Council support accelerates business growth

Tara Read from Limitless Driving based in Sprowston was struggling to set up her new business providing automatic driving lessons.

She said:

“After qualifying as a driving instructor, it was always my goal to work for myself, but it felt like a really big leap.”

Tara contacted the Economic Growth Team at Broadland District Council and was delighted to receive support through the Business Builder scheme.

She completed the Council’s free online Foundation Course which gave her the key skills and knowledge to launch her business and helped her to write a detailed and professional business plan.

After she launched Limitless Driving, she then applied for a Build Up Grant, which helped to pay to have her car wrapped with her branding and an app to manage her bookings.

Tara said:

“Business Builder is perfect for someone like me who hasn’t run a business before and is starting without much capital. It gave me the confidence boost I needed and helped me to appear professional right from the start. Now Limitless Driving is established, I’m always busy.”

Cabinet Member for Economic Development, Councillor Martin Booth, said:

“For many entrepreneurs, taking the next step to grow their business can be challenging, and lack of funding or a skills gap can hamper their progress. Business Builder aims to remove those barriers and whether they’re a start-up like Tara, a small to medium business, or a multi-national, we can offer owners the support they need to take their business to the next level.

"In just 20 months we have supported Broadland businesses with 127 grants, totalling £616,000. The funding has accelerated growth and supported start-ups, created jobs and boosted the local economy."

Alongside investment the Council has also provided advice and training tailored to each business and its specific needs.

Find out more about Business Builder and how it is helping local businesses.