Crowdfunding for growth
Crowdfunding is when a business community of customers, family, friends and investors come together to help the business grow.
Growing your business
Your business is up and running and you’re making huge strides. So, what’s next? It’s time to think about growth and how to take your business to the next level.
In this section:
Practical support
Learn how to equip yourself and your business for the next steps.
Developing with Help to Grow
Help to Grow is an intensive training programme that helps entrepreneurs to develop their leadership, strategy and management skills.
Financing your business growth
Find the right type of finance for your growing business needs.
Understanding Angel investment
Angel investors are individuals who use their own money to back entrepreneurs at a very early stage, in exchange for shares in the business.
Jenny Tooth OBE
Finding an Angel investor
When considering Angel investment, it’s important to know what investors are looking for and what you need from the relationship.
Jenny Tooth OBE
The SEIS and EIS schemes
These two government-backed schemes have helped thousands of women raise investment, enabling them to grow their businesses.
Christiana Stewart-Lockhart
How to approach investors for SEIS or EIS investment
If you think you're ready to apply for SEIS or EIS investment, discover your options and how to take those first steps.
Christiana Stewart-Lockhart
How To Find, Approach and Build Rapport With Investors
When you’re looking for equity funding for your business, it can be daunting. It may also feel like a lonely process. Perhaps you’ve experienced stepping into a crowded room where everyone seems to know each other already. Or maybe you’ve pitched to a room and wondered why no one has followed up with you afterwards....
Hatty FawcettSuccess stories
Get inspired by the experiences of other ambitious women on their business growth journey.
What is great about receiving a NO is having the opportunity to understand why it was a NO and make it a YES in the future!
Nina Briance
Cult Mia
Nina Briance, Founder and CEO at Cult Mia shares her inspirational journey as an entrepreneur. Nina discusses the opportunities and challenges Cult Mia has faced, what is next to the tops tips when preparing for investment to how to nail the pitching process.
Value your business and make sure you only give it to people that share your vision and will support your journey
Rachel Curtis
Inicio AI
Can you tell us more about Inicio AI and what inspired you to start your business and begin the journey as an entrepreneur? Inicio AI enables businesses to understand what their customers can afford. We use conversational AI and modern tech such as open banking to enable end consumers to self-serve to complete detailed affordability...
Remodelling ‘not only pink and blue’ to a consultancy with the NatWest Accelerator
Clare Willetts
not only pink and blue
Clare has found much use and knowledge from the National Accelerator Partners offered on the programme but in particular has found helpful the network of like-minded entrepreneurs in the cohort. She says she’s found a fantastic variety of business and founders that have been great to work with and offer brilliant community support to provide their insights to navigate their individual problems.
My Help to Grow experience
Claire MacDonald
MacMartin
I am Claire MacDonald one of the co-founders of MacMartin. We are a design and marketing agency based in Derbyshire. We are full-service, which means we offer a wide range of services from website design, graphic design, social media marketing, paid advertising, Google Ads, and SEO services. We also partner with other companies to expand...
Building leadership skills with Help to Grow
Damini Sharma
The OM Group
My name is Damini Sharma and I am the CEO and Co-Founder of The OM Group. We are a construction consultancy and training business, working nationally. As we are based in the Midlands, I completed the Help to Grow: Management Course with Aston Business School. The OM Group has been established for 15 years and...
Boost: Empowering Women Through Colourful Breast Prostheses
Sam Jackman
Boost
Sam Jackman is the founder of Boost, the makers of comfortable and lightweight breast prostheses for women who have had a mastectomy. Sam began her entrepreneurial journey when she saw a gap in the market for breast forms which weren’t beige, boring and heavy.
“I’m living my purpose and passion, doing something I truly believe in”
Elizabeth Cowper
Ludo
Next up from our esteemed network of #TGI game changers, we are delighted to share some brilliant insights from Elizabeth Cowper, CEO and founder of SaaS platform Ludo, which delivers tech for workplace inclusion.
Helping Female Founders Get Investment and Overcome the Challenges of Securing Funding
Bridget Greenwood
The Bigger Pie
Bridget Greenwood founded The Bigger Pie and co-founded The 200 Billion Club, helping female founders through the start-up and scale-up journey.
The story of the woman behind Brighton Gin
Kathy Caton
Brighton Gin
Kathy Caton – tells us about setting up and growing Brighton Gin. As founder and CEO of the company, she’s the first to admit that it’s been a challenging journey at times but that the highs have been incredible. Kathy shares the story of her fiercely independent, ethically-driven company.
luna: Leading the TeenTech revolution
Jo Goodall and Jas Schembri
luna
luna is an app for teenagers which provides a safe space to access trustworthy advice and guidance on their health and wellbeing. Jo Goodall and Jas Schembri share more about their journey, inspiration and taking their concept to reality.
“Be ready for it to take longer than you think/want. But persevere! It is worth it”
Jane Lucy
Perse
Can you tell us more about Perse and what inspired you to start your business and begin the journey as an entrepreneur? Perse is my second startup. The first was Labrador which is a smart energy comparison and switching service. I was first inspired to create an energy startup out of frustration as a customer...