Business advice academy offers help to women out of work

Liverpool-based social enterprise, The Women’s Organisation, has launched a new programme that offers free support to out-of-work women in the Liverpool City Region who want to set up their own business.

The WO Business Academy is a four week programme offering up to 25 hours worth of support and advice. Individuals who enrol can benefit from self-development workshops, business training, and 1-2-1 mentoring with experienced business advisors.

The programme will cover a range of topics from business planning, managing finance to social media and marketing, as well as confidence building, public speaking and resilience. A portion of the learning will be delivered online, with face-to-face sessions also taking place at The Women’s Organisation’s headquarters at 54 St James Street, in the city’s burgeoning Baltic Triangle.

The programme has been designed to provide learning and development opportunities at no additional cost to the participants.

Head of Business Advice Plus at The Women’s Organisation, Sophia Kennedy, said: “The ever-intensifying cost-of-living crisis has put additional financial pressure on everybody, not least those who are out of work. Rising food, fuel and energy costs have forced many of us into a position where every pound and every penny counts.

“It has been so sad to see in recent months the impact this has had on our clients and service users – so we hope that the Business Academy might provide a small lifeline to some of those facing the most serious financial insecurity.

“We want to get the message out as far and as wide as possible so that as many women in the Liverpool City Region can benefit from the opportunities the programme provides. Our team is ready and eager to help.”

The Women’s Organisation is the largest developer and deliverer of training and support for women in the UK. It has supported more than 60,000 women and helped to create in excess of 4,000 businesses since its launch in 1996.