Self employment

If you want to set up your own business you'll need an original idea, hard work, determination and expert advice.

University of Nottingham support

 

Enterpriselab

The University of Nottingham's Enterpriselab, part of the Institute of Enterprise and Innovation (UNIEI), helps undergraduates and postgraduates learn about enterprise and build their entrepreneurial skills.

To arrange a meeting or an informal chat contact Dan Edge or Ann Vickers on 0115 846 6950. 

Nottingham Advantage Award

If you have an idea that you would like to turn into a business, you may be interested in taking the Student Venture Challenge, an accredited module offered by the Nottingham Advantage Award.

 

Advice and support for students and young entrepreneurs

 

• Entrepreneur First - a national graduate scheme for final year undergraduates interested in setting up their own business and graduates within two years of graduation.
• Emerge Social Venture Lab - a  fellowship programme for UK student entrepreneurs with early stage ideas  to provide solutions to societal problems
• Flying Start programme and Make it Happen are two initatives from the National Centre for Entrepreneurship in Education (NCEE) promotes self employment amongst students and graduates
• HMRC Self-employment e-learning resource - this online course covers all the essential students need to know and consider about financial issues e.g. taxation, NI, VAT etc
• The Prince's Trust ─ has a business programme open to people aged 18-30 offering support and low interest loans
• Shell Livewire ─ helps 16-30 year olds to start and develop their own business

Advice and support

 

• Business Link ─ offers practical advice including: advice on writing a business plan, entrepreneurship for people under 30, and downloadable booklets
• The British Franchise Association  ─ has resources to help you learn about franchising and runs low cost seminars for people thinking of buying a franchise
• CareerPlayer - watch an online video about setting up your own business and hear from those who have set up their own companies
• Every Woman ─ offers business support to female entrepreneurs
• Freelancing Matters - magazine of the professional body PCG - the voice of freelancing
• NESTA, the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts  ─ invests in young businesses to encourage development
• Nottingham Business Venture  ─ offers a twelve week training scholarship with financial support to help set up a business at the end of the training. They also offer events aimed at female entrepreneurs
• Prowess  ─ an association supporting women to start and develop their own business
• The Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB) ─ has information for blind or partially sighted people considering setting up their own business
• VentureNavigator  ─ a new and free service funded by the government to support entrepreneurs and small business start ups
• Women in Rural Enterprise  ─ aimed at rural female entrepreneurs
• Prospects - Self Employment - how and why to choose this route and some of the skills & planning required.

 

Social Enterprise

 

Social enterprises are businesses set up to tackle a social and/or environmental need. The profits are then used to further the social and environmental goals of the business. Social enterprises operates across a wide range of industries and sectors. For more information and support look at the Social Enterprise Coalition .