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Posted: Thu 21st Mar 2024
Enterprise Nation is on a mission to take the loneliness out of entrepreneurship.
Through our local meet-up campaign, we're offering a ready-made support network to small business owners across the UK and Ireland.
In 2002, Yarka Krajickova left the Czech Republic to work as an au pair in the UK with just a backpack and £60 in her pocket.
Despite facing homelessness in London, she eventually found a home in Bristol and put herself through university to study accountancy.
Now a licensed accountant with close to two decades of experience, Yarka has supported a wide range of corporate clients in the tourism, hospitality and event-hosting industries.
In 2017, she started her practice and in 2020, launched Action Your Accounts for start-ups or those changing their hobbies into businesses.
She found that about 40% of businesses didn’t have accountancy support and were still looking for answers on the internet, rather than seeking help from a qualified licenced accountant.
After having children, I decided that I was not going to go back to corporate work, instead, I was going to make it as a freelancer.
I started getting involved with Enterprise Nation when my younger one was about three to four months old, I brought him to the very first in 2018.
Fast forward a few years, I was one of the 100 speakers at the 2022 StartUp Show, talking about profit first and in 2024, I was invited to cover 'Registering as a sole trader or limited company'.
When I was looking for freelancing networks, it was tough to find events for mums where you could bring your kids, even if the event was for mums, it was not kid-friendly.
Dan Martin, the Local Leader for Bristol, made the meetings so much nicer. He brings the sort of energy that really keeps me coming back.
His in-person meetings are super-friendly and I feel safe to bring my kids without dreading the fact that people will get offended or that there's no space for a pushchair.
These meet-ups are about sharing your challenges and we brainstorm solutions. We go around the table expressing our problems and others share tips, links and contact numbers. It was my sanity check during COVID.
Recently I have been looking for speaking opportunities and the last time, I came away with 10 different links and contacts to do this.
These meet-ups are the most chilled, informal, helpful and achieving community. Nobody's there to sell. You ‘pitch your business’ in the context of your problem and that’s it.
I have met loads of friends through Enterprise Nation and clients as well just from the meet-ups, let alone StartUp Show.
Because I keep going to these monthly meet-ups, I find I can help people when it comes to accountancy-related and business support.
I do like to spread the word, so rather than repeating myself 100 times, I'd rather stand in front of 100 people and explain myself once, which led me to do the StartUp Show.
As frightening as it is standing on a stage, there's a certain buzz about it and the adrenaline kicks in.
I absolutely love it, but the best thing is at the end when there is a queue of people waiting to talk to you and you know you can help them.
It's very upside down like a rollercoaster but these meetings are a huge help.
It's been a massive help having people I can talk to and bounce ideas off of because as an entrepreneur you're alone, especially when you don’t have business partners.
It's not being afraid of asking for help, not overthinking it and just doing it. Forget about impostor syndrome and procrastinating. These are just consequences of overthinking things.
Local meet-ups take place every month. Find your nearest and reserve your place
