Business Essentials: Financial Foundations & Visual Marketing

Important Information

This workshop is funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund in partnership with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority. As such, strict eligibility criteria apply:

• You must be a resident within the Leeds City Council area to attend this workshop.

• Due to funding restrictions, this workshop is only available to attendees who have not previously attended these workshops via the Start-up and Grow programme.

• We kindly ask that you do not book if you do not meet these criteria, as places are limited and reserved for eligible participants only. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

9:30am registration

9:45am workshop commences

Cash Flow Forecasting Essentials

Breaking down the cash flow forecast into simple, manageable steps that help you understand what your business needs to stay on track and grow.

We’ll cover:

• Your drawings: how much you need the business to pay you.

• Fixed costs: what it takes to keep your business running.

• Variable costs: what it costs to deliver your product or service.

• Breakeven point: how many sales you need to cover your costs.

• Forecasting for growth: how to flex your numbers to meet your goals.

Break 11:15 – 11:30

11:30 – 1:30pm

Tax and Bookkeeping Essentials

Focusing on the key taxes you need to know about, the importance of meeting deadlines, and how good bookkeeping can help keep everything running smoothly.

We’ll cover:

• The difference between being employed and self-employed, and between sole traders and limited companies.

• An overview of key taxes: Income Tax (Self-Assessment), National Insurance, Corporation Tax, and VAT—including filing and payment deadlines (a downloadable tax rates leaflet will be available).

• Bookkeeping basics: why it matters, how it supports your business, and what good records look like.

• Tools for bookkeeping: using spreadsheets (a simple template will be available) and an introduction to online accounting software.

• What counts as a genuine business expense - and what you can claim for.

Lunch 1:30pm – 2:00pm

Using Instagram and other Visual Social Media

2pm – 4pm

Using Instagram: Get to grips with Instagram and other visual social media platforms to connect and engage your audience

This practical workshop is designed for start-up and early-stage creative businesses looking to build confidence and clarity when using Instagram and other visual social media platforms.

We’ll explore how creative brands can use Instagram to inspire, connect, and tell their story, while also understanding how other platforms can support visibility and growth. The session will help you move beyond posting for the sake of it and start using social media more strategically.

In this session, we’ll cover:

How creative businesses can use Instagram to inspire and engage their audience

The different types of Instagram content and how they help tell your story

How other visual platforms can support and strengthen your social media presence

Using basic analytics to understand what’s working and grow more confidently

Whether you’re just getting started or looking to refine your approach, you’ll leave with practical insights and ideas you can apply straight away to your business.

Privacy policy statement

After you have attended one of our events we ask that you complete a short feedback form. We will use the information you provide to improve the services we offer in line with our legitimate interests. This information is collected and transferred to us by our third-party processor, Impact Reporting using their Impact Assessment Tool. Impact Reporting will retain your data to save time when completing any future feedback forms we may send you. For more information about how they use personal information, please see their privacy policy online at https://impactreporting.co.uk/legal/privacy-policy/

For information about how the British Library will use your personal data, you can view our Privacy Policy at https://www.bl.uk/about-us/privacy-policy

For information about how Business & IP Leeds will use your personal data, you can view our privacy policy at:https://www.leeds.gov.uk/privacy-statement/privacy-notice

This project is part-funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund

The Start-up and Grow project is being delivered by Leeds City Council and Leeds Libraries, and is part funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF). In West Yorkshire, the West Yorkshire Combined Authority leads the implementation of the Fund as part of the Mayor's ambition to make West Yorkshire the best place to work, learn and live. "

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Host or Publisher Business & IP Centre Leeds