Starting a business in Northern Ireland from scratch – where to begin?

Northern Ireland is an incredible hotbed of entrepreneurialism, with a business ecosystem that thrives on new ideas and fresh thinking and a people whose can-do attitude is matched by our resilience and perseverance.

It’s little wonder when you think of some of the inventions that have spawned from this part of the world, from the modern tractor to the portable defibrillator – seeing a problem and coming up with novel solutions to address it is in our blood.

Some of our best-known indigenous companies are also huge on a global scale, from Randox and Almac, to Moy Park or Kainos, and everything in between.

Just a few examples of internationally recognised brands across pharmaceuticals, food and technology which all have one thing in common – they were each a start-up at one point in time.

If you’re starting out on your business journey or thinking of starting your very first enterprise, your aspirations may not on the same scale as those international players, but you’ll be asking the same question that their founders did. Where to begin?

There is a lot to think about from what your business will be called, how it will be structured – and financed – and how you are going to get your product or service in front of your target market.

You’ll need to think of the type of business you want to set up. It could be a pop-up shop, a social enterprise, or you might consider taking on a franchise, providing a ready-made business to get your teeth into.

Other elements will include whether you’ll need to hire staff or engage professional services, and there are a multitude of tax and VAT considerations to understand as well.

The good news – you’re not alone. Countless people have already been in your shoes and accessing a network or finding a mentor will be an incredible help.

At Go Succeed, the Start programme can link you with local experts that will help make those introductions while also supporting you with events and masterclasses, online business plan resources, access to grant funding, one to one mentoring and peer support networks as you put all the foundations in place to get your business up and running – all free of charge.

It might just be the start of your journey to creating Northern Ireland’s next global success story.

Find out more by visiting Go Succeed or contacting us on 0800 027 0639.