Savage, Leader of South Gloucestershire Council with Cabinet responsibility for the Local Economy and Devolution, said: “Small businesses are vital to our local economy and we want to do all that we can to help them to thrive, so I am very pleased the council has been able to fund this personalised support.”

He went on to say, “I encourage any eligible businesses in the area to consider taking part in this beneficial programme. Having tailored 1:1 support and shared experience from experts specialising in either strategy, finance, marketing or HR is an excellent opportunity and will help to ensure that local companies have the skills they need for the future.”

To be eligible for this fully funded support, small businesses must be based within South Gloucestershire, have achieved a turnover of over £10,000 and have fewer than 49 employees.  If your business isn’t eligible for this programme, Cool Ventures, also offers other schemes via the South Gloucestershire Business Support Service https://coolventures.co.uk/south-gloucestershire-funded-support/.

Cool Ventures provides business support and coaching for businesses across the West of England and have helped over two thousand companies in South Gloucestershire and Bath and North East Somerset since 2017.

Sue Marchant, Managing Director at Cool Ventures based in Chipping Sodbury said: “The last two years have been exceptionally challenging for local businesses and we are hearing about the same issues again and again – recruitment and staff retention challenges, supply chain delays and rising costs.  The causes of these challenges are multi-faceted and include the impact of the pandemic on customer behaviour and spending patterns, rising inflation, post-Brexit changes to import and export activity, and the changing working environment.  This new programme, with its combination of specialist expertise, hands-on practical and targeted support differs from more general business support programmes and can help small businesses re-focus on their strengths to flourish, grow or return to their pre-pandemic form.”

Emma Doney, owner of Adorno Companions and Adorno Community Day Centre, a South Gloucestershire-based organisation supporting clients in later life said, “We decided to take advantage of this fully funded, intensive business advice programme because we needed help with our marketing strategy to enable us to grow and refine our services. Cool Ventures matched us with a marketing and branding expert Natasha Bye. Natasha was excellent in helping us to define our brand values and identify target audiences. We are halfway through the agreed support plan but I already have a much clearer understanding of who we are and what makes us stand out. I feel supported and enabled and look forward to moving my business forward.’’

To find out if your South Gloucestershire business is eligible for the Business Scale-up Programme visit:  

To find out about other funded business support in South Gloucestershire visit https://coolventures.co.uk/south-gloucestershire-funded-support/ 

To apply for these programmes or to hear about the support available in Bath and North East Somerset, contact Cool Ventures on E: info@coolventures.co.uk /T:08000 418293/ www.coolventures.co.uk  

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