BACK HER BUSINESS: Could you win £10,000 for your new business?
by Jasmine Ward | Jan 09, 2020 | Stories
As part of the Back Her Business programme, we have £200,000 to give away to new businesses this January.
Start 2020 as you mean to go on. You’ve got that great business idea and Back Her Business is here to help you get it off the ground. We know the idea of raising money to start a business can sometimes be challenging so Back Her Business is making it easy for you to test your business idea, grow your customer community and make your first sale!
How?
With ‘Bring it 2020’, you could win a slice of £200,000, funded by NatWest, to get your business started. By telling us your business idea in 100 words, you’ll be in the running for …
Gold:
One brilliant business will win £10,000.
Silver:
Four businesses will receive £5,000.
Bronze:
Twenty businesses will win £2020.
Grant funding:
All eligible projects which crowdfund will win £500.
Full competition terms and conditions can be found here.
Why?
Well, Back Her Business has been designed to help close the gender gap in business as only 1/3 entrepreneurs in the UK are women.
Looking for inspiration? Check out Back Her Business in action.
Don’t just take it from us. Meet just a few of the hundreds of women who made their business start with Back Her Business in 2019. You could be next!
BOARDERS WITHOUT BORDERS: More than just sport
Raised £30,624 | 463 supporters
Amna Akhtar & Kiran Kaur, Birmingham, England.
“The Back Her Business programme was a huge blessing and really allowed us to propel our crowdfunder to the end.”
Noticing the shocking lack of representation in sports, a group of women in Birmingham got together and decided to tackle the statistics themselves.
After already creating two cohorts of boarders from 4 different UK cities and winning multiple awards for their short documentary film, Kiran and Amna wanted to get 220 women of colour into adventure sports by 2020.
Amna said, “The extra funding is allowing us to be more financially sustainable so that we can continue to run programmes that benefit women and wider society. By being able to fully launch our e-commerce store with a budget that covers everything we needed to get started, it has put us in a different space for business growth.”
MASTERPEACE STUDIOS: Mindful and creative expression
Raised £16,179 | 184 supporters
Zena El Farra & Georgie Mason, London, England.
“Back Her Business, just wow. Really wow. What a total privilege. Seeing the NatWest money come through was like a little profound hug.”
In the fast paced world of the 21st century, it can be difficult to take time for yourself. Understanding that creativity can have a massive impact on wellbeing, Zena El Farra and Georgie Mason set out on a mission to help the people of London realise the benefits of mindful painting and creative expression.
Zena said, “We’ve had nearly 20 sittings so far, the artwork produced is stunning and inspiring, and the reviews so far have really warmed our hearts to read.”
She continued, “We’d have never been so punchy with our fundraise if it wasn’t for BHB. It gave us the confidence to stretch beyond our perceived limits.”
NYINA: The next generation of bakers
Chikumo from Newtownabbey, Northern Ireland.
“Being able to tell the world that Ulster Bank backed my business is truly an honour.”
There is nothing more homely than the smell of freshly baked goods. Though, with a busy life, it can be hard to find the time to roll your sleeves up and get mixing. On a mission to change this, Chikumo turned to the crowd with an idea.
By creating simple and sustainable all-in-one baking mixes, she could teach the next generation how to create anything from a simple cake to a well decorated show-stopper.
“To have received the support I have from such a mixture of people has been overwhelming. I have met some amazing people through the process including my mentor. It has also made me believe in myself again!”
Don’t let this opportunity pass you by! So, what are you waiting for? Tell us your idea in 100 words to be in the running for cash prizes, grant funding and more!