Starting a business is exciting and will probably be one of the biggest decisions of your life – but how do you turn it into reality?
There are many steps involved, such as registering your business, choosing your business structure and creating a business plan. If you need help getting started, you can turn to us.
Free one-to-one business support
Our free business advisory service can help you with anything from starting a business and creating a business plan, to leasing commercial premises or marketing your goods or services.
Our advisers are experienced current or former business owners, so they have been in your shoes and are well placed to help you. All of our advice is free, impartial and confidential.
Find out more about our business advisory service.
Practical workshops
Our practical workshops are designed to provide you with the skills and information you need to start and grow your business. They’re full of handy tips and key information and are a great way to build your business skills.
Our workshops cover a range of business topics across seven key categories, and our delivered by presenters who are specialists in their field. If you are thinking about starting a business but are not sure where to begin, we recommend our free Starting a Business workshop.
See our upcoming workshop dates.
Free information and downloads to help you
Our website has a great range of free resources to help you. If you’ve just started on your journey to become a small business owner, you'll find the following particularly useful:
- 8 steps to starting a business – the process of starting a business broken down into eight easy to follow steps. This covers everything from making sure that you’re ready to start a business to creating a business plan and figuring out your finances.
- Turn your business idea into a career – if you’re looking to make the transition from paid employment to running your own business, our experienced advisers share their top four tips to help you make the change.
- Business templates, tools and guides – all our business templates are free to download (without having to provide personal information, like your name and email address) and cover key areas such as planning your finances, business planning and marketing.
- Free business research and industry reports - access market research information including IBISWorld industry reports that outline industry trends, market research and statistics to help you make better business decisions by contacting us.
Are you ready to turn to us?
To access any of our support services, call us on 133 140 or use our live chat
We are open from 8:30am to 4:30pm weekdays.
If you’d like to contact us out of hours, please leave us a message via live chat and one of our friendly advisers will get back to you.
