Budding entrepreneurs living or working in the Waikato district will have the opportunity to attend a free ten-day business course this March

Waikato District Council and Ministry of Social Development is working together to bring the PopUp Business School Aotearoa to the Waikato district as part of its economic and social development initiative.

Over ten days, PopUp Business School delivers twenty workshops designed to equip participants with the tools they need to start their own business. Topics include building a website for free, the quickest way to find a customer and how to start a business with no money. The course does away with traditional thinking by replacing business plans with actionable, no-cost steps.

The course is free to participants who need only to commit to the ten days of the course.

For more information and to get involved go to: https://tinyurl.com/WaikatoPopUp

“Small business is really important to the New Zealand economy. 97% of New Zealand businesses employ up to 20 people and this represents 60% of all jobs in New Zealand. We actively encourage people to make that step of getting on their small business journey and attend the PopUp Business School,” says Amanda Nicolle National Manager Industry Partnerships, Ministry for Social Development.

Waikato District Council Economic and Community Development Manager Julie Dolan says participants will get to learn how to start a business from scratch - all for free. “It really is a ground zero school for those wanting to go into business. All they need to bring is a good idea, an open mind, and a ton of energy.

“Waikato District Council knows that if you show budding entrepreneurs the way to success, some will seize the opportunity with both hands. Helping provide that opportunity so anyone with a great idea can succeed in business is a big reason why Council backs the PopUp Business School.”

The PopUp Business School was brought to New Zealand from the UK by Kiwi Tony Henderson-Newport. The first course ran in Porirua in October 2017 and more recently in the Kāpiti Coast and the Hutt Valley. Henderson-Newport says so far over 900 participants have attended and formed businesses as diverse as consulting in health and safety, a drone business, florist, craft, food and so much more. “It is inspiring to see the excitement grow in attendees as their business comes to life.”

More information is available at https://www.popupbusinessschool.nz/about.html. While the course is free for participants to attend, Henderson-Newport said it would not have happened without the generous support of its funding partners.

“We are grateful to our partners Waikato District Council and Ministry of Social Development. They recognised what this opportunity means for the community and came onboard. We are just so excited to get stuck in.”

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