Preston City Council helps lift the weight of setting up in business

Budding entrepreneurs and established businesses in Preston can now access a range of business support services from Preston City Council, thanks to funding by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF).

The guidance support, which runs until March 2026, includes having bespoke support from a qualified business advisor who can guide through all aspects of setting up a company like money and finance, admin, staffing, sales and marketing.

Whether you're turning an idea into a business, launching your first venture or growing an established company help is available to help you take the next step.

Among the exciting new businesses to access this support is Preston-based Female Body Workouts which launched in 2024 and is going from strength to strength.

Freya Wood, owner, said: “Starting your first business is challenging but very rewarding and Preston is a great city to launch a business. Having access to a dedicated advisor gives us some reassurance and confidence as we build the business.”

Freya’s women-only gym, based at Barton, was recently visited by the Mayor of Preston, Cllr Sue Whittam, to see for herself how the city council was helping local businesses.

She said: “I’m really impressed with the gym, the facilities and how quickly Freya has grown her business and taken on a number of new staff.

"A lot of hard work goes in to running a business and I’m pleased the city council has access to funding to deliver a range of services to support entrepreneurs like Freya.”

Business support organisation, Selnet, based in Fulwood, is working with Preston City Council to deliver this project called City Of Enterprise.

Nina Cowell, project manager at Selnet, said: “We’re here to help and we’d urge anyone thinking of setting up a new company to get in touch and find out how we can help and support you.

"The team at Selnet has many years of experience in helping to turn people’s ideas into successful businesses and then helping those businesses to grow.”