MyLifeMix 2021 – Free Business Start-Up Course for Women

***MYLIFEMIX 2021 IS NOW CLOSED***

The award-winning Portobello Business Centre with business advisor Elsa Caleb and supported by Kensington + Chelsea Foundation are delighted to bring you the ‘MyLifeMix 2021’ Programme. This comprehensive 9-week programme will take you from having the seed of a business idea through to getting your business up-and-running.

This course is fully-funded for women who live in RBKC and have not yet started a business nor registered as self-employed. We are particularly interested in applications from women with caring responsibilities. An £80 refundable deposit is required, more information in the COST section below. 

These courses for budding women entrepreneurs of any age deliver not just business skills, but structured support through a process of thinking through the complex issues around balancing other weighty responsibilities while running a business.

The courses run during school hours, during term-time only, to enable women with children to drop them off and to collect them from school. In addition to providing a sound grasp of basic disciplines such as marketing and finance, the courses will:

• boost confidence
• support each woman to define success on her own terms
• enable her to see her life as a whole
• build a business that has each woman’s own unique priorities embedded in the foundation as she moves forward. 

This is a chance to learn what is involved and to see for yourself just how easy it can be to set-up and run your own business. So, if you have a business idea, a hobby you would like to make money from, or are simply wondering if you have got what it takes, then this course is for you. In the company of like-minded women you will have a lot of fun and explore topics such as:

• What is an entrepreneur?
• Why choose self-employment?
• What are the skills and qualities of an entrepreneur?
• Work-life balance and your vision of your future
• Business plans. What are they and who are they for?
• You as your best marketing resource
• Managing paperwork and your finances

To register, please complete the online registration form by clicking the button below; an invoice for the refundable £80 deposit will follow:

Places on this course are limited. While we do our best to accommodate all interested residents, your registration does not guarantee that a place is confirmed – see the COST section for more details.

DATES: the Programme runs one day a week over a 9-week period starting on Tuesday 28th September 2021. There is no session during half-term week.

LOCATION: Canalside House, 383 Ladbroke Grove, London W10 5AA and online via Zoom – see the daily agenda below. Please ensure you have a device with access to the Zoom platform for the online sessions.

COST: this course is provided without charge for women who live in RBKC and who have not yet started a small business nor registered as self-employed. An £80 refundable deposit is required, an invoice will be issued to each attendee by the PBC team.

Refunds will be made after attendance and completion of the ENTIRE 9-week course, along with completed paperwork and / or a statement of circumstance.

Due to high demand, places on this course will be offered on a strict first-come, first-served basis. PAYMENT OF THE REFUNDABLE £80 DEPOSIT IS REQUIRED BEFORE WE CONFIRM YOUR PLACE ON THE COURSE. A short pre-course interview with our Business Advisor Maria Stammers will also be arranged in order to ensure that each attendee gets the most out of this programme.

AGENDA:

Week 1 – 28th September 2021 – The Basics for Starting Your Business (at Canalside House)

Elsa Caleb

• Personal journal
• Reflect on the reasons for starting a business
• Identify the advantages and commitments of running a business
• Identify personal development needs (SWOT analysis)
• Review skills
• Understand how to develop a business idea
• Review products and services
• Business values and what that means
• COVID 19 – adjustments. Things to consider
• Feedback form

Week 2 – 5th October 2021 – The Business Plan (at Canalside House)

Elsa Caleb

Writing an effective Business Plan. Choosing the correct legal status for your business:

• Sole Trader
• Partnership
• Limited Partnership
• Limited Company by Shares & Limited by Guarantee
• Community Interest Company
• Social Enterprise

MyLifeMix Business Wheel

Vision and Mission Statements

Feedback form

Week 3 – 12th October 2021 – The Market & Market Research (online via Zoom)

Elsa Caleb & Nina Risoli

• What is market research?
• Understanding the market for your business
• How to develop business contacts
• How to build relationships with your customers
• How do you present your business?
• How do you promote your business?
• How do you manage your time?
• Feedback form

Week 4 – 19th October 2021 – Understanding Personal Survival Budget, Sales Forecast, and Cashflow Forecast (online via Zoom) 

Elsa Caleb. Guest speaker Helen Erhabor

• Personal Survival Budget
• Understanding income and expenditure
• Setting sales targets
• Completing a Sales Forecast
• Completing a Cashflow Forecast
• Understanding profit and loss
• Feedback form

***HALF-TERM HOLIDAYS – NO SESSION***

Week 5 – 2nd November 2021 – Understanding Finance & HMRC (online via Zoom) 

Elsa Caleb & Hasit Dedhia

• When do I have to register with HMRC?
• How much will my National Insurance Contributions be and how will they be paid?
• When and how do I pay my taxes?
• What counts as a business expense?
• Can you explain how using things such as my car for both work and personal use works?
• How much does it cost to have an accountant do my tax return for me?
• Is there a software you could provide to your customers to enable them to keep records that make self-assessment easy?
• Grants and loans – criteria
• Feedback form

Week 6 – 9th November 2021 – Marketing & Branding (online via Zoom) 

Elsa Caleb & Carole Pyke

• Personal branding
• Storyboard
• Values
• Introduction to marketing
• The importance of marketing
• Feedback form

Week 7 – 18th November 2021 – Understanding the Benefits of Social Media, Having a Website & Trading Online (online via Zoom) 

Elsa Caleb & Julian Holden

Website:

• What is a domain / hosting / website builder and what is the difference?
• How to get started with WordPress
• Picking a theme
• Setting-up pages
• Building a menu structure
• How to create a form to collect leads
• Adding social integration
• Very basic search engine optimisation
• Testing
• Next steps

Social Media:

• What does social media offer your business
• What channels are right for you?
• Setting-up accounts
• Keeping a consistent tone and branding for your business
• Social media post structure – statement, hashtag, call-to-action, image
• How to react to negative comments
• Scheduling and time-saving tips
• Engagement
• Feedback form

E-commerce:

• Trading online
• Areas to consider when setting up
• Google Maps
• Google Analytics
• Cyber Policy

Zoom & Microsoft Teams:

• How to use the platforms that are available
• The benefits of using these platforms for your business
• Equipment required
• Protocol

Week 8 – 23rd November 2021 – Presentations Day (online via Zoom)

• Presentations
• Next steps

This course is fully-funded for women who live in RBKC and have not yet started a business nor registered as self-employed. We are particularly interested in applications from women with caring responsibilities. Please visit our Projects page for more information or contact gina@pbc.co.uk.