Kick Off in Business
...a team of business start-up experts
About us
We are the only free, nationwide, field based business start-up support service available to everyone.
Working with a range of partners from Premier League Football Clubs to HM Prisons, Kick Off in Business run short events and courses which are fun, engaging, practical and useful. We provide people with information to set up on their own and at the same time, protect them from the information they don’t need. Online providers and other agencies attempt to provide you with an ocean of information in one go. The result is confusing and complex. We package the common challenges and considerations of starting up and help you tackle them. Starting a business is easier and closer than you think.
Where we started
Ken Horn is a leading expert in business start up advice. He created Kick off in Business in 2012 after the Government’s decision to axe Business Link, the only free nationwide, field based start-up support service at that time. In 2012 there were 2 million people self-employed. There are now 4.6 million.
Over the course of the 10+ years Ken has worked in this field he has helped over 10,000 people set up in business on their own. With his help they have turned interests and skills into long-term, flourishing businesses – not setting out to conquer the world like contestants on The Apprentice or Dragons Den, but, reaching freedom and financial security by delivering traditional services in existing markets.
Ken genuinely strives to dismiss the myth that you have to ‘start an airline’ or ‘invent the next big thing’ to have a successful business. With 99% of start-ups setting out to start something conventional, based on a hobby or an interest, there is massive scope and encouragement for people who want to do just that. His book Everyday Entrepreneurs is a refreshing approach and a must read.
The closure of Business Link created a ‘perfect storm’... Oodles of people setting up in business but no recognised, accredited support. Using the powerful relationship between football clubs and the local community, Ken launched Kick off in Business. Within a very short period Kick off in Business were running weekly events from Portsmouth to Newcastle and everywhere else in between.
Who we are for
If you want to launch an airline, then you’ve come to the wrong place. We help the other 99.9% of the start-up community who wish to set up a conventional business in an emerging or traditional market. Our courses provide uncomplicated, useful information and guidance to anyone who is in the process of setting up a business or simply just exploring the idea.
What's next?
Kick off in Business is exploring a number of collaborative arrangements with other key players in the start-up industry, including Start Up Britain and Virgin. There is a real opportunity to recreate a recognised, trusted and reliable source for free start up and entrepreneur advice.
HMP
Through the Gate Support
Our ‘through the gate’ support provides a clear pathway, priceless continuity and stability for learners at a time when the landscape is cluttered, noisy and confusing. This support extends to working with other specialist ex offender agencies to tailor a package of support to the specific needs of each learner. Each of our courses carry a formally recognised business qualification. They are delivered via a series of short, punchy, fun and engaging sessions designed to provide learners with sufficient information for them to launch a business.
The Programmes are funded by the European social fund.
Kick Off in Business is owned and run by SCL Education.
The Programmes are accredited by SFEDI Awards.