Innovating in Manchester – Lessons from Bettina and BeBu Spanish
Moving to a new country is an entrepreneurial act in and of itself. Building a new life in a different country requires resilience, creativity, good financial management, hard work and commitment. So it makes sense that Latinxs in particular are “natural” entrepreneurs.
In the UK, 49% of high-growth start-ups are led by immigrants. A recent analysis shows how invaluable the contributions of immigrants in the UK are, take a look.
Here we share the story of Bettina, entrepreneur and mother; who despite adversity launched an innovative business in Manchester. Faced with the challenges that being an immigrant in the UK brings, and on top of that, the setbacks brought by the Covid pandemic, Bettina founded BeBu: Spanish workshops for babies, toddlers and parents.
In just one year Bettina´s business grew from 3 to 60 clients! 12 months after her first Spanish workshop, she is about to recruit 2 more people to support her operations. Bettina shared her experience in our workshop “Achieving your goals in the UK” and here we summarize the key takeaways.
What did we learn?
Key learnings
1. Prioritize your goals – Of course immigrants in particular face huge challenges when setting up life in the UK, but Bettina recognized that we also “put up our own barriers” in the shape of limiting beliefs. To achieve your goals you have to take action, invest time and resources. To finance her business, Bettina would save up her earnings as a waitress and during the nights and early mornings, she managed to conceptualize her business model. After a lot of planning, effort and sleepless nights, she finally launched her business, using materials she had made herself.
2. Overcoming the fear of English – Bettina was clear that English, or lack thereof, could no longer limit her life and future prospects in the UK. She dared to speak English, even though she didn't understand it initially. Gradually she realized that people did actually understand her, and the more she threw herself into it, the more she learned and the more her confidence in the UK grew.
3. Adversity as a catalyst to take risks and change her life – It was at the time when her and her husband were struggling the most economically, and going to food banks to make ends meet, which propelled her to shed her insecurities and jump into starting her own business.
The challenges
1. Loneliness - Living in the UK can be very lonely. For many immigrants this isolation and depression is exacerbated by the limited knowledge of English. For a long time Bettina did not have a support network to encourage, accompany and advise her. In meeting her husband, her support network grew, and in him she also found her business partner. Bettina began to make more friends, some of whom were her first clients, and now help promote her business through word of mouth.
2. Transport – For many Latin Americans, getting a British license is complicated as well as expensive. For Bettina, transporting all the materials on public transport remains a challenge, in addition to getting around with her 2-year-old boy. However, this is a challenge that she overcomes day by day!
3. Limited financial education and access to finances - Accessing start-up funding is a considerable challenge, especially when you are earning a low wage and are on maternity leave. Bettina´s start-up fund was her creativity, as she made most, if not all, of the materials she needed and slowly, she bought more and more resources as she grew her client base.
What has led to her success
1. Believing in her product and hard work- Bettina has no doubt that her product is the best and that also drives her to invest her own money and energy in ensuring excellent service for her clients, as well as seeking to expand her business.
2. Believing that she deserves more - Bettina was aware that she wanted and deserved a better life for herself and her family, and that was what prompted her to take the reins and start her business, leaving her insecurities behind.
3. Support for entrepreneurs in the UK- Starting a business in the UK can be easier than in other countries. Here the government and the councils support with training and loans. Go to your local Jobcentre to explain what you want to do and they can point you to entrepreneurship programs that are relevant to you.
InfoLatinos will be starting an entrepreneurship course next year, watch this space and join our network!
Some useful links:
· HMRC - the government website for more information on how to register as a business https://www.gov.uk/set-up-business and https://www.gov.uk/moving-from-benefits-to-work/starting-your-own-business
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