The Cube: Useful resources, training and e-learning for budding entrepreneurs

Information resources 

• Self-Employment: A series of 'bite-sized' videos on self-employment are available on the HMRC's YouTube channel.
• Setting up your company : Gov.uk Working For Yourself talks you through the different options for setting yourself up as a sole trader or limited company, and what you need to know.
• National Insurance and Tax: The Ready Reckoner calculator tool is available on Gov.uk's website to work out how much money you need to set aside for National Insurance /Tax.
• Launch and Grow your Business: The British Library run a series of workshop packages on everything you need to know to help you start, launch and grow your business.
• Articles: Startups is an invaluable resource for up to date articles on entrepreneurship hot topics and news. It also contains 62 detailed guides on how to start a business in popular industries.

Business plan templates

• Download a simple business plan to get you started.
• Download an expanded version of the business plan - this allows you to add more detailed information such as a marketing plan, financials and operational detail.

Marketing and branding

• Branding and entrepreneurship: Small Business Resource Centre provides information and tips about branding and entrepreneurship.

Legal and accountancy

• Company information: Companies House incorporates and dissolves limited companies, registers the information companies are legally required to supply, and makes that information available to the public.
• Accountancy: Getting an accountant to help with the accounting, tax and finance issues should be able to save a start-up business more time and money than the cost of the accountancy fees. 

Intellectual property (IP)

• IP and Research: IP and Research help can be found at Cracking Ideas.
• Guide to IP: The Gov.uk Intellectual Property Office offers a guide and e-learning tool on intellectual property and how to create a viable business opportunity from your idea.
• IP Rights: The IP Tools for Universities on the Gov.uk website is an accredited e-learning tool to help students and lecturers understand intellectual property rights.
• Trademarks / Patents: Read through the Gov.uk guides to registering, protecting and applying for patents, trademarks and copyrights.
• The University of Plymouth Intellectual Property Policy: This Policy sets out the University’s position regarding the ownership of intellectual property (IP) developed by staff, students and certain others, together with the procedures in place for commercialisation of University owned IP. It covers all University related activities, including research and innovation and student education. For more information please visit the University IP web page.
  

Social enterprise

• Gov.uk has a guide on setting up a social enterprise .
• Training in social enterprise: i-Genius is a worldwide network for social entrepreneurs providing training, services and news.
• Support for social enterprise: UnLtd is a charity that supports social entrepreneurs on their journey.
• Plymouth Social Enterprise Network is a hub and support system for social purpose businesses in the city of Plymouth.
• Social Enterprise Mark CIC has created a video 'What is social enterprise'.
  

Becoming a freelancer/contractor during or after university

• How to become a freelancer: CareerLancer offers advice on how to become a freelancer in a range of areas such as music production, journalism, IT programming, web development, engineering and manufacturing, graphic design and multimedia, and many more.
• How to become a contractor: Contractor UK is an IT contractor community with advice and information about starting out as a contractor.
• Opportunities: for other opportunities to develop your employability and explore careers and placements with established companies, visit the University of Plymouth Careers Service.

Small Business Toolkit

To support these exciting ventures, and those other new and small businesses who have ambitions to grow, Devon & Plymouth Chamber have created this electronic booklet comprising a whole range of advice and guidance.

Digital Business Academy

The Digital Business Academy provide free online courses that help you to build skills to start, grow or join a digital business.  

Enactus at the University of Plymouth & Global 

What is Enactus ?

We are a global community of students, creating real businesses and social enterprises to tackle the world’s biggest issues. Enactus allows students to gain real-life experience of using the skills of entrepreneurship and innovation by creating projects that tackle the sustainability development goals. Our main aim is to make a difference, by turning opportunity into action and focusing on the concerns that currently need addressing.

Enactus Plymouth has both local and international projects. An example of one of our international projects is PurEgypt which is currently producing a bio-sand water filter that utilizes sand to filter the once contaminated water, with the aim of reducing Egypt’s reliance on plastic water bottles.

We develop social enterprise projects in small teams, with the help of a widespread network of academics, Enactus alumni and business advisors. We work closely with some of the world’s biggest companies, and our members are up to 50x more likely to be hired by our partners as graduates than the average student. We regularly meet business professionals who provide us with advice and attend networking events, both locally in Plymouth and national events.  

Alongside this, we compete as a Plymouth team against other university teams from across the country at annual regional and national competitions, displaying our projects and showcasing the impact we have made over the last year. There is the opportunity to be part of the presentation team, which is another way Enactus can improve members presentation skills, levels of confidence, and networking skills.

We welcome everyone to come along to help us make a difference.