Building Business Horizons Entrepreneurs Triumph In COVID-19 Lockdown Adversity

One of the key skills that entrepreneurs need is the ability to keep on going in the face of uncertainty.  The ability to keep their eyes and aim on the long term goal of creating a successful business or social enterprise whatever is happening around them is truly admirable.

And that’s what our participants on the Building Business Horizons programme have demonstrated in abundance. Two to three weeks into their programme, the country went into lockdown with them thinking that their dreams and plans for their businesses would need to be put on hold for an unknown period.  However, with some tweaking and the backing of StartUp Croydon to continue the programme online, the nine participants who started in February, have successfully completed the programme and pitched their individual business ideas to our panel for the opportunity of seed funding towards their start-up.

The businesses and social enterprises awarded funding are:

Calabash Soiree, a social enterprise based in south Norwood, providing events and services to older people in the community and using music as a key medium in social care

MPWRD Ltd, a Management Consultancy & Life Coaching service providing workshops and 1-1 advice on managing stress, preventing burnout, promoting diversity and inclusion and retaining talent in the financial industry

First Steps DV CIC, a social enterprise providing workshops and support to survivors of domestic violence and abuse and raising awareness and empowering businesses and colleges to support their staff

Paper Stories, a craft based café – a space where crafting is accessible no matter your creativity, providing employment to people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds and where community happiness and prosperity are cultivated simultaneously.

Quality Achievements

The quality, commitment and professionalism of the participants has been extremely high and every one of them have achieved something to be proud of.

These achievements are echoed by our panellists:

“Wow, what a fantastic experience it has been being a part of this year’s BBH panel – such a high standard of business plans, financial forecasts and pitches. It is very clear to me the level of effort that has gone into this programme; both by Geoff, Anna and the team and also the participants – I’m in awe of what has been achieved by all in spite of a pandemic which no one could have predicted or prepared for. It has been a real pleasure for me working with the team and hearing from all of the participants and I’d like to wish you all continued success as you move forward with your businesses.” Kerry Hector, Entrepreneur and BBH Panellist

“I have thoroughly enjoyed my part in BBH. The enthusiasm and commitment of the entrepreneurs for their projects has been infectious and I’m sure that they have all gained a lot from their experiences on the course and I’m equally confident that their chances of success in their projects has been greatly improved.” Richard Sumption, StartUp Croydon Trustee

If you are interested in finding out more about the Building Business Horizons programme and how we can help you, contact us on ab@startupcroydon.co.uk or gr@startupcroydon.co.uk