Young People Get a New Way to Talk Business

From early next year, young entrepreneurs under 24 in Hull will have a place to talk to peers about business and enterprise with the new entrepreneurs network “Let’s Talk Business”. The network is designed to be a collaboration of young people who face similar struggles. Let’s Talk Business aims to help young people in business by sharing anecdotes of problems they faced and solutions they found to them.

Let’s Talk Business will be operated on a private online forum where young entrepreneurs can post their own questions, news and anecdotes and receive feedback from the community. Partner businesses, established businesses run by young people up to the age of 30, will also be on hand to answer industry specific questions.

The network will be an extension of the offer of the Lee Creamer Enterprise Club, which already provides young people with business advice, a hot-desking facility and funding through the John Cracknell Youth Enterprise Bank. Let’s Talk Business members will also get special discounts from supporters, sponsors and members to help them make their business’ start-up cheaper as well as helping those businesses make their first sales.

Thomas Arran, owner of T Arran Photo and Let’s Talk Business member says;

"As a photographer, networking is essential for both producing business and creating new ideas.
“Being involved from the start, Let’s Talk Business is shaping up to be a fantastic opportunity to meet and communicate with other young entrepreneurs, provide support to each other as well as gain essential mentoring from already established young entrepreneurs."

As a network for entrepreneurs, by entrepreneurs, every member is looking to raise the profile of the outstanding work and the passion shared by so many young people in the city.

Oliver Wilson, 18, MD of Xuro Ltd. and Co-Chair of Let’s Talk Business says;



“I wanted to start my first business at 13 and felt stupid for thinking it could be possible. It wasn’t until my voice was heard by Charles Cracknell and Hull Youth Enterprise that I realised that there were so many other people like me already trying to make their dreams happen.

“In my eyes, the two aims of Let’s Talk Business are to show young people the sheer number of success stories in the city and to help those interested in business become one themselves by giving them the skills, stories and contacts to push them along the way.”

Let’s Talk Business has received backing from a number of entrepreneurs, including local entrepreneur Phil Benson and former BBC Apprentice star and international businesswoman Ruth Badger.

Phil Benson, co-founder of Xing Smoothies and Xing Health and Let’s Talk Business patron says;

“The support I received when I started my business in 2008 was great but there was no one to talk to my age that had recently had experiences like mine.

“It’s fantastic to see entrepreneurial spirit in Hull still going strong and it is important that we nurture that as best we can. It’s hard for ideas to grow if you “go it alone” which is why having people around you is the most important part in starting a business.”



Along side great work already done in the city with events such as Global Entrepreneurship Week, the hope is that more young people will come forward as entrepreneurs as a result of the increased level of support available.

More information about Let’s Talk Business will be available early 2013 on the Let’s Talk Business website www.letstalkbusinesshull.co.uk and on Twitter @ltbhull and Facebook (www.facebook.com/ltbhull). In the meantime, for more information, call Oliver Wilson on 01482 778834 or email letstalk@letstalkbusinesshull.co.uk.

For more information about the Lee Creamer Enterprise Club and the John Cracknell Youth Enterprise Bank, please contact Charles Cracknell on 01482 612983 or email charles.cracknell@hullcc.gov.uk.