British Library’s Start-Up Day offers free advice to entrepreneurs

Aimed at turning brilliant ideas into businesses, 17 city libraries will host more than 150 free workshops, talks and events.

Latest figures show 19,000 people were supported to set up and grow new businesses in the UK last year, a 15 per cent increase on the previous year.

Amongst the total of people helped between 2017 and 2018:

● Over half (59%) were women

● 36 per cent were planning to start a business and 21 per cent were in the process of setting up a business

● Almost 20 per cent (19%) were working on a side-hustle whilst being employed

● 12 per cent were unemployed or a student

● 32 per cent were 16-34 year olds

● 35 per cent were from black and Asian minority ethnic backgrounds

Tomorrow will see the biggest ever coordinated Start-Up Day with topics covering how to protect an idea, write a business lan, manage social media and pitch for investment.

A stellar line-up of seasoned business experts will be on hand to share their know-how.

The event also coincides with the expansion of the BIPC Network with pilots in Glasgow, Nottingham and Cambridge – now totalling 13 Network libraries outside of the London nucleus.

Julie Deane, founder and CEO of Cambridge Satchel Company, said: “One of Britain’s greatest exports is our business and start-up community. We need to ensure that it remains one of the best countries in the world to start and grow a business. A resource like the British Library’s Business & IP Centre would have helped me enormously as I was launching the Cambridge Satchel Company – these Centres give people the skills, information, confidence and connections they need to turn their business ideas into viable businesses.”

Start-Up Day runs in the British Library in London and city libraries in Barnstaple, Birmingham, Cambridge, Exeter, Glasgow, Hull, King’s Lynn, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Northampton, Nottingham, Norwich, Thetford, Sheffield and Worcester.

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