The NatWest Entrepreneur Accelerator programme is a fully funded support initiative designed to help businesses scale and grow. Successful applicants benefit from one-to-one coaching from dedicated Acceleration Managers as well as full use of the Hub’s modern coworking spaces in central Cardiff, access to a calendar of events, and the opportunity to join a community of like-minded peers, specialists, mentors, and NatWest colleagues. The programme runs for six months with the next cohort due to start in mid-March.
Attendees at the Discovery events will hear from current Accelerator cohort members about their experiences and be given an overview of what to expect on the programme while exploring the co-working space on offer within the Hub. Anyone interested in attending a Discovery event is invited to book a free ticket before they fill up.
HR and recruitment consultancy Talent Tent has been a member of NatWest’s Accelerator programme for the last four months, taking advantage of the programme’s coaching and the accountability that comes with meeting the Hub’s dedicated experts on a regular basis.
Katie Feagan, Founder of Talent Tent, said: “The community of other business founders which the Accelerator programme gives you access to is amazing. It’s like having a huge group of colleagues and critical friends who want to support your business to succeed. Without that you can feel very isolated as a business owner.
“Then there is the one-to-one coaching, and the accountability that brings. When you’re working alone you may know what you need to do, but it’s easy to get distracted by other tasks. When you know you have to sit in front of your coach and explain what you’ve done about the issues you discussed in your last coaching session, it makes you get on with it and ‘eat the frog’.”
Katie, who has an MBA, said she values the practical nature of the Accelerator programme and its focus on supporting founders to put what they learn into practice in their businesses.
Praising the support on offer, Katie added: “Accelerator gives you the opportunity to think differently about your business, especially when it comes to business growth. For example, the workshops have helped us recognise that the processes we’ve developed for the business need to be well-documented. That way, when the time comes to hand them over to a new member of staff or to a virtual assistant, they will be easy to follow and the quality we’ve established will be maintained. Accelerator is helping us to focus on scalability.”
Applications for the March 2024 cohort are currently open and will close on February 16th. To apply to their first programme, entrepreneurs do not need to be NatWest customers.
Since its launch, the Cardiff programme has empowered almost 300 businesses across Wales.
Nick Powell, Enterprise Acceleration Manager at the NatWest Accelerator hub in Cardiff, added: “We are huge advocates for entrepreneurial talent in Wales and want to give all business owners the tools they need to scale and succeed.
“We’re looking forward to welcoming entrepreneurs and introducing them to the support we can offer to take their business to the next level. We aim to empower the best and brightest businesses through our local hubs – as well as our virtual community – and help them lay the foundations for long-term sustainable success.
“I’d encourage any business who may be interested in benefiting from free additional support to register for the Discovery Events and find out how NatWest could support their business goals in 2024.”
The Cardiff Entrepreneur Accelerator is just one of 14 hubs located across the UK, including in Manchester. NatWest also offers a Digital Accelerator, a virtual programme of support for entrepreneurs who are unable to travel to one of the 14 physical hub locations. The Digital Accelerator includes coaching and workshops delivered live via Zoom.
Entrepreneurs interested in finding out more about the Cardiff NatWest Accelerator Hub are invited to reserve a spot at a Discovery event.
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