Job Title: Junior Business Advisor
Reporting To: Shapeways.io
Salary: £22K
Location: Tooting (South West London)
Contract: Part Time (3 days a week)
ABOUT US
Business Launchpad empowers marginalised young entrepreneurs aged 16 to 30 in London through personalised business support, workshops, programs, and 1:1 coaching. Our collaboration with young people helps them start businesses or enter employment, education, and training. We foster confidence, aspiration pursuit, and potential realisation in youth. We’re proudly supported by Tooting Works, a social enterprise offering office and co-working spaces. 100% of Tooting Works’ profits fuel our charitable efforts. It’s more than a business; it’s a community hub in Tooting. Our focus is always on the youth we serve.
THE ROLE
This exciting role focuses on supporting marginalised young people in London on a transformative journey of developing their business ideas into functioning and growing enterprises. We are looking for a results focused individual who can champion our community of young people to build their business growth mind-sets, develop a good base of business skills, shape a positive financial future and grow meaningful networks.
We are looking for a Business Advisor who can run effective 121 Business Support sessions, facilitate business development workshops, be an advocate for our young people and develop the enterprise connections and resources young people need to experience a business idea becoming a successful enterprise. The ideal candidate is someone who is passionate about creating positive change and impact in young people, is able to build strong rapport with young people from different backgrounds facing different challenges, and who can take initiative to create or innovate opportunities and open doors for the clients we work with.
It is important that our Business Advisor can create a support environment where young marginalised people feel comfortable to express their ideas and plans, while feeling safe to discuss the barriers and hurdles that they face. On being a trusted advocate in their business journey, you will be an agent of positive change not only on their route to market but also in their overall life with increased communication skills, resilience and confidence.
We are ideally looking for an individual with 2 years of business support experience, sound business knowledge and lived experiences of business development (you may have started your own business). This role would suit someone who has a business advice or development qualification, experience in youth work especially in working with young people who a harder to reach and face multiple barriers. We would welcome applicants with lived experience of facing barriers as well as applicants who have experience working with young people who have traditionally been harder to reach and face multiple barriers.
Candidates are encouraged to apply even if your experience does not exactly match the job description. We are excited to hear from candidates who can bring passion, innovation and connection to support our young entrepreneurs to success in business.
This role will require a successful DBS and a Level 3 safeguarding (can be trained on the job).
ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES
Business Support
- Responsible for supporting and monitoring each client’s journey at Business Launchpad; including creating an inspiring, motivating and productive environment while keeping young people accountable to their business goals.
- Deliver high quality 1:1 business support for our clients to enable them to progress and move forward in creating business results. Include providing quality information, advice and guidance with the aim of addressing and overcoming barriers, and facilitating clients in starting their own business or social enterprise.
- Review applications, perform initial assessments and respond to enquiries.
- Support with ideation, design and innovation of workshops and masterclasses.
- Facilitate engaging and meaningful workshops for our clients.
- To maintain up to date professional knowledge and information pertaining to business start-up and development of a business or social enterprise.
- To effectively signpost young people to external agencies and specialist advice as needed.
- Be pro-active in creating and building opportunities that build our clients social capital.
- To contribute to the development and review of client support materials where required.
- Support cohort programmes with 1:1 business support delivery.
Monitoring and Evaluation
- Evaluate and report the progress and needs of clients to the Growth and Innovation Manager to increase quality of service and expand support services as needed.
- Support in client and programme evaluation, report writing and the development of exit strategies where appropriate.
- To work with the Impact & Evaluation Manager to collate correct and true monthly statistics for all support provided to clients.
- Be organised and efficient in completing relevant documentation and notes for clients and programmes on our Salesforce CRM system.
- To abide by BLP’s data protection policies as governed by GDPR
Community building and partnerships
- Be an advocate for youth enterprise by building networks, partnerships and resources that will support the client journey at Business Launchpad including our signposting process.
- Build relationships with the tenants of Tooting Works to maximise opportunities for business/work experience for our young people.
Personal Attributes
- Exceptional communication skills including being able to communicate effectively with different people from different backgrounds and experiences.
- Passion and genuine care to support young people into positive futures
- Organised and pro-active approach to work
- Accountable to meeting the charities objectives
- Collaborative and entrepreneurial
The duties and responsibilities described are not a comprehensive list and therefore the scope of the job may change as necessitated by business demands.
You must a UK resident and have eligibility to work in the UK. Please note, only suitable applicants will be contacted.
Equal Opportunities Statement
We are an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or any other legally protected status in our employment decisions and policies. We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace where all employees are valued and have the opportunity to succeed. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to their individual background or circumstances.
