Fit4Funding is our free business consultancy service that includes bespoke one-to-one consultancy, workshops on budgeting, forecasting and understanding different types of finance, and support on pitching for investment.

The service was launched in February 2018 as part of our ERDF-funded Growth Programme.

Businesses across Buckinghamshire have benefited from the advice and support available, including Princes Risborough-based creative agency Pinpep Media.

James Pinnegar is co-owner of Pinpep Media which specialises in PR photography and video. His career has included senior roles at Action Images, Thomson Reuters and Colorsport.

Following a takeover at his last firm, James found himself working for a well-known global agency but without a great deal of job satisfaction. Looking to rediscover his mojo, he teamed up with old friend and colleague Joe Pepler, and Pinpep Media was launched in July 2017.

"Access to some very knowledgeable people"

“I guess like so many start-ups, we didn’t have a business plan or a budget. We were just running on instinct,” said James. “I was looking for some guidance and discovered Buckinghamshire Business First’s Growth Programme and the Fit4Funding service, which looked really interesting.

“I went along to a seminar and I liked the way it was pitched: neither too basic nor too technical. I enrolled straight away and completed the programme within a couple of months. All in all, it was a total of about 12 hours access to some very knowledgeable people.”

James now has a detailed profit and loss account and cashflow report, both with projections, which has given him more confidence about the direction of Pinpep.

“Adam Stronach and Amandeep Dhillon at accountants Harwood Hutton, which is delivering the Fit4Funding service, have been incredibly supportive,” said James, “and with the key numbers now in place, I feel we have a greater strategic grip on what we’re doing and where we’re going.”

James expects first year turnover to be around £200,000 and has his eye on £1 million within the next five years.

Free workshop to help you raise business finance

We are holding a free workshop on September 28th for businesses with growth ambitions that will outline information on:

• business finance
• development finance
• the art of business planning and forecasting
• how to pitch for finance and win

Book your place on this event here.

More information on Fit4Funding

Call 01494 927130 or email BusinessSupport@bbf.uk.com for more information.

Read more detail, including some more testimonials, here: https://bbf.uk.com/news/want-to-raise-finance-look-no-further.