Start Your Own Business in Northern Ireland

FREE Start-Up Book

Start Your Own Business In 2018

This free 150 page book is packed with start-up information and contact details designed to help you start your business successfully.

We have been running SYOB for over 10 years now and have accumulated an enormous amount of information which could make the difference between start-up success or failure.

Starting a business is easy but keeping it going and making a profit is a completely different proposition. The good news is that there are tried and tested 'rules' which have consistently proved to work.

As the old addage says 'you don't know what you don't know'!

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FREE Start Your Own Business Book

This 2018 Edition is packed with the information that you need to start a business in Northern Ireland

Overview - easy to follow step by step guide
Advice - where to find help and support
Business planning - are you ready?
Market research - is there a gap in the market?
Business set-up - choosing the right structure
Premises - work from home or premises?
Finance & funding - your funding options
Accountancy & tax - tax and VAT explained
Business networking - tips and local groups
Getting online - online marketing, social media
Employing staff - how to find and recruit
Law & insurance - the key considerations
Common mistakes - and how to avoid them
Start-up directory - useful contacts

You can download the whole of this 150 page book now free of charge. We are sure that you will find it both interesting and useful. The 2018 edition is packed with useful hints and tips, relevant, easy to read guides to all of the relevant subjects, real-life examples, and lots of contacts to enable you to get off to the best possible start.

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FREE Resources and Local Contacts

If you are starting a business in Northern Ireland, you have come to the right place!

Start Your Own Business in Northern Ireland contains masses of free resources and the useful information that will help you get your new venture off the ground. It also highlights local organisations who offer friendly business advice and services that you need.

Everything that you will find on the site is free or very low cost and includes our free start-up pack, a series of factsheets which cover all of the key considerations, relevant templates, links to other useful resources and our free downlodable Start Your Own Business book.

Every year, over 400,000 people start a business in the UK and, apparently, at any one time, up to a fifth of the working population would like to join them. If this is you, we would love top help turn your dream into reality by sharing some of the information that you will need to make your venture a success.

We have been helping new business start-ups for the past 18 years and this Northern Ireland section has been in place since 2005. Accordingly, we have amassed an enormous amount of relevant useful start-up information which we are happy to share with you free of charge. This will enable you to learn from those who help start-ups and from the lessons learned by people, just like you, who have already set up on their own.

Local contacts

We hope that you find the site useful and wish you the very best of luck on your exciting journey. If you are unsure of where to start, can I suggest that you get a feel for what is going on locally by following the links on this page. They will give you an idea of what advice and support is available in the area. Also we have pages dedicated to networking, free advice, funding, and grants

If you would like to know the proven steps that can make the difference between business start-up success and failure, our popular FREE start-up pack contains a step-by-step guide, templates, factsheets and a copy of our unique business start-up map.

Alternatively, we have also created our own new business 99 point start-up checklist which will give you a clear overview of the key subjects which need to be mastered on your road to success

Start-Up Success

The sad truth is that too many new ventures do not even reach their first anniversary. However, the good news is that this does not have to be the case. Running your own business is not an easy option but many of the pitfalls can be avoided with some careful research and planning in the early stages. This site has been designed with the sole aim of increasing the survival rate locally by raising awareness of both the right and wrong ways of starting a new business and promoting the businesses and organisations in Northern Ireland who would love to help you.

Advice

Funding

Networking

Grants

Insurance

Mentoring

Marketing

Property

Website Design & SEO

Northern Ireland Locations

FREE Start-Up Pack

Our FREE start-up pack contains everything that you need to get you started.

It is a common trait amongst entrepreneurs to just want to 'get on with it'. However, if you want to maximise your chances of success, it is worth putting in time and effort before you start to ensure that you have set-up correctly.

Start-up checklist
Step-by-step guide
Business plan template
Personal budget planner
Cashflow forecast template
Marketing plan template
Guide to business networking
Start-up map
Web & SEO Checklist
Start-up map

Download Pack

One-time registration required but this unlocks
all of the free resources on the site.

Latest Start-Up Articles

Keep up to date with the most recent business thinking from around the world

We try to keep our eyes open for useful and interesting news stories and useful resources which could help if you are starting up or running a small business. Hopefully, this will save you the time and trouble! The latest additions are...

A Basic Guide to Importing

Basic Exporting Guide

Tips to Keep Your Business Healthy

Common Start-Up Mistakes... and how to avoid them

Bookkeeping tips for start-ups and self employed

Northern Ireland Local Contacts

If you can help new business start ups or existing small businesses in the Northern Ireland area, we would love to promote you here free of charge. (Add Your Business)

4Networking

4 great reasons to be part of 4Networking 1. Flexibility and reach 4N gives you access to a unique joined-up national business network. Our ‘Passport membership’ lets you choose from 5000+ 4Networking events each year. We have groups in most major towns and cities in the UK. Use your Passport to network locally, regionally and even nationally. Choose from Breakfast, Lunch and Evening meetings + join the UK’s fastest growing Facebook business group - just search on Facebook for ‘4Networking Community’. 2. A stream of business appointments Bypass gatekeepers by having three 10-minute 1-2-1s at every 4N meeting, with people you choose. Also use 1-2-1s to find trusted suppliers. 1-2-1s are one of the key elements in our relaxed yet productive meeting format, which is tried, tested and loved by our members. 3. Relaxed, fun and friendly networking At 4N, it’s easy to just be yourself. At our meetings and online we’ve created an unstuffy environment. The cornerstone of 4N’s ethos is Meet>Like>Know>Trust, as it’s the best way to gain customers, collaborations and suppliers. If this sounds like your kind of place, then become part of the 4N community. 4. A platform to demonstrate your expertise We give you so many ways to raise your profile and establish yourself as the go-to person in your field. In the room and online, being able to offer ‘4Sight’ presentations can gain you a massive audience. Plus of course, you and your business benefit from other 4N members’ advice and help. Established for over 11 years, 4Networking is helping thousands of business owners to grow their businesses. It’s business networking the British way. Register at www.4networking.biz (it takes 2 minutes) and then you can book your first meeting, to see how 4N will work for you. Browse our list of meetings here: www.4networking.biz/events. Or call our Support Desk team on 0345 123 4444.

FSB - Special Start-Up Membership

The FSB Business Creation package has been specially designed for those looking to start up, or have recently started a small business. Tailored benefits will help you get your business off the ground and we’ll be with you each step of the way. Join today for £129.

NBSL

NBSL (Northumberland Business Service Ltd) is a BIS approved Enterprise Agency based in Northumberland, operating across the county and the NE of England. Our strength is in our experience and ways of working with local, regional and national partners to build our customers a bespoke package of assistance. Our pre-start service is delivered through our network of high-street located Business Advice Centres in Alnwick, Ashington, Berwick, Blyth, Hexham and Morpeth. Each centre has a dedicated team of staff to help you with the challenges you may face when starting up and running your business. We have skilled, experienced Business Advisers with whom you can work confidentially, whether you are considering your options, thinking about setting up a business or are ready to start your business. Our Business Adviser are either SFEDI accredited (this is the national standard) or currently working towards SFEDI accreditation, In addition our customer services team hold IAG (Information Advice and Guidance) accreditation or working towards it. NBSL provide a range of free pre- business start-up and business support solutions for a range of circumstances, including: * Help you to explore ideas for business * Help you to develop your business idea * Guidance and development activity for individuals just thinking about self-employment * Development of skills to help you to get your new business up and running * Help you to apply for funding * Business mentoring and coaching to help you reach your full potential To find out more about NBSL please see our website at www.nbsl.org.uk, then give us a call to see how we can help you. This is what some of our customers said about us........

Start Up Britain

StartUp Britain is a campaign by entrepreneurs, for entrepreneurs. They offer inspiration, resources and guidance to help people start and grow their own business.

Causeway Enterprise Agency
Causeway Enterprise Agency Limited (CEA) is an independent, business support organisation dedicated to building a strong and sustainable local economy by helping both new and established small businesses in the Coleraine area to maximise their potential. 028 7035 6318

FSB Northern Ireland
FSB Northern Ireland is the local branch of the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB). It was formed in 1974 as the National Federation of Self Employed and represents the interests of small and medium-sized businesses locally and nationally. They offer a great package tailored to your needs if you are thinking about starting a business in the area. Contact: Mairaid McMahon Development Manager Mairaid.McMahon@fsb.org.uk Contact via website or e-mail.

NI Business Info
nibusinessinfo.co.uk is the official online channel for business advice and guidance in Northern Ireland. nibusinessinfo.co.uk, a free service offered by Invest Northern Ireland, is the official online channel for business advice and guidance in Northern Ireland. It contains essential information, support and services for you and your business

Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce & Industry
Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NI Chamber) is an award winning, quality assured, customer focused membership organisation with over 230 years commitment to the Northern Ireland economy. It is a well-known network for business with a membership of 1,200 businesses representing over 100,000 employees. Address: 4-5 Donegall Square South , Belfast , BT1 5JA 02890 244113

Northumberland Business Service Ltd
NBSL are a not for profit enterprise agency that operate from 7 Business Advice Centres located throughout Northumberland. We provide free start up support to anyone considering starting their own business. We also manage workspace for new businesses in Berwick. In addition to one to one support we run group sessions on business topics. If you live in Northumberland please contact us to arrange to see an Adviser in your local area. All our Advisers are SFEDI accredited which is the industry standard. Our Business Advice Centres are located in: Berwick x 2. Alnwick, Ashington, Blyth, Morpeth and Hexham 01670 813322

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