Our Start-Up Programme helps entrepreneurs turn ideas into businesses for good, through workshops, dedicated co-working space, one-to-one business advice and access to networking events and peer support sessions.
Programme Information
When: 3rd October 2024 – 3rd April 2025
Where: Seeds Hub offices in Wembley, Brent
Cost: Free
Entrepreneurs will participate in weekly two-hour workshops, focused on developing practical skills and managing a social business or charity. These sessions will include:
- Business planning and implementation: including goal setting, initial market and customer analysis, financial projections and creating a one-page business plan
- Pitching and Communication
- Partnerships and Networking Stakeholder Engagement
- Brand building: defining the ‘why,’ ‘how’ and ‘what’ of your business, effective branding and harnessing social media
- Website and Google tools: including digital presence, WordPress, Google Analytics, responsive design and SEO
- Cobra (Complete Business Reference Adviser): practical guidance on using this powerful database, from writing a marketing plan to understanding cashflows
- Online Marketing Masterclass: inbound, SEO and email marketing
- Legal and Regulatory Compliance
- Business Finance: cost structure, revenue stream and cash flow management
- Funding: identifying funding sources and applying for funding
- Sales and Customer Acquisition: acquiring customers, sales strategies and CRM
Our workshops are run by experts in their field, who offer unique and highly informative sessions as well as one-to-one mentoring. Meet the facilitators for this year’s Start-Up Programme below:
- Elsa Caleb
Elsa is a Social Enterprise of the Year Awards winner, and is currently a board director for the West London Chamber of Commerce as well as a Business Advisor at Seeds Hub. Drawing on years of diverse experience in strategic business development, Elsa runs workshops for Seeds Hub’s start-up programmes, on topics such as business planning, pitching, networking and partnership building. - Wendy Foster
Wendy is a SBREC Manager (The Small Business Research + Enterprise Centre) at City of London Corporation, and has supported SMEs for over 20 years as a qualified business adviser. - Hans Gobin
Hans is a Chartered Accountant and MBA-holder with over 25 years of experience. He trained and qualified with KPMG, spending 8 years with the company before moving to commerce and industry. For the last 10 years, Hans has been running his own firm working as an Interim Finance Director across many different companies, ranging from start-ups and SMEs through to large PLCs. - Alasdair Inglis
Alasdair develops and delivers marketing workshops for universities and businesses, including University College London (UCL) and the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses programme. - Scott Leonard
Scott is the founder of The Champion Agency, the UK’s first social impact-accredited creative agency, and is also a Trainer and Mentor at the School of Social Entrepreneurs. He co-created the ‘Make Tea Not War’ campaign, which is now part of the collections at the V&A and Imperial War Museum. - Gus Nyberg
Currently consulting for law firms around the world, Gus honed his skills through roles at Amazon and Gartner, where he mastered the art of partnerships and account management. Alongside this, Gus has been a dedicated well-being personal trainer and public speaker for over a decade, blending his passion for fitness and mentoring with a knack for sales. Gus is deeply committed to delivering top-tier customer service, knowing it’s the cornerstone of success in any field. - Prash Patel
Currently Managing Director at OneClick Media, Prash has 15 years of experience in digital marketing, and helps founders to enhance their business profile and rank higher in search results. - Michelle Thompson
Michelle is a Seeds Hub alumna and the founder of Balanced Accounts, a London-based accountancy firm delivering accounting solutions that simplify the lives of business owners while empowering them to achieve their financial goals. Michelle’s wealth of knowledge draws on 10 years’ experience as a practising accountant, School Business Manager and SBM consultant.
To ensure collaboration and personalised support, each Start-Up Programme takes a cohort of 20 entrepreneurs.
Applications: Applications for this year’s Start-Up Programme are now closed. Keep an eye on our webpage and social media for the next application cycle, or express interest in our Accelerator Programme here.