Women with ambitions to start a business were invited to a networking event in Uttlesford as part of Start-Up September.
The free event took place at Saffron Walden Town Hall and was organised by Uttlesford District Council and Essex County Council's Ambitious Women in Essex - a networking group set up to support and celebrate women in business.
A panel of women in business and local business owners shared honest - and often comical - accounts of their own experiences.
Leader of Uttlesford District Council Cllr Petrina Lees, who attended the over-subscribed event, said: "Uttlesford has recently been revealed as the best location for women to start a business in Essex, and we want to celebrate women who have taken the plunge and create a judgement-free zone for budding female entrepreneurs to come along and ask questions.
"This was our third event in the district with the Ambitious Women in Essex and it’s been wonderful to see all the collaborative discussions taking place and women using their new connections to support each other."
The Women in Business event was part of the council's Start-Up September initiative - a month-long campaign which has seen the authority partner with industry experts, including the award-winning Rebel Business School, to offer one-to-one and group training, business coaching and webinars.
During the month, the council has also launched a new £25,000 grant scheme, with match funding of up to £2,500 available, and developed a business start-up guide containing useful information from where to start to the day-to-day running of a business.
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As part of Start-Up September, the council held a series of webinars, covering topics including social media marketing for small businesses, boosting your presence and sales at local markets, sustainability, finance, working from home and Instagram strategy.
Uttlesford District Council has partnered with The Consortium to provide group business coaching in October.
The deadline for applications is Saturday, September 30, with dates and times to be decided once all spaces have been allocated.
Participants will receive six hours of group online business coaching, and two hours of one-to-one private sessions.
To apply go to https://business.uttlesford.gov.uk/article/8754/Group-business-coaching-application-form.
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