‘Here’s to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels… the ones who see things differently,’ this article’s for you. Aside from pinching Steve Jobs’s words of utter wisdom, for any creative who has ever wanted to start their own business but is yet to pursue it for whatever reason, consider this your motivation to be ‘crazy enough to think you can change the world.’ Be it due to a lack of finances or a lack of resources, no longer is there any reason for you to delay indulging your creative inclinations. That’s right: you can quit your postponing, because you can now get all the help you need.
Most likely, you are currently ‘bootstrapping’ your way to success, working hard for the money (cue: Donna Summer), slaving away in some office admin or hospitality job, scraping together whatever savings you have left over and injecting them into your real passion. Chances are you haven’t considered applying for a bank loan because, even once you muster the courage to apply, the banks aren’t willing to lend you the money, what with only a few hundred pounds to your name and an awfully meek credit rating; raising it through crowd-funding seems to be too farfetched when you are sans a Seth MacFarlane-written pitch video script; and asking your parents by way of grovelling and/or guilt-tripping is definitely not an option. So what do you do when you’re trying to get your brilliant business idea off the ground, yet don’t have the financial means to fund it? Thankfully in today’s rapidly evolving business climate, where young entrepreneurs are forming a greater percentage of the UK workforce, there are various support services presently available to start-ups.
The UK Government-funded Start-Up Loans Company scheme helps young entrepreneurs by offering loans – typically to the tune of £4,500 (with the specific amount determined by the delivery partner at their discretion) – to set the wheels in motion for their prospective businesses. Quite expectedly, the programme attracts thousands of 18-30-year-old wannabe business owners, aiding over 1,000 applicants in one month alone. Another government initiative, The Prince’s Trust Enterprise, educates CEOs-in-training in business basics, with young entrepreneurs receiving mentoring and assistance with loan applications/start-up grants. It’s no wonder that in her May 2013 Huffington Post article, The Trust’s Chief Executive Martina Milburn states that over 6,000 young entrepreneurs are reaping its rewards.
Budding Zuckerburgs and Bransons can also turn to companies such as Smarta, Capital Enterprise, and Creative Skillset for extremely useful, practical advice and support. These all-inclusive online communities, founded and run by some of the UK’s top entrepreneurs, grant users the ability to be educated in, and actually carry out business with, other business owners, so you’re simultaneously learning and networking. Student societies, much like NACUE, organise regular events for those studying to share their knowledge, and for experts to impart their wisdom. But if instead, you are partial to connecting with others in a virtual setting, try The Backscratchers. The website will pair you with ‘hand-picked creative talent’ to collaborate with on short-term projects in any creative field. Once you’re ready to really commence the idea-mongering and creativity cultivating, fine establishments such as Shoreditch Works and Shoreditch Trust offer affordable solutions to all of your office requirements, perfect for those late night brainstorming sessions.
So, with the myriad of resources from which aspiring entrepreneurs can gain incredibly beneficial and relevant assistance, the current economic climate is not an excuse for failing to realize those dreams of yours. Achieve your career goals by channeling that trademark entrepreneurial enthusiasm and entering uncharted waters; you’re no longer alone! The collective bravery of you plus your other, fellow Generation Ys is what is going to propel the post-recession market and drive the direction of the Creative Industries’ future. Who knows: it could be you who is the crazy one changing the world.
