Starting up your business

There are several organisations in Brent that provide support and advice on how to start up a business or work for yourself. 

• Rebel Business School – Provides free training courses for Brent residents on how to start a business.
• Seeds Hub – Offers two annual training programme: a six-month Impact Start-Up and a three-month Impact Accelerator. Each program includes workshops, peer-to-peer sessions, one-on-one business advice meetings, and access to a desk within Seeds Hub's co-working space.

• Find an affordable workspace for your business in Brent

• Grow London Local - Runs an extensive range of programmes, webinars and events to help you start and grow your business.
• London Business Hub - Hosts an extensive range of guides, programmes, webinars and events to help you start and grow your business.
• Small Business Research + Enterprise Centre - Provides free practical business information for anyone starting, running or growing their business, both remotely and on site. There is a varied programme of free and low cost webinars on practical business topics.
• British Library (Business and IP Centre) - Get support to get your business started with their programme of workshops, webinars and one-to-one support sessions.
• SYOB - Download a free, easy to understand, information pack to help you start your own business.
• GOV.UK - Get help with writing a business plan to get your idea off the ground.
• Prince’s Trust – Works with 18–30-year-olds to start their own business through Enterprise training, mentoring, and funding.
• Enterprise Nation – Offers a range of online resources and events including their StartUp UK programme aimed to find a business idea and launch it.

You may be eligible for backed finance or support for your business and can choose which scheme would be right for you.

If you are thinking of a loan, you will need to consider if you are eligible, how much you need to borrow and the repayment terms. Government backed loans are designed to help businesses to grow. They can be easier to access and to repay.

If you are thinking of a grant, you also still need to check whether you are eligible as they often come with a criterion and may require you to submit evidence with your application. With grants, you won’t need to pay them back however there may be some requirements that you need to follow once you have received the grant.

Many start-ups may also use crowdfunding as another way to raise funding to launch and grow their new business. There are a range of different crowdfunding platforms that allows people to pledge money to support the ideas and projects they are interested in.

• Government-backed support and finance - Find government-backed support and finance for business.
• Start Up Loans - Government scheme providing funding and support for individuals looking to start or grow a business in the UK.
• Better Business Finance - Information about how to secure finance and the options available to you.
• Open4Community - government and other funding schemes available to community and voluntary organisations in Brent.
• Innovate UK – Runs funding competitions to help start-ups and businesses to test ideas and develop innovative ideas and services.
• Culture and Community Spaces at Risk resources – List of funding opportunities available to organisations and businesses in the creative, cultural and community sectors from City Hall and external organisations.