AJ Flooring joins The Leeds Entrepreneurs' Forum. February 2010.

Bankers in Leeds are working together to mentor and support inner city start-up businesses in the first of three new collaborative ventures organised by Financial Leeds and Leeds Ahead.

The Leeds Entrepreneurs' Forum has been launched to help young businesses that have got off the ground to make further progress and become established successes.

Commercial bankers from HSBC, Santander and Yorkshire Bank will meet the young entrepreneurs quarterly in the forum to discuss and help with key aspects of running a business such as planning growth, financial management, cash flow, raising finance and reaching new markets.

Two more projects currently being developed, will link bankers with schools and community environmental projects and are being supported by Barclays Bank.

The entrepreneurs in the Forum have been selected from the Leeds Enterprise Growth Initiative (LEGI) programme which funds business growth schemes and start-ups in inner city communities. They are:

  • A.J Flooring - sells up market ceramic flooring, wooden flooring and glass tiles - mostly online
  • Digital Arc - online marketing consultancy
  • Le Cafe Shop - sells up-market coffee online
  • Paschali Consulting - engineering and management consultancy
  • Plus Minus Design - product design.

Commenting on the initiative at the Forum launch event at the office of Pinsent Masons, Howard Kew, chief executive of Financial Leeds, said: "The idea for the forum came from discussions between members of the Financial Leeds Banking Group and Leeds Ahead. Most new business failures happen in the first two years so by giving help at an early stage, we hope to improve the survival rate.

"New businesses are essential to help the city out of the recession and for future employment, particularly in the inner city areas of Leeds. We are encouraging the banks to volunteer some of their best managers to provide guidance at this critical time for new entrepreneurs."

Stephanie Burras, chief executive of Leeds Ahead, a social enterprise which acts as a broker organisation for businesses and employers to access community-focused projects particularly in the deprived wards of Leeds, said: "We welcome this support from the banks in 2010 which has been designated the Leeds Year of the Volunteer. This is another way we can work together to unlock more of the city's potential to the benefit of all who live and work here."

The Entrepreneurs Forum is the first of three new initiatives between Financial Leeds banking group and Leeds Ahead. The other two, currently being developed, will link bankers with schools and community environmental projects.

For more information contact Janette Cawcutt, Business Account Manager at Leeds Ahead on 0113 246 7877

Leeds Entrepreneurs' Forum

Left to right at back: Bankers: Phil Sweeting of Yorkshire Bank, Angus Woodcock, HSBC and Dave Stuart of Santander with the entrepreneurs - foreground L to R: Joe Cohen, AJ Flooring; Patrcik Joseph, LeCafeShop; Adam Croft, Digital Arc; Barry Paschali, Paschali Consulting and Adam Robinson, Plus Minus Design.