• If you have a business idea, and may have carried out some research, but you are not sure if it is viable or how to go from idea to trading

• If you have received some support with your business idea (e.g attended the Go For It/ Go Succeed programme) but you need more help to secure your first sales

• If you have had some sales but it is low level (hobby/side hustle) and your vision is to create a full time business

• If you are trading less than a year and sales levels are still very low and you need to review your idea and develop your sales and marketing

• Business start training | 2 x full day in person training days & 2 half day online workshops to cover everything you need to know about starting and developing your business idea. Delivered by experienced female trainers. Workshops will be practical and you will work a lot in groups to build your peer network and to support each other in the development of your business ideas.

• Digital Marketing training | 2 x half day online workshops to ensure you get found online. This will be delivered by a specialist digital marketing consultant.

• Peer advisory groups | 3 x evening time meet ups with your group to brainstorm ideas with support from 3-4 experienced business women. 2 x meet ups will be on zoom and the final one will be in person.

• Buddy support | 8 x hours of 1:1 support with a business mentor or specialist mentor to focus on your specific issues.

• 4 months of ongoing support | A dedicated coordinator who will direct and support you and an online private group for discussion and advice.

Programme 1: Ballymena and Mallusk

Successful applicants will be invited to a 1:1 introductory meeting with our Coordinator to assess fit, commitment, and baseline needs. We will be in touch to arrange this between 14th – 17th April.

Essential Criteria

Applicants must:

• Have a business idea and intend to start a business, even if part-time.
• Be at the pre-start/idea stage (no sales yet) or in the early stages of trading (started within the past 12 months or trading for a longer period as a hobby or side-line).
• Commit to attending the training dates.
• Become a Women in Business member before the programme start date. Annual membership costs £96.00, or view monthly membership options here.

Other Criteria

• Must be over 18 years of age.
• Must be the business owner, founder, or partner.
• Must reside in or have a business address in Northern Ireland.

We score applications as we often receive more applications than available places. Please provide as much detail as possible within the word count - brief responses are unlikely to score well.

Additional criteria may apply if there is a high volume of applications.