Business owners who have seen their firms go from strength-to-strength with the support of
a NatWest business building programme are now encouraging entrepreneurs visiting
#SBSevent2023 to apply for a place on the free scheme before the extended February 27th
deadline.
Giles and Jodie Stagg founders of Sip ‘n’ Swig mobile bar hire, Nicole Martin, founder of
Pinpoint Marketing Consultancy and Christina French and Jenny O’Neill founders of
Essench beauty products, have all benefited from the advice and business mentoring on
offer from the NatWest Accelerator programme.
The scheme gives business owners six months of free support, with guidance on how to
scale and grow their business. Support is tailored to the needs of the business and includes
one-to-one coaching on topics including pitching, finding funding and leadership
development.
The scheme also introduces the budding entrepreneurs to a network of local business
support organisations, plus provides free use of NatWest’s modern office spaces in the
Accelerator hubs.
Giles and Jodie of Sip ‘n’ Swig, said: “We attended our first SBS event in 2019 as Sip ‘n’
Swig with our baby who was only a few days old! We first heard about NatWest Accelerator
at an SBS event and I tried to join with my previous business but it wasn’t in the right place
and I’m glad now!
“SBS has been amazing for the community and we especially love the events. After the buzz
of winning, everything slows down a little bit you know there is a growing group of small
businesses to network with, support and talk to. The NatWest Accelerator is like a renewed
injection with a tighter group of business owners all hoping to grow and succeed. We’d
encourage any SBS winner or business owner to join the NatWest Accelerator but most
importantly to engage with it, be present and do the work!”
Nicole Martin, founder of Pinpoint Marketing Consultancy, added: “I learned about the
Accelerator programme at the SBS event in 2022 and I started in the September of 2022
and the programme is coming to a close for me this March. Running your own business is a
hard job at the best of times without pandemics and recessions, so all help for you and your
business is welcome.
“NatWest is there to offer this help whether it be funding, growth, marketing and more. There
is no catch to being on the programme and it is free. There are many benefits to being a
cohort member, but the best parts are the one-to-one coaching sessions, the learning
sessions and the opportunity to use the Hub as a co working space.”
While Christina French and Jenny O’Neill, founders of Essench, added: “It can be a very
lonely place being an entrepreneur but the Accelerator for us has provided that support
network we needed. We work with many small businesses, with entrepreneurs that are just
starting their journey and we recommend the programme to all of them because we wish we
had found it much sooner.
“It’s not only a support network for each other, but it also provides opportunities to assist in
scaling up your business, and it’s completely free, so we would advise anyone thinking of
applying to grab hold of the opportunity with both hands as there is nothing to lose!”
Debbie Lewis, Regional Ecosystem Manager for NatWest, said: “We know that
entrepreneurs are having to do several jobs at once, they need to be the CEO, finance
director and HR manager and often without having any experience in some of those areas
and without a support network. The Accelerator programme is designed to help
entrepreneurs be all those things, while supporting them in running their business and
providing a network for guidance and advice.
“The NatWest Accelerator programme supports and empowers entrepreneurs and business
owners to scale their business to the next level. We can help entrepreneurs to take their
business much further and faster, so we’d encourage any businesses who might benefit to
apply.”
The NatWest Accelerator programme is delivered at a national network of hubs run by the
bank to support businesses looking to grow. The network is one of the largest of its kind
across the UK and over the past four years, the programme has supported more than 3,500
individuals and businesses, helping them achieve an average turnover of £301,521 and to
raise £198m in total investments.
Entrepreneurs do not need to bank with NatWest or give up any equity in their businesses to
benefit from the support and applications for the programme, which begins in March, close
at 9am on Monday February 27.
For more information or to apply, visit: https://www.natwest.com/business/business-services/entrepreneur-accelerator.html
