BUDDING young entrepreneurs from York have the chance to get on board a new initiative which is to stop off in the city.

For the last three weeks, the StartUp Britain bus has been making its way around the country, visiting 14 key locations with the aim of encouraging more people to start and develop their own business.

On Friday it will be York’s turn, when the students and staff of York St John University are being invited on board between 11am and 4pm, to receive advice from the StartUp Britain team and experts from the university’s creative business department.

Entrepreneurs from the university’s student and staff community will be given guidance and support on everything from opening a business bank account and trading online through to sourcing insurance and understanding intellectual property rights.

Also on board to offer advice will be special guest entrepreneurs, including Blessing Maregere, an 18-year-old Young Social Entrepreneur who started his own contract cleaning business at 16; Rajeeb Dey, the co-founder of StartUp Britain, founder of Enternships.com, and recipient of the 02 X Young Entrepreneur Of The Year award in 2009; and Leon Doyle, a Harrogate-born businessman who featured on the BBC’s The Apprentice earlier this year.

StartUp Britain was launched by the private sector in response to the Government’s call for an enterprise-led recovery from the financial crisis.

Jenny Hall, creative business development manager at York St John, said: “It is fantastic that the StartUp Britain tour has identified York as an entrepreneurial hotspot and we are delighted to be offering mentoring support to York St John University’s up-and-coming talent.”

Emma Jones, co-founder and interim chief executive of StartUp Britain, said: “Thanks to help and support from our local StartUp champions, this tour allows us to take StartUp Britain across Britain.

“The bus will travel from north to south and east to west, loaded with business experts, start-up advice and valuable offers. We will be meeting with students and helping them turn ideas into ventures and we’ll be visiting employees moving from employment into self-employment. I look forward to welcoming hundreds of start-ups and small businesses on board.”

The event is open to staff and students at the university only. For more details, visit startupbritain.org/summerbustour For more information about how to set up a business or develop a competitive advantage in an employment market while studying in a creative subject at York St John University, contact creativebusiness@yorksj.ac.uk