19 February 2020
Join the new Start Up Woking Business Club
From February 2020, new and small businesses based in Woking Borough can receive additional support, thanks to a collaboration between Woking Works and The Inspiration Space, which will deliver the new Start Up Woking Business Club.
Woking Works is a partnership between Woking Borough Council’s Business Liaison Team and a range of leading local businesses, organisations and independent advisors. It is joining forces with The Inspiration Space, a network that supports small businesses in Surrey, to create a new club specifically targeted at micro-businesses and start ups in Woking.
Building on the success to date of the Woking Works’ advisory programme for businesses in their first three years of trading, the new Start Up Woking Business Club will connect ambitious small business owners with high-quality business education, digital skills training, mentorship and connection to a vibrant entrepreneurial community, all which are critical to sustainable business growth.
According to the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), 70% of businesses that have access to mentorship and support, survive more than five years, which is double the rate of non-mentored businesses over the same period of time.
Cllr Kevin Davis, Woking Borough Council’s Portfolio Holder for Promoting the Local Economy, said: “We are delighted to be working with Liana Fricker and The Inspiration Space community, to provide additional support to the micro-enterprises and start ups that are fundamental to the wider economic landscape in Woking.
“Small businesses provide new jobs, innovation and creativity. But to reach their full potential, we recognise that they must also have access to training and a wider community of support.”
Liana Fricker, Founder of The Inspiration Space, said: “This exciting collaboration builds on the excellent resources that are already available, in order to deliver a supercharged boost to local business owners that have one goal in mind – achieving sustainable growth and making a profit, in a rapidly changing and increasingly competitive marketplace.”
The first Start Up Woking Business Club will take place on Friday 18 January 2019, with a round table event led by Rob May, MD of ramsac and Ambassador for Cybersecurity at the Institute of Directors. This will be followed by a networking event and start up showcase in collaboration with Woking Chamber of Commerce.
Full details on how to join the free Start Up Woking programme, and take advantage of its one-to-one business health checks, plus the complete programme of Business Club events, can be found online at www.wokingworks.com/business/startup
