Free business advice on offer in Shrewsbury and Oswestry on 25 July

Shropshire people wanting to start or grow their own business have the chance to get free expert advice and support on Thursday 25 July 2013, when StartUp Britain’s StartUp bus visits Shrewsbury and Oswestry as part of its third annual national tour.

The double-decker bus filled with start-up experts and business champions will be in The Square, Shrewsbury from 9am to 1pm, and then at the Guildhall, Bailey Head in Oswestry from 1.30pm to 5pm.

People are invited to come along on the day, but can also register their interest in advance at www.startupbritain.org/tour to get the latest news and information about the tour.

The StartUp bus tour is visiting over 30 locations in July and August to help boost the number of businesses started in the UK in 2013 to a record 500,000.

On the StartUp Britain bus you will be able to:

• Meet local business advisers and entrepreneurs.
• Get expert business advice about access to finance, selling online, accounting solutions and tips on how to get started from StartUp Britain’s sponsors (PayPal, BT Business, Intuit and Iris).
• Read entrepreneurial books in the innovation station.
• Discover how to pitch to large retailers.
• Sign up for StartUp events.
• Receive goodie bags, including useful information from the day.
• Help Shrewsbury or Oswestry win the title for StartUp Britain’s Top Town!
• Apply for a Start-Up Loan and learn about funding for small businesses and other helpful government initiatives.

It is hoped that food and live music will also be on offer alongside the bus on the day.

Steve Charmley, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for business growth, said:

“This visit offers a fantastic opportunity for anyone interested in starting or expanding a business in Shropshire to get free advice and information straight from the experts, and I urge people to come on board on the day.
“Helping businesses to start up and grow is a key activity for Shropshire Council. We’re already running and supporting a range of initiatives to help both new and existing businesses, but it’s brilliant that the StartUp bus will be visiting the county, and we hope it will lead to an increase in the number of people starting up new businesses across Shropshire.”
“If you have ever thought about running your own business or growing an existing one, this is a great opportunity to get free expert advice, support and information, discover what national initiatives are available to support your idea and make useful connections to help start or grow your business.”

Emma Jones, co-founder of StartUp Britain, said:

“Since we launched StartUp Britain two years ago we’ve seen record numbers of people starting businesses in the UK. By bringing the bus to Shropshire we want to give people the confidence to find their inner entrepreneur – and provide a boost to the county’s economy.”

This year the StartUp Britain has the backing of the Department for Business, Industry and Skills.

Business Secretary Vince Cable said:

“There are a record number of start-ups and small businesses in the UK, even in tough times. There is also plenty of government help and support to start your own business. So if you’ve ever thought about it then I encourage you to take the next step and make it a reality.”

For more information visit www.startupbritain.org/tour

Key stats and evidence on business start-ups in the UK:

• 2012 saw a record high for start-ups: 484,211
• In the UK there are 4.8m private sector companies employing an estimated 23.9m people with a turnover of £3,100bn.
• SMEs account for almost half the net growth in jobs.
• 60% of new business started at home.
• Start-ups and micro businesses make up 95% of all businesses.