Member Event: Activ8

Norfolk suffers from low rates of business start-ups, with just 9.24% of active businesses in the region resulting from an enterprising new-born (2009), in contrast to 9.9% for the East of England, and even more significantly, 10.1% for England as a whole. It is believed that this not only comes from the rural nature of Norfolk, but from a lack of business culture and understanding to follow up innovative new ideas.

With this in mind, Hethel Innovation is working in partnership with the Norwich Research Park to find ways to support and nurture local start-up enterprises in an effort to revive the flow of new business ideas and developments in the hope of creating companies which will benefit the county and the region as a whole. This venture in also involving the institutions of the Norfolk Network, with the UEA, John Innes Centre, New Anglia Capital and Norfolk County Council all on-board.

Created by a strong partnership of experts in business start-up support, incubation and entrepreneurship and delivered through expert business professionals, Activ8 offers a unique learning experience for anyone potentially wishing to start up a business through to those who have been trading for up to 5 years. With a mixture of real life experience, theoretical learning and individual mentoring support, delegates will be able to navigate a unique route through the programme and benefit from right support to match their circumstances.

With sessions delivered by business professionals who have ‘walked the walk’, delegates will be able to associate their current situations with the learning of session leaders, combined with inspirational stories, networking opportunities and mentoring support.

Activ8 will be running as a series of 8 business start-up master classes, running once a month, targeting and addressing the processes and difficulties involved with new born companies, from tales from the coalface of those who have been there, to finances and business networks. The program will run with a very hands on approach, with speakers from the business world supplemented by mentoring support, pitching opportunities and network development to really give those involved a chance to get their teeth in and tear off a piece of what their ideas need to be a success.

Activ8 will actively seek feedback from participants so that the whole program can develop to ensure it is really engaging the most important topics, and so that further support can be offered outside of the events.

Sessions covered are as follows: • So you want to start up a business? Tales from the coalface. • Starting-up – The what, when, where, who and how! • Your Business Offering – From idea generation to market ready products/services. • Make some noise through Branding & Marketing … on a budget • Fun with numbers-or everything you need to know from start-up finance to investment Pt 1 • Fun with numbers Pt 2. Raising finance & pitching for investment • The human factor – building your team. • Building lasting relationships – the joys of networking and collaborative working. • Your Start-up Toolkit

The programme begins with a Launch in September 2013 and runs once monthly on a Wednesday evening from 6.30 – 9pm. Most sessions will be held at the Chris Lamb Training Suite, John Innes Centre. Book your place via https://activ8.eventbrite.com

To find out more and become part of this exciting new opportunity to expand your start-up’s knowledge visit https://www.hethelcentre.com/events/info.php?refnum=101