Exhibitors
Exhibitors
Exhibitors
Be the Boss is a service from The Royal British Legion with Poppyscotland aimed at supporting UK Service Leavers to plan, fund and grow their own small businesses. The programme is open to anyone who left active service in the UK Armed Forces and intends to start-up or grow a small-business in the UK.
Funded by the UK Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, the Legion and its partner organisations will offer training in small business set-up, assistance in writing a business plan and financial forecast, funding to assist in the launch or growth of a business, and periodic health checks and business mentoring to applicants from across the United Kingdom.
The programme is open to anyone who left active service in the UK Armed Forces and intends to start-up or grow a small-business in the UK. Applicants should first register on the Legion’s employment and training portal, Civvy Street www.civvystreet.org/betheboss.
TRAINING
In order to apply for grant and loan funding, applicants must have completed training in business start-up or growth. Be the Boss applicants who have not completed start up training and wish to do so will be referred to our training partner Blue Orchid. Blue Orchid’s programme of 'Preparing to Run Your Own Business' is all about offering a flexible approach to learning about, and preparing for self employment. The SFEDI approved programme is modular in design, with seven core modules and a wide menu of optional modules that ensure the training and advice is tailored to your own Business. You will be working with your own dedicated Business Advisor to tailor support to your individual requirements and to assist you with completing a business plan and financial forecast.
Be the Boss will refer interested franchising candidates to FranchisingWorks who then offer:
•Workshops to help understand franchising;
•One-to-one sessions to assist with business planning;
•Introductions to approved franchisors.
FUNDING
Total funding values average between £3,000 and £7,500, will be a mix of 25% grant and 75% loan, and may not exceed a total of £30,000 for each individual over the length of their involvement in the Be the Boss programme. Additional funding will continue to be available up to a total of £30,000 per person based upon business success and financial management of programme funds.
In general, funds cannot be used for personal expenses unrelated to the business, personal debt, travel, purchase of property, investment in certain large-scale national industries, training, licensing or accreditation. Additional details on limits of funding use are available in programme materials.
MENTORING
Participants receiving funding will be offered on-going business mentoring and regular health-checks, helping them to proactively identify and resolve problems as well as manage revenue and debt effectively. The Legion will also offer complementary support services to all participants from its range of Welfare programmes and work with Be the Boss delivery partners to develop supplementary support for Service Leavers.
The Legion is committed to supporting Service Leavers to build upon the training and discipline they developed in the Armed Services, leverage it to become equally successful in enterprise and create their opportunity to Be the Boss.
NOTE: Be the Boss offers training, funding and mentoring to all Service Leavers regardless of the business model they choose to adopt.
Web : www.civvystreet.org/betheboss/
Tel : 0800 678 5787
