Enterprising Neath Port Talbot
Enterprising Neath Port Talbot
Neath Port Talbot Council’s Enterprise Club
continues to gain popularity with people looking for help to become
their own boss. Since launching the Club in 2011, over 300 people
have benefited from self-employment advice with a third of these
going on to start a business.
![Gemma Barrett Gemma Barrett set up Gemma's Plumbing and Heating Services with the support of Neath Port Talbot Council's Enterprise Club](/media/2880/gemma20barrett20photo.jpg)
The Club is held monthly at Sandfields
Business Centre and is open to anyone who is interested in becoming
self-employed. Held in an informal environment, attendees can speak
to a number of professionals about start-up grants, training
courses, marketing, business banking and accounting issues. They
also receive their own business start-up pack containing useful
contact details and websites, along with details of other
organisations that can offer further support.
Attendees are also provided with information
on the Council’s Innov8 grant of up to £1,000 that aims to help
with initial start-up costs such as marketing, stock and
overheads.
![Enterprise Club - Ceri Williams Enterprise Club - Ceri Williams](/media/2388/Ceri20Williams20120photo_s.jpg)
Successful start-ups receive ongoing support
from the Council’s Enterprise Development Officer including
business planning, commercial property search, mentoring and
identifying further funding opportunities.
Ceri Rees and Gemma Barrett attended the
Enterprise Club and are now running their own businesses.
Gemma set up Gemma's Plumbing & Heating
Services and Ceri runs his company CS Wales Ltd. from Sandfields
Business Centre, providing Health & Safety consultancy and
training services.
Ceri set up his business 'S C Cymru Cyf / C S
Wales Ltd' after accepting voluntary redundancy and moved to the
Centre in early 2014. S C Cymru primarily provides
bilingual health & safety consultancy and training services to
small and medium sized organisations. The business also provides a
Welsh language translation service and adult dyslexia assessment
and support.
He said: “I only found out about the
Centre when I attended one of the Enterprise Clubs. The help and
support I received gave me the confidence to set up my own
business. There are a lot of likeminded tenants in the Centre to
network with, and I have built business relationships with several
companies based at the Centre.”
“I can make use of the Centre’s
facilities, such as the conference rooms and communal areas to meet
with customers and suppliers. This has helped to maintain a
professional image of my business. It is also reassuring to know
that there is ongoing support available from the Council’s Business
Development Team located on-site.”
The entrepreneurial spirit at the
business centre has had quite a positive effect on Ceri.
Last month he turned his love of music into another business
opportunity. He now also provides mobile DJ services for parties,
events & celebrations, under the name of 'DJ Moylsey’.
Gemma said: “I first signed up with the
Enterprise Club when I was made redundant from my job as a safe gas
engineer. I was interested in becoming a self-employed plumber but
wasn’t sure where to start. The Club helped me with things like
business planning and cash flow and profit & loss
projections.”
“Within a few months of attending the
Enterprise Club and with the help of the Council’s Innov8 start-up
grant I was able to set up my own plumbing and heating business. It
has become so successful that I am now looking to take on an
apprentice through the Jobs Growth Wales scheme.”
Interested
in starting your own business? Contact Kevin Lugg on 01639
765695 or k.lugg@npt.gov.uk to book a
place at one of the clubs.