Stimulating enterprise through coaching
The project aims to build an entrepreneurial culture in deprived communities where it is currently absent, which will require more people to become self employed and start their own businesses, in effect becoming trail blazers in their communities.
The project will equip those individuals who are identified as having the potential for self employment with the confidence and skills required to access mainstream business support, or other suitable progression routes that exist within the city into added value economic activity.
A number of Enterprise Coaches will achieve this by working within deprived and under-represented communities to target and find people who have the potential to start their own business and create new employment. To do this, the coaches will explore the motivation, resources, attitudes and ideas of the people with whom they work. They will work through existing networks and services in local communities. For example, they will utilise local libraries to get information out about their support and run sessions with community groups to speak directly to local people.
The coaches will have a good understanding of Business Link and other services and will support their clients as they start their journey into mainstream support. Once individuals are settled into this more in-depth support the coaches will facilitate the transition to the mainstream provision, the coaches will continue to work with the client to ensure that they have all of the support necessary to start up in business.
The Enterprise Coaching Programme is specifically targeted at individuals who are in the very early stages of thinking about self employment. Typically support can consist of:-
- 1:1 informal confidential business discussion sessions.
- Confidence building.
- Exploring your business idea.
- Looking at all of the other things you need to consider.
- Identifying the barriers and breaking them down.
- Signposting you on to all of the other business support services when you are ready to really begin working on your business.
Support can be delivered informally in the local community or at local venues. It can be on a 1:1 basis or to a group of local individuals.
In addition you can have access to your Enterprise Adviser via Email or telephone.
Contact Details:
Aftab Khan
Email: AKhan@birminghamchamber.org.uk
Tel: 0121 607 1834