Member Article

Business start-up in the region on the rise

Over 70 new businesses have set-up in the North East after a group of successful entrepreneurs graduated from a business training and development scheme.

Managed by Entrust, one of the North East’s leading enterprise agencies, the New Entrepreneur Scholarship Programme (NES) is a four-month fast-track entrepreneurial training course for people wishing to start up their own business in the region.

NES is specially designed to break down the barriers to business start-up for budding entrepreneurs by offering expert training in business planning, market research, legal issues and key financial aspects including tax, VAT and book-keeping.

Speaking at the graduation ceremony Tony Sarginson, North East NES chairman, referred to the recent report prepared for the North East’s Regional Skills Partnership by Tyne and Wear Research Information.

Tony said: “Currently we have an exceptionally small number of businesses in the region and we need to invest in new business start-up to expand our economy. “The NES programme is addressing these issues by providing an important launch pad for the next generation of business leaders who will contribute to the future economic growth of the region.”

NES specifically aims to encourage successful entrepreneurial activity in deprived wards around the country to improve the quality of management in small businesses, improve business survival rates and to provide successful business role models.

To date, the scheme has helped over 500 would-be entrepreneurs in the North East to start their own companies. It offers individuals practical business-training, advice and ongoing mentoring support in the early years, combined with up to £1,500 in funding to help them get started.

To find out more about Entrust or the New Entrepreneur Scholarship Programme (NES) visit www.entrust.co.uk or telephone the NES team on: 0191 244 4000.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .