Drive to accelerate today's side hustles into tomorrow's top UK businesses
A new drive to grow the number of small businesses in the UK through targeted support for side-hustles and start-ups has been announced by Small Business Britain and eBay. The new Side-Hustle Lab - a free, six-week online programme, designed to help people get started, scale up, and build successful businesses – will launch on June 4.
With the number of small businesses falling by 9% over the last five years - from a peak of 6 million in 2020 to 5.45 million in 2024 - the organisations are jointly calling for greater support for start-ups, and particularly businesses starting life as side-hustles.
Research from Small Business Britain and eBay found that starting a side-hustle is now the leading route into entrepreneurship in the UK, with 39% of small businesses starting-up as side hustles and, of those, 46% growing into full-time ventures.
'As millions of Brits turn their passion projects into income, particularly during the cost of living crisis, we need more support for this section of the economy to accelerate the next generation of businesses and growth for the UK economy,' said Michelle Ovens CBE, Founder of Small Business Britain.
'We know that side-hustles are where so many brilliant businesses begin, but turning a great idea into a great enterprise takes knowledge, confidence and support.'
Launching on Wednesday 4 June, the Side Hustle Lab will offer up to 500 aspiring entrepreneurs across the UK hands-on guidance to help kickstart and grow their ventures.
The programme will showcase expert-led modules on how to get started, time management, marketing on a budget, including how to sell on eBay effectively, advice on customer service and scaling, as well as legal structures, finance and sustainable growth.
A strong focus on building digital skills will be given, due to the growing importance of digital marketing, online platforms, e-commerce and AI. Indeed, despite a general decline in overall small business numbers, there has been a strong shift towards digital-first business models in the UK economy.
Programme participants will also join a supportive network of fellow side hustlers and hear real-life success stories from entrepreneurs who turned passion into profit.
Ryan Panchoo, who founded his allergy-friendly doughnut business ' Borough 22 ' as a side-hustle in 2014, is an example of a business owner who has successfully scaled his venture from a side-hustle. He says of his journey: "I started in my kitchen, just trying to make doughnuts my kids could actually eat. I had no roadmap, just passion, purpose, and persistence, but I've ended up with a concession in Selfridges and am going from strength to strength. If you've got an idea tugging at you, just make a start. Side-hustles have the power to grow into something life-changing, not just for you, but for the people you serve. We need to make sure we are backing entrepreneurs in the UK starting out this way as they are the future."
Eve Williams, VP and GM of eBay UK, added: 'For thousands of entrepreneurs, eBay has turned passions into professions and side-hustles into start-ups. Our aim is for anyone to be able to start and grow their business with no barriers to entry and access to millions of UK customers in a few clicks.
'We know that emerging businesses need more support. The Side-Hustle Lab is one way to help equip emerging entrepreneurs with the tools they need to grow faster and smarter, powering the next wave of small business success across the UK."
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