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Young entrepreneurs showcase their businesses at exhibition

Young entrepreneurs are proving that business is alive and kicking in the West End of Newcastle as they showcased their talents and ideas at a ‘pop-up’ business exhibition today.

On Thursday May 30, at the Beacon, on Westgate Road, budding young business people used the bustling market environment to show their ideas and test trading.

Organised and funded by Reviving the Heart of the West End (RHWE) along with Solar Learning and Enterprising Newcastle, people with business ambitions were invited to see the early success of start-ups on the Business Sparks programme.

Business Sparks is a six-month programme and supports young people, aged between 16 and 24, to turn an idea, hobby or talent into a viable business.

Craig’s story

One of the programme’s biggest success stories is Craig Cheel, who turned his talent of freerunning, into a business.

Craig, who is a self-taught freerunner, hosts regular training sessions as well as workshops in schools, events and community centres.

The 19 year-old, from Fenham, hopes that his business will eventually turn into a full-time job and is looking for ways to expand and develop the business.

He said: “When setting up my business I needed all the help I could get, support from friends and family, and any business advice available.

“I just needed someone to give me the chance to perform and teach to show that I could deliver this product.

“The hardest part in my opinion is understanding all of the banking and tax systems, and trying to work out exactly what it is you are trying to achieve and how you are going to do it.

“My favourite part is that I can work in my own time I have nobody pushing me –I can make decisions and move forward in my own time.”

Young people on the programme have access to a range of support including, business planning workshops, one-on-one advice, seminars led by local business owners and the chance to apply for an enterprise award.

RHWE’s development officer Hannah Morrow said: “The idea was to create a bit of an enterprise zone and we wanted the stall holders to have a good experience and see if there’s interest in what they’re doing.

“Entrepreneurialism is a bit of a buzz word at the moment and everyone seems to be offering support schemes. But we looked at this issue two years ago and a lot of the support for young people seemed to be school-based or quite intensive.

“We saw a gap in the market that offered something flexible for 16 to 24-year-olds.”

More than 200 people took part in the Business Sparks test-trading event on Thursday.

Representatives from FIN business support, PNE Enterprise and Newcastle Enterprise Club will be available to help visitors and guests.

This was an ideal event for those recently made redundant; those who want to turn a job into a business and / or have a hobby they think could be more.

For more info, please call Hannah Morrow, RHWE, on 0191 226 7300 or email hannah.morrow@rhwe.org

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Business Sparks .