Harpreet Suree: 'StartUp UK was the perfect fit in terms of building my confidence that I could do this.'

StartUp UK is Enterprise Nation's scheme to provide free tailored support to budding entrepreneurs.

Backed by the UK government and Monzo Business, the programme delivers initiatives such as e-learning, online training, national events and flagship annual conferences throughout the UK.

As the scheme continues to run, we're talking to some of the businesses that have been taking part, to hear how it's benefited them so far.

Here, we talk to Harpreet Suree, whose business Collective Companion provides marketing services to support new sole traders and limited companies with their branding and advertising.

How did you come up with your business idea?

I came up with the idea of building a marketing solutions business because it's everything I know. I have a BSc in Communications and Marketing, a CIM Professional Diploma in Digital Marketing and over 12 years' experience working my way up the marketing ladder.

I enjoy learning about other businesses, I take them on as if they were my own, and I've had a sense of achievement in all of my corporate roles.

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You've taken part in Enterprise Nation's StartUp UK programme. What were your reasons for doing it?

I hoped to accelerate the process of starting my new venture and getting traction with it. At one month in, by the end of March 2023, I'd secured my first customer. I'd been out to a whole range of in-person and online networking events, and I'd really switched from a full-time job working for someone else to a full-time job working in my very own business.

I felt the StartUp UK programme was the perfect fit for me in terms of building my confidence that I could do this. From then, I could really start to embrace my entrepreneurial spirit.

How has the StartUp UK programme benefited you and your business so far?

I've benefited by accessing online learning, attending Lunch and Learn sessions, networking and joining some of the StartUp Series workshops online.

I launched my business at the end of February 2023. With years of corporate experience working in marketing, I was unexpectedly made redundant from a start-up tech firm. I'd taken the leap to join that business in October 2022, so I could learn more about the inner workings of a start-up and find out how to do it myself.

Often, we don't hear anything about start-up businesses in their early days – we only hear about them years down the line when they're sold or have won innovation awards. So when I started Collective Companion, I made it my mission to learn as much as I could. This is where Enterprise Nation came in, recommended to me by one of my mentors.

What's the best advice you've received from taking part in StartUp UK?

The best advice has been to "be scrappy". Funnily enough, this advice really resonated with me, as a old colleague of mine used to describe me as the Scrappy-Doo to her Scooby-Doo!

Do you have any business advice for other aspiring entrepreneurs?

Just to get out there and continue learning and progressing, bit by bit.

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