Chamber Puts Success On The Menu

Stephen Jones opened the doors of the Broadway Diner in Swinton in January, after accessing guidance from the Chamber through the Government’s New Enterprise Allowance (NEA) scheme.

 

The NEA scheme provides guidance and support to anyone who has been claiming Jobseekers Allowance (JSA) for 26 weeks or more as they develop their business plan and through the early months of trading.

 

Stephen made the decision to open the diner after completing a catering course and gaining an enterprise qualification, and the expertise of Brij Chaggar, a Business Advisor at the Chamber, was a major help along the way.

 

“My partner and I were both unemployed and were thinking about setting up a cafe last summer, but we didn’t have the funds or the knowledge of how to do it,” Stephen said.  “We found out about the scheme and went to see Brij, who advised us and helped us put a business plan together.

 

“Everything snowballed after we started working with Brij.  His help enabled us secure the premises we wanted, which other people were also interested in.  Things have been going well since we opened up and we have found we’ve been getting double the amount of customers we’d expected.”

 

The scheme also entitles participants to a weekly allowance worth £1,274 over 26 weeks, and Stephen has no hesitation in recommending the programme to unemployed people looking to set up a business.

 

“My advice to anyone interested in setting up a business through the scheme is to just go for it!  It is surprising how much support is available and it is well worth it when you are up and running as we are now.”

 

Anyone interested the New Enterprise Allowance scheme should call 0844 2253 202 (Barnsley) or 0844 2253 236 (Rotherham).