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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.