30 January, 2014

Outset starts up 1000 firms a year, exceeds 3000 jobs

Business owner Ryan Buckle whose business started the 3000th job.

Business support and start-up specialists, YTKO Group, have achieved a major milestone creating 3,000 jobs through the company’s flagship Outset start-up programme.

Funded by the European Regional Development Fund and many local councils, Outset leads in business creation in the UK, particularly for the long-term unemployed, women, under-25s and over-50s, and people living in areas of deprivation.

Outset projects across the UK are now creating jobs at the rate of over 1,000 a year. YTKO Group Chief Executive, Bev Hurley CBE, said: “Creating a thousand firms and more than a thousand good jobs in the last 12 months is a credit not only to those passionate entrepreneurs, but also to our dedicated teams and the Outset way of working.

The 3,000th job was created by Capes Health Professionals, a health professional matching service.

Founder Ryan Buckle from Plymouth started the business after a serious motorbike accident in 2005. Ryan was left with Whiplash after the accident and struggled to find a health professional who had the experience and skill to fix the problem. He wondered if this was an unmet need he could translate into a good business.

Outset’s Plymouth project worked with Ryan to develop the idea, research the market, create the business plan, and ensure he was fully informed of the best way to start up and prosper.

Through his own experiences Ryan Buckle believes other entrepreneurs should follow his lead, with Outset support. “Outset Plymouth was excellent.  The Start-Up course, the Fit for Business workshops and the Outset Finance support taught me the key things about being in business. Starting up is the best decision I’ve made.”

The Outset achievements are recognised both by the UK Department of Business, Innovation and Skills, and by the European Commission. Minister of State for Skills and Enterprise, Matthew Hancock said, “Outset supports the government’s drive to create a culture of enterprise and growth in the UK by providing opportunities for disadvantaged people to start their own business. Their work demonstrates that anyone with the right attitude can become an entrepreneur and I hope it will continue to encourage even more people to consider a start-up.”

Last year, YTKO Group was awarded the prestigious Grand Jury Prize for inspiring entrepreneurialism at the 6th European Enterprise Promotion Awards (EEPA), for the achievements of Outset. This came after winning the UK’s national Enterprising Britain Award for promoting enterprise.

YTKO’s Bev Hurley reckons that there is more to follow: “After this significant milestone, I’m looking forward to announcing the 4,000th new job created through Outset by the end of this year.”