Type of Presentation: Workshop

Aims: Working actively with over 30 delivery partners across Leeds to engage with people from targeted Super Output Areas (SOA’s), MyBiz was designed to help people to make the connection between enterprise and themselves, developing ideas, aspirations, confidence and self belief prior to individuals engaging in more formal or mainstream business support.

Background: The MyBiz programme was a new approach to enterprise development delivered by Winning Moves in collaboration with Leeds Chamber of Commerce and relied on quickly establishing working relationships with the voluntary and community sector, champions with in targeted communities and a range of well established (in Leeds) delivery partners.

Action: MyBiz starts the development of enterprise cultures by stimulating “can do” attitudes. Guiding people on a journey that helps them to make a positive change; an individual’s goal could see them becoming more enterprising in the workplace, in education, in the community or making the decision to start their own business.

Programme elements;

Enterprise Champions linking MyBiz champions, those that have come through the programme and started their own venture, to the people about to start on their new journey helps make the connection between their lives, their future and enterprise.

Motivational Events delivered in partnership with grassroots organisations these events provide people with real life experiences that help them realise they can achieve great things through setting stretching goals and having a little bit of self belief.

Enterprise Workshops highly practical, action orientated, peer-learning workshops delivered by facilitators who are actively running their own businesses, that help delegates develop a vision for the future, remove barriers and make plans that will move them forward, nurturing their aspirations, helping them explore themselves and where they want to be.

Results: MyB!zTM workshops have so far assisted in taking over 350 people on an inspirational, exciting, powerful and cohesive enterprise journey enabling them to get more from life.

Lessons: The lessons from the programme will be useful for policy makers and practitioners, when considering:
> How to engage people from different groups and different areas
> Avoiding the line of least resistance (e.g. servicing latent demand) and stay focused on what you are trying to achieve
> Dealing with short-term and target driven focus (i.e targets that result in mission-drift).
> Big principles for LEP’s to consider when implementing local enterprise programmes
> How the lessons learnt apply to the concept of a Big Society
> Capacity building/development needs for communities and practitioners,

Keywords: Enterprise, Start-up, LEGI, Community, Deprivation