Free advice on offer for new firms

A team which has helped entrepreneurs get more than £100m worth of help has launched a free training course to help Wearsiders start up successful businesses.

Gateshead-based Transmit Startups has become the UK’s leading provider of start up loans and a surge in demand has seen applications for support rise threefold in the past year.

This appetite for starting up has prompted the team to develop Learn Smarta – a new style of training to plan, launch and run a strong and successful business.

Business support director Damian Baetens said: “Business success depends on more than a good idea.

“Aspiring entrepreneurs stand a much greater chance of making a real go of things if they fully understand all the basics of business.

“Learn Smarta as a new kind of business training to give people the skills, confidence and support they need to give it their best shot.”

Learn Smarta students will work with expert tutors and the course covers everything they need to know to then set up and run their business.

The first Learn Smarta programme will begin on May 10, and usually costs £499 but is fully funded for anyone living in Tyne and Wear and Northumberland.

Damian added: “Essentially, this is the kind of training course that we wish we’d had when we were starting out. We’re really excited to see what a difference we can make to the startup community.”

For more information about Learn Smarta visit www.smarta.com/learn