South Lakeland business service helps young entrepreneurs

A business service in South Lakeland is helping young local entrepreneurs to succeed.

The programme, which is run by South Lakeland District Council (SLDC), focuses on helping businesses to grow by providing them with expert business advisors.

Opportunities

Since its launch, the service has created over 150 jobs and over 110 new businesses. A wide range of businesses have received support from the service and achieved success, including a gaming business and a clothing company.

Level 8 Games owner Ben Grenville Evans used the service to gain business education and expand his business and move to new premises. He received help in a number of areas, such as business planning, finances, marketing and health and safety.

Grenville Evans praised the service, stating that it was “really helpful” to have a business advisor to guide him through the process and talk through plans.

“There are always opportunities to improve, expand and develop your business in new ways but it’s not always easy to identify them, and that’s where a business advisor comes in,” he said.

Support

Kellie Bradburn-Sims, who delivers the service, said that the experience of working with South Lakeland District Council to provide business advice across the district has been “fantastic.”

The SLDC business advice programme was created in 2012 as part of the council’s aim to bring 1,000 new higher paid jobs to the district by 2025 and to promote the growth of businesses in the area.