What is the Better Futures: Self Starter Series?

This series is brought to you by Better Space and Cambio! and has been designed to demystify the process of self-employment or starting a business whilst also equipping you with the knowledge, resource toolkit and network to consider this route to employment.

The sessions will be delivered online from 12 noon to 2pm, but participants are invited to come together for a kick off meet and greet lunch at Better Space on Wednesday 11th October, and are welcome to use the workspace to join the sessions each week.

These workshops are for you if:

• You want to know how to get started with employing yourself and don’t know where to start

• You want to learn entrepreneurial and practical business skills

• You have a business idea in its early stages or no idea at all

• You want to know more about social enterprises

• You want to meet like-minded individuals considering the path of self-employment

• You are looking for guidance, a mentor or an accountability partner for your self-employment journey

What will I get from this course?

• A self-employment toolkit, flavoured with social enterprise knowledge, skills and best practice

• A network and community, accountability partners, peer-learning

• Opportunity to be paired with a mentor

• Free coworking space on Wednesdays throughout the series and the chance to apply for a Priority Starter (free coworking) monthly membership.

Starting formally on Weds 18th October, then every Wednesday for 8 weeks, the series will cover the following topics:

Why ‘Social’ Self Employment?

Because the world, our local communities and you, need jobs that are sustainable and do good for people and the planet. The workshops will be flavoured with best practice and examples from the social enterprise ecosystem.

Better Space is an accessible coworking space focused on supporting social enterprises specifically, so all the workshops and programme we run will have social impact and good business at heart of them. Attending this series you will have the opportunity to meet the social enterprise businesses in this unique workspace community.

Who will be running the sessions?

Peter Ptashko, a social entrepreneur, educator and founder of Cambio! Consultancy will deliver the workshops each week, in collaboration with Better Space’s Community Manager, Gabriella Kisoi and Workspace Manager Sophie Eels.

Peter Ptashko FRSA is a social entrepreneur, funder and supporter of social entrepreneurs and currently an independent entrepreneurship and change management consultant working with a range of clients across the Public and Private sectors.

He has over 10 years of experience working in the field of Social Enterprise globally, having launched his first venture back in 2005 – raising £25,000 in only 7 hours. Since then he has worked for UnLtd: the UK foundation for social entrepreneurs, supporting thousands of social entrepreneurs to start and grow their businesses across (in particular) the Youth and Education sectors, securing an investment of almost £10m for universities across England, in collaboration with the UK Government.

He launched Cambio: House of Social Change in 2019 as a response to the growing need for mainstream, high quality, internationally-informed and tailored support to social entrepreneurs in the UK, and beyond.

He is passionate about mental health, human rights, LGBTQ+ communities and Ukraine - where half of his family is based.

Session Schedule:

FAQs

What do I need to bring? 

The sessions will be delivered on Zoom, so you will require access to a laptop, computer, tablet or mobile phone device. If you do not have access to one of these or have any other access issues, please email sophie.eels@city.ac.uk 

We also ask that you bring: 

• A positive outlook 

• An enthusiasm for learning and connecting with others 

• Respect and patience 

Do I have to attend the whole series? 

Each session has been designed to offer different ideas, skills, case studies and group discussions to help you build your own Self Employment network! Although we strongly encourage you to attend all the sessions to get the most from this opportunity, it is not essential to attend them all.