LODDON TOWN COUNCIL

Free online business summer school for   16-25-year-olds in Norfolk

There are so many options to   choose from when leaving school - like apprenticeships, university, work   experience, getting a job…

Or how about starting a   business? It may seem a daunting idea at first, but there’s lots of free help   on offer.

Starting next week, the  Business & IP Centre (BIPC) Norfolk, managed by Norfolk County Council’s   Library and Information Service, is running a free online Summer School for   16-25-year-olds to help them decide whether starting their own business might   be right for them.

Cllr Margaret Dewsbury,   Cabinet Member for Communities and Partnerships at Norfolk County Council,   said: “The past 16 months have been tough for everyone, but especially young   people whose education has faced disruption during the pandemic. With exam results coming up next month, lots of young people will be thinking about their future and one of the options might be to start their own business - either now or after completing further education and training.

“Based in libraries, BIPC   Norfolk is a friendly, welcoming place to seek business information and this   online Summer School is the perfect opportunity for young people to get their   first taste of what it takes to start a business.”

Each session (Thursdays from 5 August to 2 September, 10am-12pm) will cover the basics of starting a   business and the help there is on offer. The final session will give participants the chance to pitch a business idea to a panel, with the best   pitch winning a £50 Amazon voucher.

Summer School   programme:

• Week        1 (5 August): An introduction to the Business & IP Centre Norfolk and the basics of                                   protecting your business idea.

• Week        2 (12 August): How to write a business plan (and why you need one)

• Week        3 (19 August): Using social media for business

• Week        4 (26 August): How to successfully pitch your business idea

• Week        5 (2 September): Pitch to our panel - use what you’ve learned over the last month to pitch a business idea to our panel.

Participants are encouraged to attend all the Summer School workshops but, if this isn’t possible, once registered they can confirm which workshops they are able to attend. If they don’t have a business idea they would like to pitch, they are still welcome   to attend the final session and watch the pitches.

For more details and to   register, see the BIPC Norfolk Eventbrite   page (www.bipcnorfolk.eventbrite.com)​