I recently had the pleasure of attending the Red Kite Strive Awards, the graduation day for a fantastic initiative that supports people to start a business.

Acting as a ‘Dragon’ alongside Jennie Ferrigno, Chair of Red Kite Community Housing and Andrew James, Manor Estates Groundcare, I met a number of people with brilliant business ideas and the passion for making the most of them. Red Kite did an amazing job sponsoring this initiative and have pledged £6,000 of funding to support the fledgling entrepreneurs.

The entrepreneurs themselves were very inspiring. I want to add to the congratulations I offered them on the day with another round of applause and a big ‘well done’ here. Some great new initiatives are taking shape and it seems the future of business in Buckinghamshire is bright. Buckinghamshire Business First has a dedicated start-up business support programme and we look forward to supporting the graduates to grow their businesses and thrive in the months and years to come.

Support networks complementing hard work

If there’s one thing likely to be daunting to even the hardiest soul, it’s starting a business. This event was yet another example of what can happen when those with passion and hard work find a support network. That’s why Buckinghamshire Business First, Red Kite Community Housing, Enterprise Cube and countless others, provide this support network.

Buckinghamshire routinely performs well for business start-up rates, and the latest data tells us that more than half of businesses that formed in 2011 were still trading in 2015, a four-year firm survival that is 9% above the national rate and the 2nd highest in the country. The county ranks in the top five in the country for three-year and five-year survival rates too.

Do Buckinghamshire’s businesses survive because they are run by a special kind of entrepreneur? Do they survive and thrive because of the support in place? A little of both, no doubt. And while business owners, whether those just starting out or those already established and looking to grow, are in need of support, Buckinghamshire Business First will continue to offer support encompassing face-to-face business advice, grant funding, skills training, networking events, and access to a 10,000-strong business community ready to not only buy and sell from one another, but also to promote and work with one another as one big business community.

We will also continue working with fantastic partners like Red Kite on initiatives like Strive, which support inspiring entrepreneurs ready to take the world by storm.

Are you looking for business support?

If you are a start-up or existing business looking to grow, get in touch with the Business Support team at Buckinghamshire Business First on 01494 927130, at BusinessSupport@bbf.uk.com, or go online and join our business support organisation for free. Membership is free and the support and access to great networks is priceless!