Drop-In Sessions In Ards and North Down Borough Council Set To Help People Explore If Self-Employment Is Right for Them
4th Nov 2025
Starting a business or becoming self-employed can be a major step for anyone, particularly for those who have been out of the workforce for some time.
Across Ards and North Down Borough Council, a series of events have been announced to help people explore whether self-employment could be a realistic option for them.
Hosted by Go Succeed on behalf of Ards and North Down Borough Council, the sessions will take place on Tuesday, 4 November at via Zoom from 2.30pm to 3.30pm, and Tuesday 11 November at Ards Arts Centre from 10am to 11am with an additional date for an in-person drop-in session still to be announced.
Each session is led by an entrepreneur who has made the transition into business and will share first hand experience, answer questions and outline the realities of getting started.
Attendees will be taken through the fundamentals of early stage self employment. This includes how to begin a self employment journey, what is required to register a business, what support is available, what costs to expect and how to shape an idea or identify a suitable business to pursue.
The sessions are aimed at people who are economically inactive, meaning they are not currently in work and not actively looking for a job. This may include people who are long term sick or disabled, carers, parents without access to childcare, students who are not working, early retirees, or those facing barriers such as confidence, transport, or digital access. Some participants may receive benefits, others may not, but all are considered outside the active labour market.
Participants will also hear about the Go Succeed: Get Started In Business programme which offers an indepth business/self-employment workshop, up to 10 hours of one to one mentoring tailored to individual needs, along with access to a financial assistance package to support early steps into business.
To register for a Go Succeed: Is Business Right For Me session in Ards and North Down Borough Council go to https://bit.ly/ANDBC0411Listings
