Starting a business in York & North Yorkshire
Planning to start a business in York & North Yorkshire? The right guidance early on can make all the difference.
Taking time to understand whether starting a business is the right move for you is an important first step. Researching your market and the risks involved in starting a business will give you a clear idea of what to expect and whether your idea is viable. The right preparation will put you in a better position to respond to challenges and adjust your approach if things don’t go exactly as expected, helping you stay resilient as your business develops.
Understanding where you are in your business journey will help you access the right support at the right time.
Starting a Business (Pre-Start)
At the pre-start stage, you’re developing an idea and preparing to launch, but are not yet trading. The focus is on conducting detailed market research and building a foundations for your business, including creating a business plan and developing cashflow forecasts. This page is for those planning on starting a business.
Running a Business (Start-Up)
At the start-up stage, your business is trading and generating income. The focus is now on growing your customer base, establishing operations and strengthening performance. You’re likely looking to develop new products and services, with a focus on sales and growth. Visit our dedicated start-up page.
Starting a Business (pre-start support)
When starting a business, having the right plans in place is essential to give you the best chance of success. A business plan helps you define your goals and direction, while a cashflow forecast ensures you understand your finances. Tools such as SWOT and competitor analysis help you assess your position in the market and make informed decisions.
To support you, we’ve provided a pre-start checklist and free downloadable resources to help you manage the key tasks and stay on track.
Starting a Business Checklist
Our checklist helps you stay organised and ensures you don’t miss important steps when starting a business. It breaks the process into manageable tasks, so you can stay focused.
Download your free Starting a Business Checklist.
Business Plan
Turning an idea into a successful business takes planning. Writing a business plan helps you think through what you want to achieve and how you will get there.
Download your free Business Plan Template.
Cashflow Forecast
Planning your finances is essential when starting a business. Estimating your revenue and expenses helps you set clear goals and make informed decisions.
Download your free Cashflow Forecast Template.
Competitor Analysis
Understanding your competitors is key to building a successful business. Conducting a competitor analysis helps you see what others are doing and decide how to stand out in the market.
Download your free Mini Competitor Analysis.
SWOT Analysis
Looking closely at your business helps you make better decisions. Complete a SWOT analysis to assess your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats so you can plan effectively.
Download your free Mini SWOT Analysis.
Choose a Business Structure
The right structure will depend on how you intend to operate and develop your business over time. It’s important to consider your individual circumstances and long-term goals.
Explore FAQs and definitions to help you choose the right structure.
Explore additional resources to support you
- Business Basics: Watch this webinar series, covering everything from tax and compliance to resilience and long-term success.
- Legal requirements: This page will help you understand the legal requirements when starting a business.
- Access to finance: Find out where you can get funding for your new business.
- NatWest Accelerator: A thriving community for entrepreneurs providing a range of support for you to grow your business.
Preparing to start a business? Faye is here to help.
Got an idea but not sure where to start? Finished your business plan and need help with the final steps?
Faye Greer-Pickup, pre-start specialist, is here to support you with a wide range of resources and tools to help you move forward with clarity. Support is fully funded and personalised to you.
Some of the support available includes:
- Assistance writing business plans (including reviews and feedback).
- Friendly, practical support to develop your ideas. I offer a reliable sounding board to test concepts and troubleshoot challenges.
- Funding searches and application support.
- Assistance identifying networking groups and useful connections.
- Risk assessment and mitigation planning.
Delivered through:
- Fully funded enterprise skills training.
- 1:1 support (online or over the phone).
- Templates and guides.
Explore our pre-start success stories
How Yorkshire Wargames and Hobbies opened its doors
Dan Jowsey opened the doors of Yorkshire Wargames and Hobbies in Northallerton, with support from the Growth Hub. Dan’s journey is a testament to resilience and the power of pursuing your dreams.
From Lived Experience to Start-up Social Enterprise
James wanted to use his experience to reduce the psychological impact of incarceration and contribute to lower rates of reoffending.
Articles
Largest crackdown on late payments in over 25 years as landmark Bill enters Parliament
Small businesses will no longer be left chasing money they are already owed, as ministers today [Tuesday 19 May] introduce landmark legislation to end the scourge of late payments and back millions of sole traders, freelancers, and family firms across the country.
Funding reaches £900K in bid to boost exports
The Mayor of York and North Yorkshire has unlocked a new wave of export funding for businesses, taking the total support up to £900,000. The third round of the Get Exporting programme is available for applications today (Monday, May 11) with £265,000 in grants for businesses to tap into.
🚗 The Growth Hub is hitting the road!
After the success of last year's roadshows, the Growth Hub is hitting the road again, traveling the region to bring the best of local business support to a town near you. Partnering with NatWest Accelerator, and joined by Business Support Advisors from North Yorkshire Council and City of York Council, the Growth Hub Roadshow is set to showcase what business support really looks like.
Resources
Webinar Series: Data Protection
In this engaging and practical webinar series, Privacy Protect Group Ltd will guide you through everything you need to know to build a confident, compliant, and resilient approach to data protection in your business. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to refine your practices, each session is designed to build your understanding step-by-step.
Farm Business Support Programme: Webinar Recordings
This programme is a designed to help farm businesses understand where they are now, where they want to be next, and how to make confident decisions in a fast-changing industry. The focus is simple: real world, farm focused business skills that can be applied straight back at home.
Webinar Series Recording: Step into Meta for Business
Unlock the power of WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram with three action packed workshops. Come to all three to find out where to start and how to boost your organic, paid and sales growth on these enormous platforms, or pick and choose topics to suit your business. We’ve gathered a team of highly experienced and qualified Meta experts to help you get the most out of using Meta for your Business.