Pictured above: Richard Shakespeare
In 2010, Richard Shakespeare applied for almost 2,000 jobs in
his quest to find employment following redundancy before deciding
to set up his own business.
He could never have imagined that just 12 months later he would
be launching his second business venture.
Richard became an independent disability consultant in 2010,
working with a variety of both public and private sector
organisations to help them improve their services, facilities and
procedures relating to all issues of disability.
With more than 11 million people in the UK covered by equality
legislation, with a combined spending power of £80 billion
per year, Richard believed there was a business opportunity in
helping organisations tap into this, whilst at the same time making
services more accessible to market.
Richard Shakespeare.com is now well established within the
Midlands business community and his client list is growing on a
weekly basis.
Richard is now planning to use his experience to help other
people thinking of becoming self employed with the launch of
Business Brain Training, which will offer a unique business
training and mentoring service.
It was whilst attending a training course to help develop his
business that Richard met business trainer and would-be business
partner Mike Howsley.
Business Brain Training is a new unique, bespoke business
offering training and mentoring services.
The training covers all the elements of starting a business,
including business planning, profit and loss accounts, tax and
sales and marketing advice.
Mike has been a training specialist for more than 30 years and
like Richard, decided to start his own business following
redundancy several years ago.
Business Brain Training promises to offer honest and realistic
guidance on self employment from people that have done it
themselves.
Richard and Mike understand all too well the finance and cash
flow implications of starting a new business, so part of the course
focuses on accessing support services, applying for funding and
making the best use of free resources.
The company also plans to offer its service to local businesses
that are faced with making cut backs and redundancies, so that
their former employees are prepared for redundancy. Richard and
Mike will help employees that are being made redundant to update
their CV's, look for new jobs and give advice on starting up their
own business.
Commenting on the launch of Business Brian Training, Richard
said:
"I know first hand just how daunting an experience it can be to
be faced with redundancy, so I am delighted to be able to launch
this unique new service, which is dedicated to helping people who
are in the same position as I was last year.
"In short, Business Brain Training is designed to make it as
easy and as straight forward as possible for people to start their
own business.
Mike added:
"I have helped thousands of people start their own business over
the years, but the best advice I've given has been since I started
up on my own - that's when you really understand what its like to
start from nothing but an idea.
"Our aim is to deliver the building blocks to starting a
business in a way that people can understand and to make them
realise that it is achievable without spending thousands."
Commenting on the launch of Business Brain Training, Louise
Jones, Business Incubation Manager at the iD Centre said:
"We are thrilled to see Richard doing so well and growing his
business; we know business incubation helps businesses survive and
grow and Richard and Mike are a great example of this."
The iD Centre is a fully serviced business incubation facility,
offering subsidised office space coupled with a business support
programme. The centre has 32 fully furnished office units ranging
from 105 sq ft to 438 sq ft.