Leeds entrepreneur champions local startup support programme

A Leeds entrepreneur is urging others to pop down to the local library to get free support on how to start or grow a business.

Elena Rubiu set up her ceramics business after attending the Start-Up Leeds programme based at Horsforth Library last year.

The programme, which offers support to anyone with a business idea or a fledgling business of any kind, will be running again, with interactive workshops every week until September 5, this time at Armley Library. There are also plans to roll out the programme to other libraries in Leeds in the future.

Elena came to Leeds from Italy in 2019 with her partner, with plans to finish her Masters degree, but Covid meant they stayed longer than planned.

With the added pressure of caring for two toddlers, Elena took up ceramics to help with her mental health. When she realised her products were good enough to sell, she turned to Start-Up Leeds for support.

Start-Up Leeds features a series of workshops, one-to-one business champion support and access to business information and databases. It is run through the Leeds Libraries Service and delivered in partnership with AD:VENTURE, Leeds City Council and the Business & IP Centre (BIPC) Leeds.

Elena commented: “In Italy there is nothing as well organised. It’s very accessible and covers a lot of different topics and gives you good basic knowledge. I would not be where I am if I had not done that course. It gave me courage and confidence. Start-Up Leeds is a great resource; I’d recommend it to anybody.”

Elena now runs ceramic workshops for groups across Leeds, with a particular focus on mental health, which she delivers as Creative Nenna. She also sells her ceramics at craft fairs, under the name Nibaru Ceramics.

Start-Up Leeds runs over six weeks and offers a series of workshops covering topics including what makes a successful business, how to choose a business model, pricing of products, cash flow forecasting, tax, bookkeeping, and marketing.

Participants are also able to access business information and databases free of charge through the library, as well as one-to-one support and guidance on intellectual property issues.