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Rob Hingston

by Rob Hingston / Managing Director

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5th May 2018

Origin Workspace will be so much more than a co-working office space. We͛re also in the process of adding a new business start-up resource we call Origin Startup, a package to help new businesses get off the ground efficiently and effectively.

To develop Origin Startup, we’ve done our homework, doing lots of market research and reviewing existing programmes offered by incubators, accelerators and start-up hubs in Bristol, London and beyond. We’ve asked lots of questions about what works, what doesn’t and probed what experiences entrepreneurs go through when they are ‘on a programme’.

We’ve held 121 consultations with a broad range of Bristol entrepreneurs to understand what support they feel they could benefit from during the early stages of developing a business plan and growing a business.

We’ve also been busy mentoring and coaching a select handful of start-ups to help us really get under the skin of the challenges new businesses face when they͛re on the sometimes bumpy journey towards greater growth.

We’ve learnt a lot since we began this process. As we develop the concept for Origin Startup we are taking into account the following things:

1. Your work and life experiences are unique to you

Every entrepreneur starts a business with a different set of skills and varying levels of know-how under their belt. An entrepreneur could have a month or two decades of work behind them. They could have been a CEO or an apprentice. They could be flying solo or be in a partnership. Their background could be in finance, fashion or football. A start-up package should be flexible enough to accommodate all these scenarios. It should take into account the strengths, weaknesses and experience of each entrepreneur.

2. Success doesn’t mean the same thing to everyone

Success is really hard to define. It͛s actually quite personal. No one should dictate to an entrepreneur what success looks like. For some, it could be about making money; getting a better work/life balance or solving a community-related problem. Stipulating a certain turnover or a profit goal within a given timeframe may not be the right approach for everyone.

3. One size doesn’t fit all

People work in different ways. Some are night owls while others are early birds. The structure for our start-up package needs to be loose enough to accommodate different working patterns but with enough structure to keep people on track.

4. Favour outcome over processes

Many start-up programmes are about a process but entrepreneurism is about finding hacks or shortcuts to help you get where you want to be as quickly and efficiently as possible. We see real value in creating a package where being connected to experienced people who can show you how to do something or connect you with people that can help you can really make things happen.

5. Community is everything

Before you become part of a community, you only ‘know what you know’ and ‘know who you know.’ Community opens doors. When you are around likeminded people then ‘stuff’ happens, connections are made, and opportunities arise. Start-ups need a home in an environment where people are connected by a shared passion and are driven to succeed.

Origin Startup will launch soon. To find out more information please register your interest.

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