Have you ever toyed with the idea of starting your own business? Or maybe you already have a business idea but don’t know what your next steps should be?

As part of its role as the gateway to business start-up support in Liverpool City Region, Enterprise Hub are starting 2018 with their first Business Start-up Festival. 

The festival, starting on 22nd January and running for three weeks, is open to anyone with an interest in starting their own business or becoming self-employed. Our partners across Liverpool, Wirral, Sefton, St Helens, Halton and Knowsley, are hosting a number of events that aim to inspire you to be your own boss, as well as equip you with the right tools to succeed.

What to expect in week one…

Monday 22nd January

Event: Financial Planning with Alt Valley
Where: The Communiversity, Altrcross Road, L11 0BS
When: 9:30am – 12:30pm

Alt ValleyTrust established themselves in 1983 as an educational charity. Since then they’ve grown to offer all manner of support to the local community, including helping social enterprise. They kick off the Business Start Up Festival with a workshop providing tips on how to manage your finances and create your financial forecast.

For more details, contact: Kayleighclarke@altvalley.co.uk or 0151 546 5514

Event: Find Out About Franchising, drop in with Franchising Works
Where: Crosby Jobcentre Plus, Hougoumont Avenue, Waterloo, L22 0PB
When: 10am – 12pm

If you believe your business idea would benefit from being a franchise, you could attend our drop-in session at Crosby’s Jobcentre. 

For more details, contact: vicky.berry@franchisingworks.org

Tuesday 23rd January

Event: Bookkeeping and Finance Workshop with Wirral Chamber
Where: Pacific Sheds, 1 Pacific Road, Birkenhead, Wirral, CH41 1LJ
When: 9:30am

Wirral Chamber of Commerce is the fastest growing chamber in the UK. They centre around driving business growth and competitiveness, not only on a local stage, but an international stage too. This places them well in being able to offer expert advice on financing your business idea and keeping your books in order.  

For more details, contact:

Event: Planning for Success with The Women’s Organisation
Where: 54 St James Street, Liverpool, L1 0AB
When: 9:30am – 4pm

Exclusively for women, this workshop aims to help women who haven’t ventured into business yet, providing the essential information needed to plan your business.
For more details, contact: hello@thewo.org.uk or 0151 706 8111



Wednesday 24th January

Event: Enterprise Hub Business Start-up Conference Liverpool
Where: Liverpool Central Library, William Brown Street, L3 8EW

When: 10am-1pm


Have you got an idea for a business?

Want to create your own job?

Thinking of going self-employed but not sure how to get started?

At this free and informative event you will:

  • Hear from local business owners sharing tips on how they moved from idea to successful business
  • Be given opportunity to take part in group activities to understand the practicalities involved in self-employment.
  • Have chance to network with others who are considering starting a business and make key connections
  • Find out about the FREE support on offer to help you to get your business off the ground through Enterprise Hub, Liverpool Central Library and other local organisations.

Book onto this FREE event via eventbrite here.



Event: Business Planning with St Helens Chamber

Where: Liverpool Central Library, William Brown Street, L3 8EW
When: 12pm – 2:30pm

Get to grips with planning your business in Liverpool’s Central Library. Part of St Helens Chamber’s day to day work is helping business start-ups.

For more details, contact: connor.tutty@sthelenschamber.com or 01744 742096

Event: Enterprise Start Up Conference Liverpool
Where: Liverpool Central Library, William Brown Street, L3 8EW
When: 10am – 1pm

Liverpool Central Library remains a central hub of the festival on Wednesday, with one of the main festival conferences. The event will no doubt be a highlight of the festival with talks from local business owners on how they brought their business idea to life, opportunities to network with key contacts and information on where you can get free support and advice.

For more details, contact: enterprisehub@thewo.org.uk or 0151 706 8113

Event: Start-up Day Reloaded: Tony Schumacher in conversation with Mike Morris
Where: Liverpool Central Library, William Brown Street, L3 8EW
When: 1:30pm – 3pm

Aspiring novelists are invited to join a Q&A session with acclaimed writer Tony Schumacher. Mike Morris, Co-Director of Writing On The Wall, will host the session, delving further into how Tony got to where he is now and discussing his latest book An Army of One, which concludes the John Rossett trilogy.

For more details, contact: info@writingonthewall.org.uk or 0151 546 5514


Event: Start Up Lite Sessions with Alt Valley
Where: The Communiversity, Altcross Road, L11 0BS
When: 9:30am – 12.30pm

Our friends at the Alt Valley Trust joins the festival activities once again on Wednesday with this workshop which will provide essential information on starting your business.
For more details, contact: Kayleighclark@altvalley.co.uk or 0151 546 5514

Thursday 25th January

Event: Entrepreneurs Clinic Drop In with BIPC
Where: Liverpool Central Library, William Brown Street, L3 8EW
When:1pm – 4pm

Liverpool Central Library launched its Business and IP Centre in 2015; the service is based on the successful British Library model which provides access to free advice and support, giving people the opportunity to take advantage of free intellectual property and enhance their business expertise. Budding entrepreneurs can drop in on Thursday to utilise this service.

Friday 26th January

Event: Meet the Adviser Live Stream with Enterprise Hub
Where: Enterprise Hub Facebook – www.facebook.com/MerseyEntHub
When: 1pm – 2pm

If you can’t attend any of the events, tune in for advice from the comfort of your phone. Every Friday of the festival there will be a Facebook Live Q&A with a selection of Enterprise Hub business advisers. Send your questions in advance, post your questions on our page during the session or simply listen to some top tips. We will be hosting a live stream each Friday during the festival so look out for this in week 2 and week 3! 


Event: The Onion Drop in with Merseyside Expanding Horizons
Where: The Onion, 16 The Palatine, Bootle Strand Shopping Centre, L20 4SZ
When: 10am – 4pm  

Due to be repeated every Friday of the festival, Merseyside Expanding Horizons are skilled at bringing together voluntary, private and public sector agencies to encourage cross-sector working across a range of social projects. They have built a reputation as a ‘safe pair of hands’ for their work on numerous innovative projects on a local and national scale. The drop-in session will give you a chance to ask their representatives your questions.

Check out week 2 and week 3 by following the links!