Founder Fridays: Want some support for your new business idea?

If you’re one of the many young adults saying they want to start a business in 2023, my advice would be to go for it. But then I am known for saying yes!

To help you on your way, we opened up free slots with Virgin StartUp business advisors on ‘Founder Friday’ – the first Friday in January where we typically see a surge in interest. The slots have all been filled now, but if you missed out on a call slot, the team is bringing together a panel of founders for its first digital MeetUp of the year. Grab a free ticket and chat to the Virgin StartUp team afterwards for advice. Spending Christmas with friends and family can be a great time to bounce business ideas around together and to do your research on whether you think it has a realistic shot at success. As the New Year begins, it’s the perfect time to put those thoughts down on paper - Virgin StartUp even has a free downloadable business plan template on its website to get you going.

Anyone in the UK can register for a free 30-minute virtual meeting with a Virgin StartUp advisor who will answer questions and take future founders through the first steps of getting a business off the ground – from businessplans to financial forecasting. With their support, budding entrepreneurs could go on to draft and submit their own StartUp Loan application. 

I’ve long believed there are many great ideas out there in the world, sometimes they just need a little extra supportto turn them into great businesses. It’s the whole reason we started Virgin StartUp, our not-for-profit entrepreneurial hub that gives new founders advice, loans and support to start up by themselves.

I also enjoyed reading new research by Virgin StartUp showing that more than a third (36%) of UK adults believe children who are good at playing board games like Monopoly, are more likely to become entrepreneurs in later life. As someone who loves playing board games, I can see how the problem-solving thinking would help with starting a business.

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The research also comes at a time when more than one in four (26%) UK adults say they plan to launch a business in 2023, with 46% of 18 to 24-year-olds saying they are planning to become an entrepreneur next year.

Here’s some of the founders talking about why January is a great time to start a business and how Virgin StartUp helped them on their way.

We’ve seen some incredible businesses thrive after being backed by Virgin StartUp, with many stocked across multiple different Virgin companies or going on to raise millions in investment rounds to reach the next level.

Don’t forget to register now.