First Enterprise

Here’s what’s happening at First Enterprise this week 🩵 From useful reads to upcoming events, there’s plenty to look out for.

Worth a read 👇

📝 Why it’s vital you take the emotion out of your business decisions
Our latest article explores how taking a step back and focusing on the facts can help you make more informed business decisions.
📝 What lenders look for when assessing a business loan application
Thinking about funding? Find out what lenders consider when assessing a loan application and what to expect before you apply.

📣 Important Dates

✊🏿 1st–31st October — Black History Month
Throughout October, we’re celebrating the achievements of Black entrepreneurs. We believe everyone should have the opportunity to follow their business dreams, and we are proud to support business owners from black communities.
🍎 5th October — World Teachers’ Day
A chance to celebrate the teachers who inspire, support, and shape future generations.
🧠 10th October — World Mental Health Day
A reminder of how important it is to look after your wellbeing, because we know that running a business can be stressful.

📅 Upcoming Events

📍 Innovation Challenge 2026 — 7th October
Bringing businesses and innovators together to explore new ideas and opportunities.
📍 Business Growth & Funding: Practical Insights for Midlands SMEs — 15th October
Our free Nottingham event is getting closer! Join us at the Dryden Enterprise Centre for practical advice, expert speakers, networking and 1-to-1 funding clinics with our Investment Managers and Business Advisors .

Whether you’re looking to grow, invest or understand your funding options, we’d love to see you there!

That’s your First Enterprise roundup for this week 🩵 See you next week!

In honour of Black History Month, we’re taking the opportunity to celebrate and spotlight Black-owned businesses and the people behind them 🙌🏾.

Supporting and championing businesses from Black communities is something we value at First Enterprise, and we’re committed to helping entrepreneurs access the funding and support they need to grow.

Today, we’re shining a spotlight on Inside Out, a Birmingham-based alternative health clinic founded by Daniel Akowuah Adubofour 🩺 🧘🏾.

After working in the NHS and drawing on his experience in physical therapy, football, and athletics, Daniel set up Inside Out to help people manage pain, support recovery, and explore preventative treatments.

When Daniel wanted to expand the clinic’s treatment options, the cost of specialist machinery was a challenge.

That’s where a £10,000 Start Up Loan through First Enterprise came in.

The additional funding helped Daniel purchase a Shockwave Therapy machine, allowing Inside Out to offer another treatment to its clients 📈.

Today, the clinic offers a range of holistic and therapy-based services, including cryotherapy, pressotherapy, and hyperbaric oxygen treatment.

Daniel’s story is a great example of how access to funding can help turn plans for growth into something tangible. We hope sharing stories like Daniel’s helps celebrate the achievements of Black entrepreneurs and shines a light on the businesses contributing to their communities 👥.

🔗To find out more about Inside Out click the link in the comments

A new week, a new First Enterprise update🩵! Here’s what’s on the agenda…

Worth a read 👇

🎤Case study: Typhoon Anchor

Our latest customer success story focuses on Typhoon Anchor, a Derby-based ground anchor producer. Founder Mike Dean had experience working with the Royal Engineers, and wanted to develop a product which could secure structures when the ground offers poor grip. With support from First Enterprise through the Start Up Loan scheme, Mike was able to take Typhoon Anchor to the next stage of product development. This is another great example of how the right funding, at the right time, can empower growth and turn business goals into reality.

🎤Interview: Why you should consider using a second Start Up Loan to boost your business.

Look out for our interview with Nabeel, Senior Investment Manager, to hear how an additional Start Up Loan can support growth and build momentum.

📣Important Dates

✊🏿1st to 31st of October — Black History Month

In honour of Black History Month, we’re celebrating the achievements of Black entrepreneurs all of October. We believe everyone should have the opportunity to follow their business dreams, and we are proud to support entrepreneurs from diverse backgrounds🌍.

☕1st of October — International Coffee

A coffee break can be more than just a caffeine fix. This International Coffee Day, we’re celebrating the cafes and coffee shops that bring local communities together, as well as the business owners who make it all possible. To read more about community-focused cafes, check out our case study on Replenish Café, funded by First Enterprise’s Start Up Loan scheme!

📅Upcoming Events

📍 Business Growth & Funding: Practical Insights for Midlands SMEs — 15th of October

Our very own event is fast approaching…

Taking place on 15 October, 9.30am–1pm at the Dryden Enterprise Centre in Nottingham, this free event is bringing together business experts, entrepreneurs and funding specialists for a morning packed with practical advice, useful conversations and valuable connections🌱.

Expect expert panels, guest speakers, 1-to-1 funding clinics, networking and the opportunity to speak directly with our Investment Managers and Business Advisors about your next steps📈.

Whether you’re looking to grow, invest, overcome a challenge or simply better understand the funding available to your business, we’d love to see you there!

And just like that, September is coming to an end! See you in October🍂

Happy Monday 🩵! Here’s what’s going on at First Enterprise this week…

Worth a read/watch 👇

🧶Case study: Knit Nottingham
This week, we’re shining a spotlight on Knit Nottingham — an independent yarn retailer acquired in 2024 by Hannah and Daniel Byrne. A Business Loan from First Enterprise not only allowed Hannah and Daniel to purchase Knit Nottingham, but helped them achieve their dream of owning a small business that also serves as a community hub for fellow creatives 🫂.

🎄New article: Christmas planning for businesses
Christmas planning often starts months in advance, whether you're wrapping presents, stocking up your food cupboard, or picking out the perfect tree. The earlier you start the preparation, the easier it feels. Well, the same applies when running a business. Planning ahead allows you to prepare for busy periods, set priorities, and avoid last-minute panic. Check out our new article to find out more about how planning ahead can make all the difference⏰.

🤝New article: How to maximise the benefits of your business advisor relationship
If you're on a Start Up Loan or Business Loan journey with us, you'll likely have been assigned a Business Advisor or Investment Manager. Your time spent with them is invaluable. They are a rich resource of knowledge and advice. Our article covers how you can make the most out of this relationship, setting your business up for success.

Also, keep an eye out for our monthly Company News Update this Friday!

📅Upcoming Events

📍Creating Connections — 25th of September
We’re thrilled our Investment Manager Zainab Bukhari will be attending the Creating Connections conference in Stratford-upon-Avon. The event is designed to empower female entrepreneurs and give like-minded women the opportunity to connect. If you’re attending, make sure you look out for Zainab!

📍The Midlands Business Network Expo — 25th of September
Seth, Indy, and Lottie will be attending the Midlands Business Network Expo in Solihull. This is a great opportunity for small business owners and entrepreneurs to connect with our Investment Managers and chat about what their funding options!

📍Money, Money, Money Workshop — 29th of September
We’re thrilled that our Deputy Director Danielle Davis will be speaking at the Money, Money, Money Workshop alongside Martin Sandhu and David Kelly this week. The workshop is organised by Nottingham City Business Growth Service Team and focuses on the different types of business funding available. If you’re able to attend, it’s a great way to hear from specialists in the field who can provide practical guidance on accessing finance💷 .

And don’t forget…

We have our very own event right around the corner: Business Growth & Funding: Practical Insights for Midlands SMEs🌱.

Taking place on the 15th of October, from 9.30am to 1pm at the Dryden Enterprise Centre in Nottingham, this free event will bring together business experts, entrepreneurs, and funding specialists for a morning of practical advice, useful conversations, and valuable connections.

Expect expert panels, guest speakers, 1-to-1 funding clinics, networking, and the opportunity to speak directly with our Investment Managers and Business Advisors about your next steps📈

Whether you’re looking to grow, invest, overcome a challenge or simply better understand the funding available to your business, we’d love to see you there!

Another exciting week at First Enterprise ✨. Make sure to check out the Knowledge Hub for our new articles and case study!

Your First Enterprise weekly update is here🩵! Let's take a look at what’s happening this week…

👇Worth a read

✍️Ethnic minority entrepreneurs experiences of business finance
Taking on debt is a big step for any growing business, but minority business owners often take greater caution when accessing finance. So, why is this? Our new article explores the reasons behind why ethnic minority entrepreneurs may be more careful decision makers, and why improving understanding and confidence around business finance matters.

🧶Case study: Knit Nottingham
This week, we’re shining a spotlight on Knit Nottingham — an independent yarn retailer acquired in 2024 by Hannah and Daniel Byrne. A Business Loan from First Enterprise not only allowed Hannah and Daniel to purchase Knit Nottingham, but helped them achieve their dream of owning a small business that also serves as a community hub for fellow creatives 🫂.

📣Important Dates

👩🏽‍🤝‍👩🏼15th of September — Everywoman Day 2026
Everywoman Day is all about championing women's health and wellbeing. We understand that women’s health is often overlooked and underfunded, creating challenges that affect women's day-to-day lives.

For female entrepreneurs, this may mean balancing ongoing health conditions with the demands of running a business, making it harder for them to achieve their goals.

That’s why having guidance and support is so important. The right financial support can ease some of the pressure and allow women to place more focus on their wellbeing❤️‍🩹

📅Upcoming Events

📍Gedling Recruitment Fair — 16th of September
Nabeel and Mohsin will be attending the Gedling Recruitment Fair at the Civic Centre in Arnot Hill Park. Drop by and say hello to find out more about First Enterprise and potential opportunities!

📍The Business Growth Show — 17th of September
Our Investment Managers, Seth, Zainab, and Lottie will be attending The Business Growth Show at Birmingham City Football Club! The team are excited for a day of connection, collaboration, and innovation💡

And don’t forget…

We have our very own event right around the corner: Business Growth & Funding: Practical Insights for Midlands SMEs🌱
Taking place on the 15th of October, from 9.30am to 1pm at the Dryden Enterprise Centre in Nottingham, this free event will bring together business experts, entrepreneurs, and funding specialists for a morning of practical advice, useful conversations, and valuable connections.

Expect expert panels, guest speakers, 1-to-1 funding clinics, networking, and the opportunity to speak directly with our Investment Managers and Business Advisors about your next steps📈
Whether you’re looking to grow, invest, overcome a challenge or simply better understand the funding available to your business, we’d love to see you there!

Plenty to look forward to! Here's to a productive week ahead✨

📅 Your First Enterprise Weekly Update

A new week is just around the corner, and there’s plenty happening at First Enterprise and across the business community. Here’s what’s coming up 👇

💷 National Payroll Week

From 7-11 of September, National Payroll Week is a timely reminder of just how important it is for businesses to get payroll right.

Paying your team accurately and on time is one of the most important responsibilities of running a business, so it can be a good opportunity to check that your payroll systems, processes and cashflow planning are working as they should.

If you can see a potential cashflow gap on the horizon that could put pressure on payroll, it may be worth exploring your funding options sooner rather than later. A little forward planning can help you protect your team, your business, and your peace of mind.

📖 New article: Minority business owners and debt – why are so many anxious about risk?

Debt and finance can be uncomfortable subjects for any business owner, but for some entrepreneurs, concerns around risk can become a significant barrier to seeking the support they need.

Our latest article explores why many minority business owners feel particularly anxious about taking on debt, the factors behind those concerns, and why understanding the difference between manageable borrowing and unhealthy debt is so important.

💡 See us at Ideas Fest!

Our team will be heading to Ideas Fest on the 9th and 10th of September, joining thousands of entrepreneurs, business leaders and innovators for two days of ideas, conversations, and inspiration.

Keep an eye out for Lottie, Zainab, Rosa, and Petra if you’re attending. We’d love to say hello! 👋

Ideas Fest brings together hundreds of speakers and sessions across the two-day event at Champneys in Tring, making it a fantastic opportunity to connect with other ambitious business owners.

🍂 Coming up this autumn: Business Growth & Funding

And don’t forget to save the date for our very own: Business Growth & Funding: Practical Insights for Midlands SMEs

Taking place on the 15th October, from 9.30am to 1pm at the Dryden Enterprise Centre in Nottingham, this free event will bring together business experts, entrepreneurs, and funding specialists for a morning of practical advice, useful conversations, and valuable connections.

Expect expert panels, guest speakers, 1-to-1 funding clinics, networking and the opportunity to speak directly with our Investment Managers and Business Advisors about your next steps.

Whether you’re looking to grow, invest, overcome a challenge or simply better understand the funding available to your business, we’d love to see you there.

📢 It’s shaping up to be a busy few weeks, and we hope to see plenty of you along the way!

📣 Happy Monday!

September is upon us, and we’ve got a busy month ahead! From navigating financial risk to learning business lessons from some classic video games, there’s plenty to get stuck into this week. 👇

📚 Worth a read
💷 Minority business owners and debt: Why are so many anxious about risk?
Taking on debt can be an important step towards growing a business, but for many minority business owners, concerns around risk, access to finance, and financial resilience can make borrowing feel like a much bigger decision.
Our latest article explores why these anxieties exist and why understanding your options is an important part of making confident financial decisions.

🎮 5 game-changing business lessons from classic video games
What can Frogger, Tetris, and Super Mario teach you about running a business? Quite a lot, actually! 👀
From adapting to obstacles and thinking strategically to knowing when to take a leap of faith, we’ve levelled up some classic gaming wisdom into five lessons for business owners.

🎯 Awareness: National Payroll Week – 7th to 11th of September
This week we’re also recognising National Payroll Week, celebrating the people behind the payroll, and highlighting the important role payroll plays in keeping businesses running smoothly.
From paying your team correctly and on time to managing cash flow and staying on top of responsibilities, getting payroll right is a vital part of running a healthy business. 💼

📅 Coming up this September
💡 IdeasFest – 9th and 10th of September
We’re looking forward to IdeasFest, with Lottie, Zainab, Petra and Rosa representing First Enterprise.
If you’re attending, come and say hello! We’d love to connect, share ideas, and talk all things business. 🤝
🤝 Creating Connections – 25th of September
Zainab will also be attending Holly Nixon’s Creating Connections event later this month – another great opportunity to meet fellow entrepreneurs and build meaningful business connections.
🍂 Business growth and funding: Practical insights for Midlands SMEs
We’re also gearing up for our own autumn event at the Dryden Enterprise Centre in Nottingham.

The event will bring together Midlands SMEs for practical advice and insights on business growth and funding, with guest speakers, expert panels, networking opportunities, and funding workshops.

Check out the article in the comments to learn more about the event!

📣 Your First Enterprise weekly update is here!

As August draws to a close, there’s plenty happening at First Enterprise, from celebrating our people and the businesses we support to looking ahead to some exciting events this autumn. 👇

📰 Worth a read

🏢 Our August Company News is out tomorrow!
Catch up on what’s been happening across First Enterprise, including our upcoming Autumn event, our plans for IdeasFest, a new addition to the team, and some well-deserved work anniversary celebrations. 🎉

📚 Case Study: Computer Science Tutors
Meet CS Tutors, a Birmingham-based private education business founded by Evan Davis Selianitis, specialising in tutoring students as they prepare for key exams and qualifications.
It’s another great example of how the right support and funding can help ambitious businesses build for the future. 🚀

🐶 International Dog Day — 26th of August
Yes, we have an important business announcement: it’s time to celebrate the office pups! 🐾
International Dog Day is also a great reminder to take a moment away from the screen, practise a little mindfulness, and think about emotional wellbeing in the workplace.
Sometimes the best business strategy is simply taking five minutes to get some fresh air and throwing a ball. 🐕💨

📅 Coming up this autumn

💡 IdeasFest — 9th and 10th of September
We’re looking forward to joining IdeasFest, with Lottie, Zainab, Petra and Rosa representing First Enterprise. Two days of ideas, inspiration, and connections — we’ll see you there!

🤝 Creating Connections — 25th of September
Zainab will also be attending Holly Nixon’s Creating Connections event. Another great opportunity to meet fellow business owners, share ideas, and make valuable connections.

🍂 Business growth and funding: Practical insights for Midlands SMEs
We’re also getting ready to host our very own autumn event at the Dryden Enterprise Centre in Nottingham.
Designed to give Midlands SMEs practical insights into growing their businesses and accessing funding, the event will feature guest speakers, expert panels, networking opportunities, and funding workshops.

More details in our August news update — have a read and learn how you can join us! 👀

📣 Your First Enterprise weekly update is here!

It’s another busy week at First Enterprise, with useful reads, exciting events, and plenty to celebrate. 👇

📚 Worth a read

💷 Debt restructuring: How it could benefit your business
Could restructuring your business debt help improve cash flow, reduce financial pressure, and give you more room to grow? Our latest article explores the potential benefits and what businesses should consider.

🎓 How to prepare your children for university and adult life
Heading off to university is a big step – for young people and their parents! Our latest lifestyle article looks at some practical ways you can help your children build the confidence, skills, and financial know-how they’ll need for adult life.

🎉 Celebrating our people

A big congratulations to Seth Addo and Mohsin Rizvi, who are both celebrating their work anniversaries with First Enterprise this August! 🥳

Thank you both for everything you do for our team and the businesses we support. Here’s to another year! 👏

📅 Coming up

🤝 The Business Desk’s Nottingham Summer Networking Lunch – Wednesday 20th of August

Our Investment Manager Zainab and Business Advisor Rosa will be attending, so if you’re there, make sure you say hello!

💡 IdeasFest – 9th and 10th of September

We’re looking forward to IdeasFest, with Lottie, Zainab, Petra and Rosa representing First Enterprise. Two days of ideas, connections, and conversations – we can’t wait!

🍂 Business growth and funding: Practical insights for Midlands SMEs

We’re also getting ready to host our own autumn event at the Dryden Enterprise Centre in Nottingham.

The event will bring together Midlands SMEs for practical insights on business growth and funding, with guest speakers, expert panels, networking opportunities, and funding workshops.

More details coming soon – keep an eye out for how to get involved!

👋 Happy Monday! Here's what's happening at First Enterprise this week...

📅 Upcoming events

📍 11th of August – Chamber x Kuku Connect Affiliation Celebration Evening

Rosa will be joining businesses from across the East Midlands for an evening of networking, collaboration and great conversations. If you're attending, be sure to come and say hello! 👋

📍 20th of August – Nottingham Summer Networking Lunch

Zainab will be at this relaxed networking event hosted by TheBusinessDesk.com. Whether you'd like to discuss your business, explore your growth plans or find out more about the funding and support available, we'd love to meet you.

🤝 Attending either event?

Don't forget to register in advance and come and find us. Whether you're just starting out or looking to take your business to the next level, we're always happy to chat.

💷 Financial Awareness Day – 14 August

Running a business means making financial decisions every day, but it's easy to get caught up in the day-to-day.

Financial Awareness Day is a great reminder to review your cash flow, revisit your goals, and make sure your finances are working as hard as you are.

A few proactive steps today could make a big difference tomorrow.

📚 New on our website

🌎 Super El Niño: Why businesses should be planning ahead
Extreme weather on the other side of the world can still have a major impact on UK businesses.

Discover how Super El Niño could affect supply chains, costs and growth, and why planning ahead can help your business stay resilient.

🐻 What Winnie the Pooh can teach you about business

Believe it or not, the Winnie the Pooh franchise is one of the three most valuable media franchises of all time. We've explored the surprising business lessons entrepreneurs can learn from the Hundred Acre Wood.

💚 Customer Spotlight: Shades of Emerald

Meet the inspiring team behind Shades of Emerald, an eco-friendly cleaning service that's growing its business while helping protect the environment. Read how our funding has supported their journey.

🛡️ 5 proactive ways to prepare your business for worst-case scenarios

No one likes to think about the unexpected, but being prepared can make all the difference.

From improving cash flow to building contingency plans, discover practical ways to strengthen your business against future challenges.

Have a fantastic week, and if you're looking to start, grow or strengthen your business, we're always here to help. 💙