Hundreds of entrepreneurs supported by Enterprise for Success scheme

More than 800 entrepreneurs across Greater Birmingham and Solihull have been assisted by business support programme Enterprise for Success during the past two years.

The programme has also directly supported more than 500 new and young businesses with their trading.

As part of its work to promote smaller businesses in the region, the programme will be also supporting Small Business Saturday tomorrow.

Enterprise for Success offers tailored support for those starting a new business or in their early days of trading, who are located across the Greater Birmingham & Solihull LEP (GBSLEP) area and have high growth potential.

This includes one-to-one personal advice sessions, expert workshops and events. The programme is part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund, and is supported by a range of partners including the GBSLEP Growth Hub.

Launched in 2010, Small Business Saturday encourages consumers to ‘shop local’ and highlights the importance of small businesses to local communities and the regional economy.

Saqib Bhatti, GBSLEP director for growing businesses and representing SMEs, said: “As the top regional hotspot for start-up businesses over the last few years and as the city of a thousand trades, Small Business Saturday is a great celebration of the things that have made our region the ideal place for small businesses to locate and thrive. It celebrates a heritage of trade that spans not just decades but centuries.

“Our Growth Hub offers support for entrepreneurs, start-ups and small businesses alike and we are delighted to be able to help them be as successful as they can be, in turn making Greater Birmingham the thriving economy it is today.”