A leading high street bank has announced a free one-day bootcamp in Cardiff for young entrepreneurs to hone their enterprising skills.

TSB has partnered with small business support network Enterprise Nation to deliver a host of ‘Start Something’ workshops in six major cities, in a bid to support up and coming entrepreneurs between the ages of 16-30.

The latest event in the series will be held at MeetSpace at Park Lane Aparthotel on Saturday 2 November, and is open to those who already have their own business or those who simply have an idea they’re keen to turn into a business.

Young entrepreneurs are invited to attend the full day ‘business bootcamp’ session, where they will be given the chance to hear from successful business leaders such as entrepreneur Sophie Segal, who will be leading the Cardiff workshop.

Guests will also be given advice on important topics such as identifying your market, marketing your product or service and securing funding.

According to The Entrepreneurs Network, the number of young people aged 14 to 25 thinking of starting a business has more than doubled over the past 15 years. A recent poll found 51 per cent were considering starting a business or already had, with another 35 per cent saying they were open to the idea.

The report showed the key barriers to starting were ‘not knowing where to start’, ‘fear of failure’ and ‘not knowing the right people’.

Faye Armitage, Head of Relationship Management Business Banking, at TSB, said:

“Fostering up and coming entrepreneurial talent is extremely important to us at TSB.

“If you’re a young person, you might have a great business idea but not necessarily have the contacts to turn to for support or advice in converting your idea into a reality and making a success of it.

“That’s why we teamed up with Enterprise Nation.  As the UK’s most active small business community which is there to help people start and grow their own businesses, it felt like a really natural fit for us and these workshops are something we’re delighted to support.”

Enterprise Nation is a network of small businesses and business advisers which supports entrepreneurs at each stage of their journey, from turning an idea into a business, to growth strategies, finance and marketing.

Emma Jones, founder of Enterprise Nation, said:

“It’s clear there is an enormous appetite for starting a business amongst young people, but they just don’t know where to start.  Our workshops are a fantastic opportunity for young business owners looking for advice and inspiration as well as those who simply have an idea in their head that they’re keen to turn into a business at some point.

“It’s not only a great chance to speak to successful business leaders who have been in the same position and can give invaluable advice, but it’s also a good opportunity to meet and network with other young entrepreneurs.

“I’d recommend the workshops to anyone between 16 and 30 who is interested in starting their own business either now or in the future.”

The Cardiff workshop will run from 10am until 5pm.

Further workshops are also being held throughout October and November in Birmingham, London and Manchester, as well as a one-day bootcamp session in Dundee.