Business Start-Up Programme
The Business Start-Up Programme, delivered with WENTA, has been a real success, supporting 266 clients in our area with 1,123 hours of support through skills sessions and one-to-one advice. The programme supported 230 enterprises with 5 or more hours of tailored help, helped 51 aspiring entrepreneurs become business ready, and led to the creation of 44 new businesses and 62 new jobs, delivering clear economic benefits for our communities.
Pre-Start
After 35 years in local government, Tim Hodney took early redundancy to start a dog walking business in Leighton Buzzard. To build his knowledge, he joined the UKSPF-funded Business Start-Up Programme and received one-to-one support.
With guidance from his adviser, Tim developed a business plan, carried out market research, and learned the essentials of business registration, insurance, banking, and financial records.
He also strengthened his marketing skills through a content marketing webinar and follow-up support on website planning, social media, and local promotion.
Now preparing to launch, Tim has a website in progress, a clear marketing plan, and the confidence to move forward.
Bhups was my adviser and was excellent throughout the two initial calls we had. The first call was a general one about setting up a business. I have no experience of this at all and Bhups was very thorough but explained things in simple, understandable terms. The second was after reviewing my initial business plan. He did a great job reviewing it and gave clear and practical advice with zero sugar coating – which I appreciated a lot. Highly recommend Bhups and looking forward to staying in touch with him as I move forward.
Tim Hodney, Pre-Start
Encore Football
Mark Longman founded Encore Football to give players of all ages access to elite sports technology. Starting out, he faced financial pressures and the challenges of running a business alone.
Through Wenta’s UKSPF support, he accessed webinars and one-to-one advice. Early support covered essentials such as websites, banking, and accounting, later expanding to business planning, cashflow, social media, and funding applications.
Encore Football now delivers events and community programmes, with plans to expand across Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire and grow the team.
They helped me with the fundamentals to get started – things like websites, bank accounts and accounting. Once the business was more established, they provided fantastic support for preparing pitch decks and funding applications.
Mark Longman, Encore Football
Watch Mark talking about his experience (YouTube)
Clever Cotton – Educate With Threads
James Hutchison founded Clever Cotton – Educate With Threads to create clothing that encourages learning through everyday interactions. After initially balancing the business with full-time work, he pursued it fully following redundancy and joined the Business Start-Up Programme.
He accessed webinars on branding, marketing, e-commerce, and finance, alongside one-to-one support to help prioritise and plan effectively.
An SEO session boosted website traffic and revealed growing global interest. James is now preparing a rebrand and developing his social media presence.
Wenta encouraged me to think about important considerations in the right order. It’s given me confidence. They helped me structure my time whether it was a virtual webinar on a day off, one‑to‑one start‑up advice or a recorded webinar if I am really pushed for time.
James Hutchison, Clever Cotton – Educate With Threads