Startup School for Seniors is a unique eight-week online course, teaching you how to start a business if you are aged over 50.

The free Startup School for Seniors, Learn Ealing is very proud of being a partner of, can help you start a new business at a later age by:

• A comprehensive business startup course with more than 25 hours of video lessons
• Qualified mentors to guide you
• Weekly exploration and collaboration call to help you to articulate your business ideas
• Supportive private Facebook group.

A report by London Councils, representing the London’s 32 boroughs and the City of London, states that the 50+ age group is at most risk of scarring, predicting that 14,000 Londoners may drop out of the labour market.

According to Suzanne Noble, 60, co-founder of Startup School for Seniors, “many people over 50s have complex lives such as caring for an elderly parent or a child, which prevent them from accessing traditional courses taught in venues. With this in mind, it was important for us to create a course that fits in with our people’s lifestyle and where they could meet others in similar circumstances.”

Mark Elliott, 57, co-founder of the school also adds “many people later in life find it difficult to obtain a job that suits the pace or flexibility that they need, so self-employment or starting a business is often the best way for them to achieve this. Startup School for Seniors shows them what to do and helps them do it.”

Councillor Bassam Mahfouz, cabinet member for decent living incomes, comments:

“Startup School for Seniors is a fantastic initiative aimed at helping people at a later age start and succeed at their business and we are very pleased we can support it.

“If you have a business idea in mind or an already existing business, which you want to develop, I’d encourage you to sign up for the Startup School for Seniors and turn your business idea into reality with their help.”

Meet Laura

Laura, an Ealing resident, has a copywriting business. She says:

“I am trying to set up a business as a copywriter. I work full time at the moment, so I’m trying to shift from one career to another.

“I subscribed to the programme because I really needed to have some fundamental knowledge of how to set up a freelance business. And I have to say it’s been a great experience for me.

“Mark and Susanne are invaluable and I’m really happy to have participated in this programme.

“I’m still in early stages but since I started (the course) with Mark and Suzanne I had been doing my third project as a copywriter. The business is slowly but steadily growing. And I have enough knowledge to know which steps I need to take to bring my business forward. I’d recommend this programme.”

Watch Laura’s full video where she is sharing her experience of being part of the Startup School for Seniors.

Turn your business idea into reality

Whether you have lost your job during the Covid-19 pandemic or considering a career change, take your first step towards being self-employed and join Startup School for Seniors. If there isn’t a course taking place, you can leave your email address and you will be contacted.

Good jobs for Ealing

Ealing’s Plan for Good Jobs is the council’s action plan that sets out the short-term actions that are needed to help Ealing’s economy recover from the pandemic. The plan sets out a number of key priorities for the council and its partners including helping residents into gainful employment by making it easier for them to find jobs, retrain and develop new skills for growth sector employment. Focus will also be on protecting and nurturing existing businesses and encouraging local employers to work with the council to create good jobs.

Ealing’s Plan for Good Jobs is the council’s commitment to help the borough get back on its feet and create a sustainable economy.