If you come up with a great idea for a business or if you’ve always wanted to go out and do it on your own, there’s a multitude of things that you need to consider and learn in order to get started.

Boost’s Growth Support Programme is designed to equip Lancashire entrepreneurs with the skills, experience and know-how to help get started in business.

From ensuring your sales and marketing machine is working effectively to raising growth finance, our one-to-one support and masterclasses are ideal for people launching their first business, or those who’ve been trading for a year or two and are looking to kick on.

Here’s five start-ups from across the region that have benefitted from Boost support:

Getting support and supporting others too: Society1, Preston

This innovative co-working space is not only a successful start-up in its own right, it has supported many other startups and young businesses on their growth journey too.

“We were really glad we found out about Boost at the point we did, before we got going, we learnt a lot and found it a great help. Now it’s about getting people out there into the mindset that co-working is an option, it’s here and it is available.”

Some of their achievements are listed here: https://www.society1.co.uk/looking-back-at-2018/

Read Society1’s growth story: Co-working space opens its doors in city centre

Making the move into new premises: Central Recruitment, Blackburn

Experienced recruiter Natalie Smith set up her own business with Boost support and has gone on to grow a specialist recruitment business turning over £3m taking in premises moves and creating four new jobs on the way.

Read Natalie’s growth story: Recruiter revenue doubles thanks to Boost support

Buying a business and winning major contracts: Ollycomm, Burnley

Former soldier Oliver Flanagan founded his business with Boost support in 2016 and hasn’t looked back – making a significant acquisition and winning a major education sector contract along the way. His telecoms firm is also on course to triple its turnover thanks to Boost’s Growth Support Programme.

Read Oliver’s growth story: Telecoms business dials up impressive growth

Developing an award-winning brand: Brindle Distillery, Chorley

Brindle Distillery started out as a family-owned farm and grew to the multi-award-winning gin distillery business behind Cuckoo Gin in less than a year.

Brindle Distillery has been on an incredible journey since then! They’ve launched DIY gin-making workshops , public tours of the distillery and even had to take a crash course in bee-keeping before using local honey to create a new gin recognised as one of the best in the world!

Read their growth story: Cuckoo Gin starts to fly off the shelves thanks to Boost

Building a media empire: The Samuel James Group, Preston

Based in Preston, The Samuel James Group has grown from a startup media publisher to the brains behind the successful Business Lancashire, Business Manchester and Business Merseyside monthly newspapers.

Sam Whitear and Andy Mann are two men with a mission to spread the word about great businesses across the North West. They’ve even produced a publication fit for the Queen – celebrating Lancashire’s and Her Majesty The Queen’s involvement in the Commonwealth.

Read their growth story: Boost helps media company’s North West expansion

How you can get started in business

These Lancashire start-ups have all received support from Boost through the Growth Support Programme – which offers startups and SMEs (trading for less than three years) a series of masterclasses designed to help young businesses succeed – plus one-to-one support from a Boost Advisor to help each business owner deliver their growth plans.

To find out more and apply for Boost support, go to: https://www.startup-lancashire.co.uk/