- Videos & webinars
- Access funding
Witness session: Getting cash for a start up
SSE CEO Alastair Wilson explains a simple but powerful fundraising tactic.
Simon Boyle shares eight practical lessons for anyone starting a business. He stresses the value of having a mentor who can offer honest guidance, the importance of challenging yourself beyond your comfort zone, and the need to build on your ideas by surrounding yourself with people who can take them further.
Simon encourages founders to talk openly about their vision, accept support rather than trying to do everything alone, and communicate their passion clearly when seeking investment. He also highlights the importance of celebrating small wins and maintaining a mindset of continual growth, always thinking about what comes next.
Related resources
- Information & toolkits
- Access funding
How to…find funding for a social enterprise
Finding funding can feel complex. This guide brings together trusted places to start: major UK grant providers, grant information and search tools, and social investment options.
- Videos & webinars
- Start or launch something new
Witness session: Junior Smart – how I became a social entrepreneur
Junior Smart shares how supporting others in prison inspired him to create a project helping people break cycles of reoffending and rebuild their lives.
- Videos & webinars
- Grow or scale an existing idea/project
Witness session: Tips for enterprise
John Brown shares practical, hard‑won advice for anyone starting or growing a social enterprise.