Ad:Venture joins our July 2020 meeting

Yet another fantastic CY meeting was held on 15th July. We had the opportunity to share and celebrate successes, share tips, and we were joined by Keith Evans who told us all about Ad:Venture.

Keith explained that Ad:Venture helps young businesses (those within the first 3 years of trading) in the Leeds City Region, and it does so by providing everything from advice to support to grants.

They offer tailored support for each stage of a new business. So, even before the business has been launched, they provide support to help people turn ideas into businesses. Their advisors help the entrepreneur figure out things like what help they might need, what the business structure should be like, and how to launch and market the business.

Then they move into a coaching phase to support the first year. Not only do they help with deeper dives into business planning, finance and funding, but they can also offer incubation space.

Once the business gets through its first year then the support moves to helping with strategy and growth.

What we found particularly helpful was the financial support. Keith explained that Ad:Venture can help with both loans and grants from several sources. Ad:Venture grants can range from £1000 to £25,000; Business Enterprise Fund grants can go as high as £25,000 per director, to a maximum of £100,000; and Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund Loans can go up to £100,000 unsecured.

What was particularly impressive was Keith’s passion and excitement for the whole enterprise. He clearly wants to see young businesses succeed and grow. In fact, his passion extended to joining us on Zoom even though he was on holiday!