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Start, Build & Grow
Start, Build & Grow is a free business support programme for pre-launch and early-stage businesses, social enterprises and nonprofits in Ipswich. It was launched in partnership between Ipswich Borough Council, the Business Growth Coaches Network, AMS Business Consultants and the University of Suffolk.
Wanting to start or grow your business in Ipswich?
If you have a business idea you need help launching, or a new business you need support getting established, SBG is a fantastic free programme created just for you.Meet the experts
Andy Skinner
DirectorAndy is a certified Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt (one of few in the UK) and an accredited business advisor with experience improving efficiencies and operating models within companies across various industries. He is a Director at Start Build & Grow and the MD of AMS Business Consultants.
Business expert
Peter Basford
DirectorPeter leverages his 30+ years of experience in the banking sector to provide coaching, mentoring, and training services to financial and professional services advisers, team leaders, and business owners. He is a Company Director and Business Coach at Business Growth Coaches Network, a leading organisation that helps SMEs develop and grow their businesses with experienced support and guidance, and Founder and Director of Innovation Labs Group, a venture that supports tech startups in central Suffolk.
Business expert
Feature
The pub landlord turned therapist challenging beauty industry exploitation
For 15 years, Donna-Marie Wishart ran some of London's toughest pubs and clubs. Then she worked with young offenders and people struggling with addiction. Now she has found her calling in a treatment room in Sproughton, proving that self-care does not have to come with a luxury price tag.by
Matt Stott
News
Free business support programme helps Ipswich startups beat survival odds
Over 90% of entrepreneurs in Ipswich backed by Start, Build & Grow, a free business support programme, are still trading after their first year – a survival rate far above national averages.byMatt Stott
Feature
Driven by gratitude: The car buyers turning every sale into NHS support
Daniel Bowler spent Christmas Day 2021 eating microwaved turkey by his premature son's incubator at Ipswich Hospital. Three years later, the car buying business he's built in partnership with lifelong friend James Dowsett is finding creative ways to give back to the unit that saved Harrison's life.byMatt Stott
Feature
Sweet Treat Food Festival – university dream to Cornhill crowd-pleaser
With a sense of awe, Jessica Lee surveys the crowds filling Ipswich's Cornhill.byMatt Stott
Feature
Alkemy: The brothers turning Suffolk's sugar beet into spiced gold
When brothers Rob and Will returned to Suffolk, having lost everything they'd spent years building in Swaziland, they could have been forgiven for playing it safe. Instead, they doubled down and created the UK's first aged sugar beet spirit that's winning awards while challenging centuries of tradition.by
Oliver Rouane-Williams
News
From Afghanistan to Ipswich: How cricket is helping young asylum seekers rebuild their lives
The Blue Tigers project offers more than sport to 18 young Afghan asylum seekers, providing friendship, routine and belonging after they arrived in Suffolk without family or support.byOliver Rouane-Williams
News
Nearly 200 guests attend Suffolk New College industry partner gala
Suffolk New College hosted almost 200 guests at its annual industry partner dinner, celebrating 136 companies who formally work with the educational establishment.byOliver Rouane-Williams
Feature
How a moment of empathy sparked an NHS worker’s dive into tech entrepreneurship
From a chance observation in a café to a groundbreaking hearing solution, Ipswich-based entrepreneur Michelle McDonagh's journey shows how empathy can spark innovation.byOliver Rouane-Williams
Feature
From courtroom to boardroom: The equality entrepreneur trading litigation for prevention
After three decades fighting discrimination battles in court, equality solicitor turned entrepreneur Audrey Ludwig now helps organisations prevent them entirely, bringing clarity to the often misunderstood world of equality law.byOliver Rouane-Williams
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Meet the organisation empowering Ipswich's entrepreneurs to start, build and grow their business
In a time when small businesses face unprecedented challenges, the Start, Build & Grow programme is proving that with the right support, local entrepreneurs can not only survive but thrive.byOliver Rouane-Williams
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