About this Event
PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS A TWO-DAY EVENT. PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU CAN ATTEND BOTH DATES!
Are you a Kitchen Table entrepreneur: sole trader, registered company, self-employed, freelancer... based in Leeds/West Yorkshire?
- Do you want a sense-check on your business?
- Do you want to feel confident that it all adds up financially?
- Are you up for exploring whether a small, sensible loan might get you growing?
- Do you want to meet friendly lenders, explore borrowing and get useful feedback on your business plans?
- Have you been 'ostriching' the financial forecasting element of your businerss?
- Are you up for investing your time and energy to attend two free workshops (you must attend BOTH Tuesday sessions, 24th February AND 3rd March 2026).
WHAT?
1. Two Workshops: Tuesday 24th February and Tuesday 3rd March 2026, 9.30 til 2.30pm. Small business owners like you, along with Trust Leeds' team of wise business allies and business support experts, will roll-up our sleeves to focus on helping you make sure your business adds up financially.
2. Each attendee will also have a one hour one-to-one mentoring/review on financials and/or loan readiness session (online or face to face in between workshops or on workshop days before or after formal sessions): mentoring/diagnostic/testing business model with someone experienced at reviewing business plans/loan applications, in a way which address barriers of confidence and is valuable for business development.
3. Business Pitch - we'll help you to prove you know your stuff and you'll make a 2 minute business pitch to a panel of experts, business supporters and enterpreneurs like you, on the theme of 'My business is financially viable for going or growing' OR ‘My business is viable for borrowing’.
WHY?
1. Based on experience, expertise and feedback from members (Be Your Own Boss, She Can Shine, business advisors):
a. There’s a missing element in Leeds of enterprise support for micro-businesses and start-ups in focussing on financial viability and case for support for business borrowing
b. Mainstream lenders are focussing on high-growth potential and established businesses, and won't invest smaller loans for under-served entrepreneurs.
2. Common characteristics of kitchen table entrepreneurs:
a. Financially excluded (poor credit score, loan need too small).
b. Often under-served in terms of business advice, support and mentoring.
c. Facing challenges of poverty/in-work poverty, and/or lack of confidence.
d. Want to feel more confident (and less nervous) about growing their business through borrowing.
e. Would appreciate more business planning as they get going.
f. Afraid of trusting their judgement in making business assumptions and forecasting.
g. Find it difficult to make the transitions: from hobby to business; from benefits to self-reliant; from start-up to growth.
h. More comfortable focussing on products and feasibility rather than viability (does it all add up)!
COME WITH:
- Excitement, interest and willingness to: learn, share, improve your confidence.
- Your Business Plan (whether that's a document, in your head, or in summary - you might want to look at the Business Model Canvas document attached, and make some notes on this - the workshops will be focussing on the financial viability elements of this.
- Your Financial Toolkit (whether that's in your head, on a spreadsheet or elswehre, think costing & pricing, budgets & forecasts - if you don't have these aready, you will have by the end of the workshops!).
MORE INFO:
If you want to discuss this opportunity please phone Liza on 07957 150018.
The venue has good wheelchair access, the rooms are quite large and might be a bit noisy, but there are several quiet areas you can move to if you'd like some peace.
Tea, coffee and biscuits will be available throughout the day.
A healthy lunch will be provided (including gf and vegan options).
Please let us know if there is anything we can do to make your day easier or more manageable.
GETTING THERE
Location is Shine, Harehills Road, Leeds LS8 5HS
Bus Routes 49, 50, and 50A stop just outside Shine.
Parking:
There is an onsite Pay and Display car park and free on street parking. If paying for parking is a problem for you, please tell Reception.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Shine, Harehills Road, Harehills, United Kingdom
GBP 0.00
