Claire Ross has used her industry skills and experience to launch a training and coaching business with the support of Enterprise Hub and St Helens Chamber.
St Helens-based 3B Coaching offers training, development and coaching for individuals and businesses.
Offering tailored business support, including assertiveness and confidence coaching, Claire also works with the Institute of Leadership and Management as one of their
Specialist External Verifiers for leadership and management coaching.
Claire said: “My sister-in-law had set up a business a few years back and had nothing but praise for St Helens Chamber, so they were the first place I approached when I decided to set up my own business.
“The support I have received has been invaluable. I attended a six-session training course that not only gave me all the basics I needed to start up my business but also had me thinking whether this was the right way forward for me.”
As part of the support she received Claire was assigned a dedicated business coach to work with her on developing a business plan.
She commented: “Enterprise Hub really helped me to get a full picture of what needed to be done, how I needed to do this, by when and what implications there were.
“I was encouraged to take the leap into self-employment in my own time, once my business plan was achievable and realistic. On completion of the course I also gained an Understanding Enterprise qualification, so for me it was highly beneficial.”
Since launching her business with Enterprise Hub support, Claire has gone on to receive 12 hours of fully-funded support for growth through St Helens Chamber’s dedicated Business Growth Programme, part of the Liverpool City Region Integrated Business Support (LCRIBS) Project. She has also been able to take on a new business partner and hopes the support she has received will help her to win bigger contracts in the future.
George Betts, Business Start-up Coach at St Helens Chamber, said: “We’re delighted to have helped Claire become her own boss. She is using her years of industry experience to grow a successful business and it’s great to see her accessing further support for growth from the Chamber.”
Claire added: “The Chamber is a welcoming environment where I feel supported and encouraged to develop my business at my own pace.
“The staff are so friendly and helpful and I feel that I would not be where I am now without their help. I know the Chamber will continue to support me as long as I need.”
Receiving funding from the European Regional Development Fund, Enterprise Hub is the enterprise gateway for business start-up support in Merseyside. Offering expert advice and support to anyone thinking about starting a business including help to:
• Understand the process of starting a business
• Research a business idea
• Build a comprehensive business plan
• Develop a marketing plan
• Create financial forecasts to understand the costs of running your business and potential income
• Identify sources of finance to get started
For more information about the support available from St Helens Chamber through the Enterprise Hub Programme to start a business, call 0845 340 9980, email startup@sthelenschamber.com, or visit www.sthelenschamber.com/startup
