Who are we?

Ni Can Help CIC is s Leicester-based, not-for-profit, business support service, available to everyone, and dedicated to helping businesses and professionals to become more entrepreneurial and to make access to business support services easier and more approachable.

So, how can Ni help?

Creative & Digital Marketing Support

As part of our social purpose we offer charities, social enterprise and other social purpose organisations 6 hours of marketing consultancy to help you focus and streamline your marketing activities.

• Free Business awareness advice

• Free Help in creating a business plan

• Free Marketing advice and PR ideas

• Free Access to finding assistance

• Free Premises and location searches

• Free Ongoing support and mentoring

• Free Networking groups: share ideas

• Free Local regeneration updates

• Free Employment and recruitment advice

• Free Business seminars and workshops

• Free Mini website on http://www.liveworkinvest.com/

Common areas that we help with are:

– Impactful Messaging

– Brand Communications

– Social Media Strategy / Training

– Marketing Strategy and Tactics

– Website Advice

– SEO advice

– Content Strategies

– Commercial Planning

– Creative Marketing Ideas

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We then set a first meeting face to face (currently this will be done via Zoom) to detail out any plans or help based on our conversation.

We aim to give you tools and skills to make you as sustainable as possible.

Workshop & Webinar Training

Keep an eye out for our free workshops we run for community organisations or get in touch to request. Watch videos, read guides and complete tasks to improve your knowledge in our dedicated hub.

Business Planning & Start Up Support

Keep an eye out for our free workshops we run for community organisations or get in touch to request. Watch videos, read guides and complete tasks to improve your knowledge in our dedicated hub.

We also provide...

We are providing the right navigation to the new startups & small businesses owners along with essential Business Support Services to create better brand visibility, sales optimisation, revenue generation by bringing them forward in the competitive market.

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• Planning for Success (business planning course)

• Basic Bookkeeping course

• Understanding Tax and National Insurance Course (for sole traders or business partnerships)

• Building a Social Media Strategy (an introduction to social media for business)

• How to Get Your Business Found by Google - understanding basic SEO Techniques

• Develop Creative Content - Enhancing blog and social media posts

• Marketing Strategy Essentials

• How to Get Media Coverage for Your Business

• Be a Confident BAME Business Owner

Acceleration and community support

Learn from failures and success of other entrepreneurs, get advice and support from InnMind community.

Learn how to bootstrap and grow your business. Create useful connections, find the tools and resources for your startup development.

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We are here to help with business skills.

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We understand that business training is essential for knowledge and confidence building for BAMEs in business.

Our business training spans across many aspects of business, from social media marketing, to bookkeeping, tax and national insurance rules.

Here at Ni Can Help we understand that the range of skills that a new business owner needs to utilise can be a worry, which is why we have put together a programme of skills-based business training courses that will help BAME business owners to develop new business skills in an interactive way.

These courses are open to BAME business owners looking to start a business or developing an existing business.

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How InnMind helps startups?

Contacts

An access to network of mentors and prospective investors

Promotion

Your content could be published through our media channels

Professional services

In case you need to hire some service providers, there is a pool of good ones

Knowledge base

Reviews, studies, document templates are available for free

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View our resources

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Get support for your business

Rebuild, adapt your business & upskill with 1:1 digital consultancy, training webinars, online support and a free health check. Support is available on digital marketing strategy, social media, e-commerce and more.

Businesses can access free digital consultants, online training and a wide range of support to help their business adapt and change.

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1:1 Digital Consultancy

Let an expert help you rebuild your business beyond the Coronavirus with free 1:1 support to help you build platforms, communicate, set strategies and find more customers

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Business and Professional Development

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Knowing me, knowing you

Strategy Day

This session can focus on either business or career strategy. It will help you to take a step back, prioritise strategic choices and competing pressures, reflect on and review your direction and develop a coherent and authentic strategy to get there.

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 Other topics include: 

• Marketing & Sales

• Social Enterprise

• Social Media Marketing – an overview workshop or focused sessions on: Blogging, LinkedIn and Twitter.

• Winning the Bid or Tender

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Online Support

We have online guides, articles and video tutorials focussed on key issues that businesses are facing during the coronavirus crisis. Including e-commerce, search, communications and more.

Need help getting an investor?

We help startups to become "investor-ready“, find a suitable investor, or invest themselves.

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If you're looking for investor - you can request for InnMind support in this challenge. We make independent startup expertise, support startups in fundraising and help to prepare the package of investment documents, such as business plan, financial plan, presentation for investor, etc. If you're interested to learn more - click here.

Often, a startup project does not fulfil its plans to reach potential customers.

Where do I start?  Who can help me?  How do I organise a team, and how do I find an investor? 

Startups have much to consider right at the beginning. We assist founders in keeping track of their progress during this phase.

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Starting a charity or social enterprise?

Are you not sure where to start or who to trust? Get in touch for a friendly and impartial chat for good advice. Let us help you help the cause that matters to you.

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Want to increase your donations and income?

Do you want to improve your marketing while making your hard earned income and donations go further? Keep on reading

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Do you want to improve your image?

If you need some outside help to improve your overall image our amazing team works with you to make this a reality with your budgets

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Business Plan
The guide for every startup

We help to create a business plan suitable for submission to banks and investors but which also offers real, direct information and sets goals for the founders themselves.

Wherever you are going for financial help writing a Business Plan is essential but it is not as difficult as it may sound - it is simply a way of putting your ideas on paper.

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Pitch decks & sales pitches"

The business cards of the founders and their startups

We collaborate in the preparation of individual sales pitches and coach those who present them to investors and customers or to groups at conventions and meetings.

Business models:

Starting the business

First the business model, then the formal foundation

We help the startup find the right time for taking the steps to begin doing business, and we provide competent persons from our network.

Investors‘ network

Every investor is different and has to be convinced individually

We make the startup „investor ready“ and recommend it to suitable investors from our network.

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Get ready to launch

Find our which social media platform suits your business best and how to set one up with our full guide.

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Take it further

Learn how to turn a negative into a positive with our seven strategies to help you manage negative comments like a pro.

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Be proactive

Learn how to get the groundwork done with our best practices guide to avoid late payments

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Take control

Learn how to set boundaries around payment terms and keep on top of your invoices to avoid late payments

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Take it further

Learn about the legal action you can take and the FSB resources available to help you recover debts if all else fails

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Brand Communication

To provide the new startups with low-cost PR and promotional services, to help them build their brand and ensure a positive two-way communication between the brand and the public.

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Web & IT Support

Creating their website, Mobile apps and providing them will all the Morden digital support to achieve their goals and develop their business over the Internet.

Digital Marketing Support

Providing low-cost Digital Marketing and Promotional services for the new startups to ensure their efficient functioning and development to bring them forward in the competitive market.

MAKE MORE IMPACT WITH YOUR MARKETING, ETHICALLY AND FOR LESS

Apply for free marketing help

6 hours of free marketing help to be used to help you help more people.

No catches, just good, honest and impartial advice.

To date we have helped around 120 Third Sector organisations giving over 500 hours completely free.

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Business Growth Strategy

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Financial Management

The burden of managing finances can stop a small

business in its tracks – that’s where OFS comes in.

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Funding opportunities and contacts

Discuss this with us

To determine which individual sources of support are sensible for you can be determined through a personal discussion with us.  It is free and without obligation.

We have been accredited in many ways and can provide you with access to both federal and state funding, which can provide you with a maximum of 90% of your costs through grants.

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If you are thinking of starting a Business or Social Enterprise, Live, Work, Invest is here to help you succeed. We provide free business support for new and existing businesses and Social Enterprises in Tameside.

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If you are considering starting a social enterprise, community business or Co-operative, advice is available from the Council's Social Enterprise Project Team.

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Franchises

There are around 600 businesses in the UK that are franchised but what is franchising and would it be suitable for you?

It's a way of setting up in business for yourself but not on your own. With a franchise you run the business, but using methods that have been already tried and tested by another company, called the franchisor.

It is a way of being your own boss without many of the risk factors. However, you are ultimately answerable to the franchisor and this approach may not be for some people.

There are a large number of websites that deal with selling franchises a small number are listed below:

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www.franchiseinfo.co.uk/

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FAQ

What taxes will I have to pay?

HM Revenue and Customs have put information on their website especially for people starting up their own business. Visit the website at www.gov.uk/topic/business-tax/self-employed

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Where can I get property advice?

For details of privately owned business properties (including industrial, office retail, land and development opportunities) currently available in the Tameside area, please contact the Economic Development Unit on 0161 342 2865/2167 or Send Us a Message or search the details directly at:

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Working from home

You do not usually need planning permission just to work from home but sometimes you do. However there may be other implications concerning your mortgage or tenancy requirements, and concerning National Insurance or taxation. The best option is to seek advice initially from the Tameside Business Family Support Team

Generally, the key test is whether the residence has changed because of the business. If the answer to any of the following questions is "yes", then you will probably need planning permission:

• Is your house no longer chiefly a private residence?

• Will your business result in a marked rise in traffic, people calling or working around the house or in out buildings?

• Will your business involve obvious activities not usual in a residential street?

• Will your business disturb your neighbours because of noise or smells?

Basically you need to ask yourself if the house is still mainly a home or has it become business premises? This is whatever the business, including using a room as an office, hairdressing, repairing cars, storing goods, using part of the house as a bedsit, running a "bed and breakfast", providing childminding or music teaching.

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Do I Need a Licence?

Many businesses require a licence eg. hairdressers, pet shops and places of public entertainment. More information can be obtained from the Licensing Section.

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What standards do I need to abide by?

Trading Standards and Consumer Services Section is a strategic Local Authority service contributing to the well-being of the local and business community through its enforcement activities and advisory services. More information about the work of trading standards, including access to fact sheets that may be relevant to your business, and advice on weights and measures.

The Trading Standards division will give talks to any business, consumer group, school or any other organisation on the work carried out by the Trading Standards service in the following areas:

• Weights and measures

• Food labelling

• Product and toy safety

• Home safety

• Your rights when shopping

• Credit, borrowing and lending

• General work of the Trading Standards division

Other subject areas that are not listed can be arranged on request. To request a talk from trading standards fill in the online trading standards request form

Will I need to pay business rates?

The value of all property in respect of which rates are payable to the Council are shown in the local ratings list. This list is available from the Valuation Office Agency .

More information on business rates.

Where can I get rid of trade waste?

The Trade Waste Service is available to all commercial and industrial premises in the Borough.

The Council also carries out commercial pest control work for local businesses.

How do I recruit staff?

The Council is committed to attracting new jobs to the area and works in partnership with other agencies to ensure residents benefit from employment opportunities created within the Borough.

More information about training and employment.

Your local job centre will advise you on recruiting staff and will advertise positions in the local centres free of charge. For more information, advice and to find your local job centre look at the GOV.UK recruitment and hiring page .

You can also contact the local employment agencies to help recruit permanent or temporary staff although there will be a charge for this.

You can also advertise in the local press.

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Apply here

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APPLICATION INFORMATION

– Must be an organisation with clear social values and aims. You do not neccesarily need to be registered as a charity, social enterprise, CIO etc but this would help.

– We want to help smaller organisations. We do not have a specific condition on this but please bear in mind when applying.

– We give 6 hours of consultancy and all of this does not need to be used in one go but we ask that you commit to the process (see below)

– You give us permission to use your logo and provide feedback on the sessions.

– Please be mindful that there may be a wait for the first session due to high demand.

That’s it!

Please apply via the form below.

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HOW WE WORK

Once you have applied we will let you know within one week if we can support you.

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Once confirmed we will set a date for an initial phone call to gain more background and identify the best areas we can help you in the time. We are very mindful that this matches the amount of time you have to implement any suggestions.

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Membership

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Membership

FSB membership means inclusive support, market-leading benefits and a voice heard in governments at all levels. If you are self-employed or own a small business, membership is built from the ground up to help you achieve your ambitions. Together, we are stronger.

As experts in business, we offer our members a wide range of vital business services including advice, financial expertise, support and a powerful voice in government. Our mission is to help smaller businesses achieve their ambitions. We are a not-for-profit organisation, led by a team of our members, which exists to serve the small business community across the UK.

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With "82% of small businesses saying that cash flow problems was a major cause to their failure", we want to help small businesses overcome that challenge by offering free...