Free, funded business start-up support for anyone thinking about starting a business, launching, or running an early-stage business

Got a business idea? Just getting started? Already trading but need some direction?

Get free, practical business start-up support, mentoring and a clear plan for what to do next.

The Start-Up Studio with Clare Harford is a free monthly business support programme for people in Staffordshire who are thinking about starting a business or are in the early stages of running one.

Whether you’ve got an idea scribbled in a notebook, you’re getting ready to launch, or you’ve been trading for a while and need help working out your next move — this is for you.

No jargon. No stuffy lectures. No expectation that you already have everything figured out.

Just practical support, useful tools, honest conversations and the chance to work on your business alongside other people who are building something too.

What will you get?

📘 A practical, interactive morning workshop

Led by Clare Harford, the session is designed to help you actually work on your business — not just sit and listen.

You’ll explore where you are now, what needs your attention and the practical steps that will help you move forward.

📝 Your own Getting Started Workbook

A practical workbook to help you work through the foundations of your business, including your finances, your offer, your customers and your next steps.

It’s yours to keep, use and come back to as your business develops.

🎯 A clear 90-day action plan

Ideas are great. Action is what moves a business forward.

You’ll leave the session with a personal 90-day plan so you know exactly what you’re focusing on next.

🤝 Optional 1-to-1 mentoring with Clare

Want to talk through something specific?

Book a one-to-one session with Clare for personalised guidance on your business, your challenges and your next steps.

💻 Free access to the weekly Business Club

Your support doesn’t end when the workshop finishes.

Everyone who attends also gets free access to Clare’s weekly online Business Club for the duration of the programme (March 2027)— giving you regular peer support, accountability and a place to ask questions between the monthly sessions.

We’ll help you get clearer on:

✅ Your business foundations — structure, registration and protecting your business

✅ Your money — cashflow, budgeting and realistic revenue targets

✅ Your product or service — creating a clear offer and pricing it with confidence

✅ Your customers — understanding your market, finding customers and making sales

✅ Your next 90 days — turning your ideas into focused, achievable action

You don’t need to wait for the “right” month to join

Every Start-Up Studio session is standalone, so you can join at any point in the year and get value from your very first session.

Come with an idea, a new business, a notebook full of questions — or simply the feeling that you need some help figuring out what comes next.

You’ll leave with more clarity, more confidence and a practical plan to move your business forward.

📍 Chase Terrace Community Centre, Princess Street, Burntwood, WS7 1JH

🆓 Fully funded and free to attend

📅 Sessions take place monthly

Spaces are limited — book your free place and give yourself dedicated time to work on your business.

The Start-Up Studio is delivered by Clare Harford in association with RTi Solutions LLP, under contract to Staffordshire County Council (IA3856).

Description supplied by the event organiser.