Small Business Playbook - The Blueprint - Beeston Library - Adult Learning

Thinking of starting or growing a small business? You want it to succeed steadily, sustainably, and with minimal stress. You’re aiming for a good living, maybe even a great one, doing what you love without someone else telling you what to do. It’s not easy, but you know you can do it. This course offers a shortcut through the trial-and-error phase, helping you learn faster. It’s practical, interactive, and covers essentials like finance, marketing, legalities, and licensing. Most importantly, it’s a space to collaborate, share, and grow together. (Part one of a two-part short course)

This beginner’s course covers the following: -

BRAND: What exactly is your business? What should you focus on?

RESEARCH: Researching your market, looking at competitors and your customers.

PLANNING: Making a business plan, even if your business is already up and running.

STARTUP MONEY: Getting funding, including grants and small business loans.

BOOK-KEEPING: Doing your accounting. Keeping track of your bottom line.

TAXES: Managing your taxes

ORGANISING: Looking at different ways to structure your business (sole trader, partner etc.)

LEGAL BASICS: Registering your business

MARKETING BASICS: Including creating and maintaining a website, logos and flyers

By the end of the course you will be clear about: -

• Exactly what your business is doing, and what your competitors are doing

• Where you will be getting your money from, both to start and run your business day to day

• How to manage your money, doing your accounts and managing the books

• The legal aspects of your business

• The basics of how to market your business

If you receive certain benefits you will be offered the course for free, however if you have a financial barrier which may prevent you from enrolling on the course, please visit our funding page for further information.

Residency in England

To book and enrol on one of our courses, you must be living in England permanently and live outside of the devolved areas listed below or live within the East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA) devolved area (Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire).

• Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield 

• Cambridgeshire and Peterborough

• Greater London

• Greater Manchester

• Liverpool City Region

• Newcastle Upon Tyne, North Tyneside and Northumberland

• Tees Valley

• West of England

• West Midlands

• West Yorkshire

Residency Eligibility – other criteria

If you are living in the UK on a visa we will require evidence of this in order to be funded for the course, you can upload this evidence when you apply for the course. (completion of a questionnaire will be required).

Some exceptions may apply for example

• Your visa expiry date must be beyond the end of your course

• Asylum seekers must have lived in the UK for 6 months or longer while their claim is being considered by the Home Office

• You are receiving local authority support under section 23C or section 23CA of the Children Act 1989 or the Care Act 2014

Any learner who is not funded full cost fees would apply to these courses.