Your Idea Has Momentum. What do you need to get to the next stage?

The EpiCentre’s business support helps solopreneurs turn their ideas into a viable business.

Starting up as a solopreneur is equal parts thrilling and chaotic. One moment you are deep in the excitement of the idea, the next you are staring at ten browser tabs about pricing, websites, legal basics, and “how to get clients” while wondering which problem you are meant to solve first.

That is exactly why The EpiCentre not only offers modern workspaces and curated events, but also includes expert business support. This is not a formal programme you have to “qualify” for. It is a practical layer of guidance designed for the real world of early-stage business, where the questions are wide-ranging, and the next right step is rarely obvious.

Meet Gary Jennings and get unstuck

You can come along to events at The EpiCentre, meet Gary Jennings in person, and put your questions on the table. If you rent office or lab space, you also gain access to Gary as a centre resource, someone whose job is to support founders in a friendly, grounded way and help move an idea towards something that can sell.

A startup founder rarely has one problem at a time. The questions sprawl. That is normal. Gary’s value is not just advice, it is direction. He helps you work out what matters now, what can wait, and what is quietly blocking progress.

The questions founders actually ask

In the early phase, most founders are 100% sure their innovation will work, and all they need to do is create it and sell it. They see a vast market potential, but do not always know how to calculate if they can build a business that is profitable, without burning themselves out.

Founders can see they’re able to offer something unique, and know how to shape a minimum viable product that can actually be marketed. But then there are the practical realities founders can’t afford to ignore: how to make, launch and sell, what early revenue might look like, as well as how to plan marketing, social media and customer growth.

From idea to operations

Once the idea is clearer, the focus shifts. Thoughts turn to pricing, costs, financial runway, and what happens when progress is slower than forecasted. Where will the company be based? What changes are necessary for international sales? How to build simple systems so the business does not depend on the founders’ heroic effort 24 hours a day?

And because solopreneurs carry the whole load, continuity becomes part of the business plan; their need to protect their energy. How success beyond turnover will be defined. How running the business will still be enjoyable in 12 months from now.

A wider support network around you

It’s been shown that having access to experienced business support, a sounding board and access to a wider ecosystem is beneficial to the growth and development of start-ups and scale-ups.

Gary has a vast experience in sales, strategy, innovation and internationalisation. As part of a network of Business Support specialists across Oxford Innovation Space, Gary can also draw on the experience of his peers, when customers have specific questions or challenges.

If you are starting with a strong idea and a lot of moving parts, you don’t need even more noise bouncing around in your head. You need the right conversations in the right order at the right time. That is what business support at The EpiCentre does. Get in contact with us now to find out more.