Enterprise Nation and Mastercard have announced the launch of the Enterprise Nation: Make a Plan app, supported by Strive UK to help micro and small businesses (MSEs) access free learning from their phone. The app has been developed as part of the Strive UK programme, which is an initiative from the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth that aims to empower 650,000 micro and small businesses in the UK to succeed in the digital economy over the next three years through free guidance, helpful tools, and personalised, one-to-one mentoring.
The app will direct MSEs to a data driven ‘ one stop shop ’, which will house relevant resources, programmes and digital tools from different support organisations to help founders build and grow their businesses. Businesses can upload their details and to generate a digital business action plan which they can use to track progress on their phone.
The app comes at a time when more than one in 10 working age adults in the UK plan to start a business in the next three months, which equates to around three million individuals looking for early-stage business support. This is a significant increase and reflects an upward trend in the ambition to start a business.
In addition, data from Enterprise Nation shows 70 per cent of early-stage businesses are looking for advice on how to build and improve their cash flow plan, while 55 per cent of more mature growing businesses are looking to establish a financial reporting routine.
The data also found 55 per cent of start-ups are looking at ways to find a repeatable revenue line in their business and the same number of growing businesses want marketing support to boost profile and brand awareness. Emma Jones, founder of small business network and business support provider Enterprise Nation, said: “This is a totally new approach to deploying curated support and advice to business owners. They will be able to very quickly build a learning action plan and identify support areas that will have the most positive impact on the business. “While you don’t have to be an expert in everything to start a successful business, understanding the basics to a decent standard can significantly increase your confidence and resilience – as well as your chances of success.”
Natasha Jamal, Vice President, Social Impact, Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth, said: “There is an explosive growth opportunity for the UK’s micro and small business sector, but it can only be realised if they receive the right guidance and support. For small business owners, trying to identify which digital tools are the right ones for their business can be a daunting task. The Strive app and one-stop-shop simplifies this by giving time-poor business owners all the resources and guidance they need to grow their business in one place.”
The IOS app is available on the App Store and will be released in Android and on Google Play.
