When it comes to a new business, starting out means forking out, right?

Wrong!

Is it any wonder that around twenty percent of new businesses don't make it past their first year due to financial difficulties? To put this into perspective, that is approximately 160,000 UK businesses that fail to thrive every year. Not just 160,000 businesses, it is also 160,000 dreams, 160,000 people's lives. This is why Just Starting Out started out!

Formed by business partners Abi Hill and Richard Windley, the concept was a relatively simple one… Why isn't there an affordable online platform that supports new business owners to find their first few customers, and in turn, provides professional services at reduced prices to the general public?

Rewinding a decade or so, Abi explains what led to the idea:

'I've had several businesses over the years, mainly successful ones, but successful or not, I always seemed to struggle when it came to advertising and money management. I found it hard to advertise in the right places. Social media was an inexpensive way to advertise, but often didn't convey the professionalism that I wanted it to. Other options involved large costs, which affected my already stretched finances. There seemed to be no middle ground.'

'In 2012 I started a wedding photography business. I had the passion, I had the skills/qualifications, and I had top of the range gear, but nobody wanted to hire an inexperienced wedding photographer for their big day'.

'Then, in 2021, a close relative re-mortgaged her house in order to fund her dream of having her own web design business, only to render the company as 'dissolved' within eight months of launching'.

'This is what led to my 'light bulb' moment, and I decided to turn the idea into a reality, I just had to find someone who could jump on board and build the site'.

With thirty-five years of software engineering under his belt, and fondly known as a 'technical genius', Richard was the perfect man for the job!

Abi asked to meet to discuss a potential business idea. As soon as she began to explain it, I instantly got it, and knew that it would be a goer. How on earth I was going to build a site and app like that was another story, but Abi's passion was infectious and the concept was a win-win for both professionals and customers. The very first meeting was only supposed to be brief, yet nearly four hours later, I found myself returning to my car with a basic business plan in my hand, a caffeine rush to my head, and a parking ticket on my driver's window'.

Just Starting Out has always been, and will continue to be, led by its core value of championing new business owners. It remains an affordable option for professionals, and will always be free for customers. In fact, from then till now, not much has changed at all, other than the addition of new team members, oh, and that Richard always puts a little extra parking on his car when Abi suggests a meeting!