Social businesses taking shape with start-up scheme
Just six weeks after it started, students have spoken out about the difference which a Portsmouth entrepreneurship school is making.
The School for Social Entrepreneurs started in November from the John Pounds Centre, Portsea, and attendee Steve Gomesz is among those whose business plans are beginning to take shape.
The former stockbroker was forced to remodel his life when his Dublin-based bank went under in the dot com bubble and he found himself out of work.
He has been exploring social enterprise ideas ever since and is now planning to set up a community-based bank to help residents in places such as Somers Town start up their own businesses with advice and support from the Centre for Social Enterprise.
Mr Gomesz, 44, from St Vincent Road, Southsea, said: 'There's a lot of communities in Portsmouth such as Somers Town where a lot of people are just crippled with debt.
'And if you look at reasons, there's just no opportunities for them.
'What I'd like to do is get them starting up their own business, instead of waiting for the work to come to them.
'Portsmouth City Council put me on to the school. We've been learning all the rudiments of how to start a business. It's been incredibly, incredibly useful.
'What's really stuck out for me is meeting some of the entrepreneurs who have come to speak to us at the school, and have told us their journey so far.'
He now aims to set up his business support bank within around six months.
It would provide funding for a business in exchange for initially owning it outright
The person starting the business it would then buy back their shares bit-by-bit as the business took off.
Ann Carver, also 44, from Mitchell Road, Havant, is writing a book and trying to set up a career and a public speaking programme on how to avoid debt.
She said: 'Since I started in November I've narrowed down my business plan quite a bit from what it was before.
'I feel at this stage if some one asked me to deliver a programme tomorrow I could comfortably do it.
'We've got people believing in our idea, and I've got more drive and feel as if the wheels are in motion.
'Whereas before it was just an idea, now it's my dream becoming more of a reality.'
The one-year social enterprise course has 17 attendees, who come to the centre every Monday for a full day of tutoring.
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Wednesday 23 May 2012
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