Enterprise Nation‘s new ‘Make a Plan’ app, launched in tandem with Mastercard, is set to help micro and small businesses (MSEs) access guidance, tools and support from their phone.
The newly-developed app has been designed to direct MSEs’ business growth by supplying relevant resources, programmes and digital tools from different support organisations to help founders build their businesses. Businesses will be able to upload their details and generate a digital business action plan which they can use to track progress on their phone.
The app comes at a time when more than one in 10 working-age adults in the UK plan to start a business in the next three months, which equates to around three million individuals looking for early-stage business support and reflects an upward trend in the ambition to start a business.
In addition to this, data supplied by Enterprise Nation highlights how 70 per cent of early-stage businesses are looking for advice on how to build and improve their cash flow plan, while 55 per cent of more mature growing businesses are looking to establish a financial reporting routine.
“This is a totally new approach to deploying curated support and advice to business owners. They will be able to very quickly build a learning action plan and identify support areas that will have the most positive impact on the business,” comments Emma Jones, founder of Enterprise Nation.
“While you don’t have to be an expert in everything to start a successful business, understanding the basics to a decent standard can significantly increase your confidence and resilience – as well as your chances of success.”
The app has been developed as part of the Strive UK programme, an initiative from Mastercard’s Centre for Inclusive Growth, that aims to empower 650,000 UK MSEs to succeed in the digital economy over the next three years.
Natasha Jamal, vice president, social impact, Mastercard Centre for Inclusive Growth, added: “There is an explosive growth opportunity for the UK’s micro and small business sector, but it can only be realised if they receive the right guidance and support.
“For small business owners, trying to identify which digital tools are the right ones for their business can be a daunting task. The Strive app and one-stop-shop simplifies this by giving time-poor business owners all the resources and guidance they need to grow their business in one place.”
