GRADUATE ENTERPRISE

Our graduate programme aims to support and stimulate entrepreneurial activity amongst Liverpool’s growing student and graduate population many of whom are potential future entrepreneurs and we have many years experience helping graduates to turn their ideas into a business.

We operate as an independent not for profit organisation but work in partnership with the enterprise teams of the City’s universities (Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool Hope University, The University of Liverpool and LIPA) to provide a range of high quality business support services that benefit the regions students and graduates by helping them to start, survive and grow their businesses, helping to improve graduate retention levels and contributing significantly to the City’s future prosperity and economic growth.

We have undertaken extensive research which shows that graduate entreprenures face a number of barriers to starting a business with finance cited by many as the principal barrier due to mounting student debts and limited access to finance but additionally many suffer from self efficacy issues and a lack of work experience and subsequently struggle to develop a good business proposition often feeling that they do not have adequate skills, confidence and market knowledge to succeed……we are here to help you overcome such barriers!

Our enterprise programmes do not take a “one size fits all approach” but are tailored specifically to your individual and business needs!

Our programme participants benefit from FREE and confidential business support, advice and guidance to help turn their ideas into a successful business and once you have started we continue to support you to help you survive and grow through the often difficult early stages of developing your business. All our support is delivered by a team of accredited advisers, all of whom have experience of running their own successful businesses and will therefore have empathy with you and the issues you face in starting and developing your business.

Our services include:

• Assistance to research and test the viability of your idea via preparation of a business plan;
• Help to access funding for your idea including grants and loans;
• Help with financial management and preparing financial forecasts;
• Assistance to develop marketing strategies and plans;
• Advice and guidance on operational issues such as HR issues, legal etc;
• Help for existing businesses to improve performance;
• High growth coaching;
• Ongoing business mentoring; and
• Access to business focused workshops and networking events

If you have graduated from university within the past 5 years or you are about to graduate you may be eligible for support from our graduate programme so why not get in touch.