BUSINESS SUPPORT PROGRAMME HELPS SALFORD'S SELF EMPLOYED THRIVE

An innovative pilot business support programme has added over £12.7m in business revenue to self-employed workers across Greater Manchester.

EnterprisingYou is a fully funded business support service that offers a mixture of workshops, coaching, health and wellbeing support to self-employed and gig economy workers across the region.

Since launch, EnterprisingYou has had a positive impact on over 3,000 participants and the wider Greater Manchester community it has supported, from boosting the local economy, driving business growth and empowering self-employed workers.

Following a 15-year career in local government, Salford-based Breige Cobane was craving something more creative. After trying out photography part-time she wanted to see if it would work for her as a full-time career and joined EnterprisingYou to achieve this.

Breige Cobane, Photographer and EnterprisingYou participant, said:

Quote

 

"EnterprisingYou then helped me to develop my business after a few months, particularly around sales and networking. These were areas I needed to be supported on but also pushed out of my comfort zone, which my coach did really well! Without those sessions I don't think I would have generated the income that I have.

"I've met several clients on the programme but also some fab friends and peers who have been a great support. Becoming self-employed means your work family changes quite a lot, and EnterprisingYou has really helped me set this up."

 

EnterprisingYou was launched in 2019 to combat the issues raised in a stark report in 2018 from the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB). The report found that despite the over 4 million-strong self-employed workforce contributing over £270 billion to the UK economy in 2017, they were often at the sharp end of the nation's fiscal and financial challenges.

 The programme works with self-employed Greater Manchester residents who have earnings of less than £27,000.

Yvonne Sampson - Head of Enterprise, GC Business Growth Hub, said:

Quote

 

"The UK has a proud tradition of self-employed workers. We just want to make sure that tradition continues.

"Many were already struggling, but the pandemic magnified those issues. Programmes like EnterprisingYou offer help and support and are designed in a way that people will eventually be able to stand on their own.

"We're really proud to have helped thousands of self-employed people in Greater Manchester to succeed."

 

Extended twice due to its success, the pilot programme was commissioned by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), with funding from the Department for Education (DfE).

Alongside the millions in revenue added by the self-employed, the Insight Report shows the programme's 3,000 participants saw a £663,246 reduction in benefits claimed and a £4.7m increase in businesses profitability.

With the impact of the 'cost-of-living crisis' continuing to be felt, programmes like EnterprisingYou are making a real difference to communities in the UK. If rolled out Nationally, the programme could add £136.7m to self-employed business revenues and increase self-employed business profits by at least £50.6m.

To celebrate three years of EnterprisingYou and its success, GC Business Growth Hub hosted at an event in Manchester's historic Midland Hotel which was attended by alumni, representatives from each Greater Manchester local authority, universities and all those involved in delivering EnterprisingYou.

The event looked at the important role EnterprisingYou played in unlocking opportunities for the Greater Manchester self-employed workforce, with talks led by Andy Burnham and the team that delivered the programme.

Find out more about the programme's impact: EnterprisingYou – Celebration event | Enterprising You (enterprising-you.co.uk)