Eight years of creating new businesses in Blackpool

A businessman has expanded into new premises and has become the latest success story from Blackpool Council’s Get Started scheme, which celebrates eight years of supporting new companies.

Robert Garcia, a local businessman who originally hails from the Philippines, opened ‘Asia’s Finest Food Stuffs’ just two years ago, thanks to the help from the Get Started scheme.

The experienced officers provided him with bespoke and one-to-one advice on becoming his own boss. The advice included making sure that Robert had effective business and financial planning, as well as offering tips on making sure that his products were fit for sale.

He said: “It helps enormously to know that you can always get help from Get Started even though I am now an existing business.

Robert’s success story is just one of 1,000 businesses that have been started up thanks to help from Get Started over the last eight years.

To celebrate the service’s success, Blackpool Council’s cabinet member for business and economic development went to see Mr Garcia’s new store for himself.

“It’s great to see people like Robert who have taken on our advice and are now expanding their business, benefiting not only the town but also their own families as well. “Our Get Started service is made up of experienced officers who can offer help to anybody who is thinking of setting up their own business. Whether it is just for an initial chat or for bespoke advice on getting started, we are always available to help.”