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How to Start a Business in Berkshire

Free start-up resources and useful local contacts.

Improve your chances of success!

How to Start a Business in Berkshire

Starting a business in Berkshire

If you are thinking about starting a business in Berkshire or would like to grow your existing business, you have come to the right place.

Start Your Own Business in Berkshire contains resources and the information that will help give your venture the best chance of success. It also highlights organisations who offer friendly advice and the services that you are likely to need as a new startup or local business owner.

Free workshop | 1-2-1 advice | Free guide | Key contacts | Free startup pack

Starting a business in Berkshire

Local help for startups

There is plenty of help for startups in Berkshire but where can it be found?

Select classification:

FREE startup workshops

If you are thinking about starting a business, our FREE three-hour online workshop is definitely for you!

Open to everyone, our sole aim is to increase your chances of success. We do that by explaining: The reality of running a business; the most common pitfalls and how to avoid them; which legal status is likely to be most suitable; funding, grants and managing your money; business planning and cashflow forecasting; finding and keeping customers.

The next workshop is on Friday 21st April 9.30am to 12.30pm

1-2-1 startup advice and support

Would you like some personal business advice and support? Whether you are starting a business, already trading, or just exploring the possibility, we would love to help.

Andy Pringle has been advising startups and small business owners for the past 20+ years and will be happy to work with you on a 1-2-1 basis. Please get in touch to find out more.

Free startup guide

Start Yor Own Business in Berkshire

Download the 2023 edition of our Free Start Your Own Business guide

An interactive step-by-step guide which also includes all of the most important subjects covered in an easy-to-read way with links to useful online articles and relevant contacts.

The idea of starting your own business can be incredibly exciting and who can blame you for being tempted?

However, the sad truth is that far too many new enterprises fail in the early stages. Our aim is to make sure that you don’t become one of them.

This guide explains the key start-up subjects in simple English.

There is also plenty of help available in the area and much of it is free - please do make the most of it.

Read more about what our Free guide contains and how you can download it.

Key Contacts in Berkshire

'You don't know what you don't know' is a phrase that is so applicable to starting a new business.

Berkshire is a great place for start-ups but your chances of success are dramatically improved if you make the most of the support that is available locally. Click on logos to visit their websites.

Accountancy

Turner Barratt
Turner Barratt Corporate Finance is a firm of Chartered Accountants who specialise in Corporate Finance work. We help with company acquisitions and disposals, arrange Management Buy-outs and buy-ins and assist with raising finance. We are experienced in all aspects of starting a new business.
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Print

Printroom Group
Printroom Group has three locations, Bracknell, Camberley and Reading. Servicing the South East for various printing needs including: Business cards, printed brochures, leaflets, poster printing, graphic design, training manual printing, white paper printing, large volume photocopying, confidential photocopying, full colour printing , business stationery.
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Web design

DigiF9 Ltd
We are a website, app, and branding agency, with an emphasis on cyber security. Why cyber security? Because nowadays being hacked is a real possibility regardless of size and business industry. If you process or store personal information, being hacked will do more harm than just reputational damage. But there’s where DigiF9 comes in, with a team of experienced developers, security professionals, designers and marketers - we offer solutions that not only look good but help keep you, your clients, staff and partners safe. Contact us at sales@digif9.co.uk to see how we can help you.
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Advice

Thames Valley Women in Business
Thames Valley Women in Business is a business networking and mentoring group for women in the Thames Valley area. Whether you have an established business or a new venture, it is important to network with and to surround yourself with business people who understand what it is like to run their own enterprise. As women we are often poor at making time for networking for business. Professional women’s networking groups can help introduce us to the world of professional networking and to learn from other entrepreneurs and business people.
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Online Marketing

Digital House Marketing & Design Agency
A House Full Of Digital Marketing Experts…. Here at Digital House, we all love digital marketing! We’re passionate about doing it better than anyone else. With Digital House you don’t just get a design agency, you get a whole team of digital experts supporting the growth of your business in the right direction. We understand your business with a passion. Our team are dedicated to our promise of delivering an increase of enquiries and to building your business to the next level. The combination of our expertise and the way we work is what sets us apart from others. We’re refreshingly honest and our customers stay with us because they want to – we have no tie-in clauses. We are Google Partners, Buy With Confidence (Trading Standards Approved) and a member of CheckAProfessional (where reputation matters) Based in Tadley near Reading, covering Berkshire. Free Digital Insight Workshop Free digital insight workshop to get more from digital marketing. We take the mist away from what is Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), AdWords, Social Media, E-Newsletters, Google Maps and Google My Business, giving you plenty of tips on how to make digital marketing work for you. Venue: Our offices at Heath End House, Tadley, RG26 3SD
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Advice

Business Growth Hub
Starting up a business Free support to get you started Starting a business can be exciting and daunting in equal measure. If you have a new business idea, but don’t know how to get started, our team at the Berkshire Growth Hub is here to help. Pre-accelerator Programme As well as the advice on this website, we offer a free Pre-accelerator Programme to provide you with the knowledge you need to turn your ideas into a viable business. This five-week course includes a mix of workshops, networking and mentoring sessions. It covers everything from creating a business plan and finding funding to pitching your business and developing sales and marketing strategies. You can apply for the Pre-accelerator programme if you haven’t yet registered your business. High Growth Programme. If you have already registered your business and it has the potential for rapid growth and job creation, you may be eligible for our High Growth Programme. Our High Growth service provides tailored support for ambitious small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs).
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Networking

Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce
Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce Group is the voice of business in the Thames Valley. On behalf of micro to multinational organisations, we aim to drive better economic conditions and new opportunities for members and the wider community. Through our recognised centre of excellence for global trade and inward investment, we provide services that promote and create opportunities for the Thames Valley business community. We do this whilst protecting trade and the local/national economic environment. We offer local engagement, regional representation and global opportunity.
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Marketing

Frog Marketing
Frog Marketing is based in Wallingford and offers a professional, flexible and reliable service to local business. Frog offer a comprehensive range of marketing services including; copy writing, graphic design, Website design, search engine optimisation, email marketing and direct marketing. Operating across Oxfordshire and Berkshire Frog Marketing can offer marketing and communications support through out the Thames Valley reign. The company offers a range of marketing services to business in the local area. The philosophy at Frog Marketing is to offer creative design solutions at affordable prices. Frog Marketing seeks to build partnerships with all its clients, offering a personalised ongoing service. Advice is offered freely and client satisfaction is of paramount importance. Frog Marketing has a variety of clients, situated around Wallingford and throughout Oxford and Berkshire. Clients include electric companies, tack shops, competition livery yards, Oak framed builders, gardening companies and more.
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Advice

Thames Valley Berkshire Local Enterprise Partnership
hames Valley Berkshire Local Enterprise Partnership is a business-led, multi-sector partnership mandated by government to lead activities that drive local economic growth. To date we have secured and allocated £182m of UK and European public funds to deliver a wide range of initiatives in the Thames Valley Berkshire area.
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Advice

Start Up Resource Centre (Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce)
Our Start Up Resource Centre is packed full of vital information for anyone looking to start their own business. Covering topics such as Business Ideas, Tax, Business Law and Sales and Marketing, all the information you need is at your fingertips.
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Networking

Networking Groups in Berkshire
Networking in Berkshire and the Thames Valley, both face-to-face and online, is still an important way to meet new customers, business contacts, suppliers, partners, investors and future employees as well as generally raising the profile of your business. This page on the Business Growth Hub website contains a list of some of the networking groups and business organisations covering Berkshire:
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Networking

Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce
The Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce Group works with businesses across Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Swindon to help them achieve their full business potential. We do this by offering members a range of services including business advice, networking events, training and international trade support. Address: Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce Group, 150 Edinburgh Avenue, Slough, SL1 4SS
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Networking

FSB Thames Valley
FSB Thames Valley is the local branch of the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB). It was formed in 1974 as the National Federation of Self Employed and represents the interests of small and medium-sized businesses locally and nationally. They offer a great package tailored to your needs if you are thinking about starting a business in the area. Contact: Robyn Bourne Development Manager Robyn.Bourne@fsb.org.uk
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How to start a business

100's of free startup articles

We have created a collection of 100s of startup articles to help anyone with whatever stage they are on with their business journey. Hundreds of thousands of people have gone before you and we can learn from what they got right and avoid the things that have been proved not to work so well.

You can see the full list of 'articles' at: How to start a business