Shell Livewire helps 16-30 year olds to start and develop their own business by providing: Information, advice and practical support; a free online Business Kit tailored to their specific business idea; an interactive web service and forum for ideas, advice and information exchange with other young entrepreneurs; and, Big Enterprise Experience workshops to encourage young people to develop enterprising skills.

Shell LiveWIRE has over 25 years experience encouraging young people to start and develop their own business.

>> Find out more and watch our presentation 

Shell LiveWIRE Provides…

• Information, advice and practical support for 16-30 year olds starting up their own business
• a FREE Essential Business Kit to every caller, tailored to their specific business idea.
• one-to-one advice through a national network of local business advisers and young business mentors
• an interactive web service and idea exchange

The Essential Business Kit contains…

• 2 booklets: ‘Market Research for the First Time’ and ‘Writing Your First Business Plan’
• A detailed Business Opportunity Profile on your business idea
• Contact details for a LiveWIRE coordinator in your local area

Shell LiveWIRE website - www.shell-livewire.org

Creating a FREE account on this website allows you to get FREE:

• help and support to develop your business idea
• access to 100's of pages of useful business information
• use of a personal briefcase tool to store information

The main elements of our website are…

• The Big Trip - which helps people to map out their career path, and discover if they have what it takes to be an entrepreneur.
• Unlock Your Potential - an interactive learning section, which helps people develop business ideas and test their commitment before taking things further.
• Be Your Own Boss - an online library with customised information based on five core business areas. The five interactive learning modules are General Management, Sales and Marketing, Finance and Funding, Business Planning and Personnel. There are hundreds of different articles to help achieve success in these areas.
• Discussion forum - which enables young entrepreneurs to share business experiences, including asking for, or giving, advice to others in the same situation.
• Finance Action Planner - a financial modelling tool which helps users to develop their financial skills and produce a range of financial forecasts and reports.

 The Shell LiveWIRE Service

The Service Has Enabled ...

• 600,000 young people to explore starting their own businesses since 1982
• approximately 16% of all enquirers each year to start a business
• an average of 2-3 new jobs created by each new business start up
• 65% of new start ups to still be trading 4 years later
• over 300 export businesses to break into over 35 markets worldwide,  generating £5.1 million in sales and creating over 200 new jobs

The Service Has Had ...

• a prestigious UK awards programme recognising, and rewarding, Britain’s best young entrepreneurs:
  • awarding over £3 million in cash prizes since 1982
  • attracting 843 regional finalist businesses with a combined turnover of £61.2 million and creating 2,665 new jobs

In 2008 there will not be a Livewire awards programme. Instead we will be running a series of enterprise and innovation workshops in various locations across the UK to give training and support to young people who have an interest in starting a business, or who are already in business. Keep your eyes peeled for news of when these workshops will be running. We hope you sign up and join us. You can register for tailored information on this website, and use it as a forum to chat to other young entrepeneurs. We hope you find all the tools on the site helpful.

Shell LiveWIRE was the First Youth Enterprise Service To…

• work with young people to introduce Sustainable Development to all aspects of their business planning and operation.

If you work with young people and you would like to find out more about Shell LiveWIRE, or your organisation would like to work with Shell LiveWIRE, please e-mail us.

Contact Details

LiveWIRE Youth Enterprise is registered in Cardiff as a company limited by guarantee No. 2040314. Registered office:

Shell LiveWIRE
Design Works Unit 20/21
William Street
Felling
Gateshead
Tyne & Wear
NE10 0JP
UK

t: Lo-call 0845 757 3252

t:+44 (0) 191 423 6229
f: +44 (0) 191 423 6201
e: enquiries@shell-livewire.org