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bizbritain Academy Coming soon

Learn to start, grow and buy a business, properly.

We’ve helped 11,318+ UK businesses get funded. Now we’re sharing what we know: practical online courses to help you plan, forecast, grow or buy a business with confidence.

Join the waitlist See the courses
A business owner at a kitchen table writing in a notebook beside a printed worksheet
Every course
  • Learn it in short lessons
  • Apply it to your business
  • Build real confidence
Courses
41across Start, Grow and Buy
Tools and templates
27across Start, Grow and Buy
Pathways
3plus a Franchise package
Certificates
Certificateson completion

Why an academy

Most owners learn this the hard way. It doesn't have to be.

We see the same gaps in funding applications every week: plans without numbers, forecasts that don't add up, and purchases made without the right checks. The Academy teaches those things before they cost you.

A café owner checking a printed cash flow forecast against receipts with a calculator before opening

  • Practical, not theory

    Every course ends with a task or template you complete, so you finish with something you can use.

  • Built by people who fund businesses

    Written by the team that has helped UK owners through funding since 2012.

    11,318+Businesses funded
    £140m+Funding arranged

  • Learn at your pace, show what you've done

    Short lessons you can fit around the business, with progress tracking and a certificate when you finish.

The pathways

Pick the stage you're at.

Small business courses grouped the way we fund businesses: starting, growing and buying. Franchise is a specialist package.

  • Pathway 01

    Start

    For people exploring, planning, launching or newly trading.

    Core focus: Business planning, forecasting, setup, finance readiness, early operations.

    17courses10tools

    Explore the Start courses

    Need funding now? See Start Up Loans

  • Pathway 02

    Grow

    For established businesses that want to increase revenue, improve systems, hire or expand.

    Core focus: KPIs, systems, cash flow, hiring, leadership, growth finance, profitability.

    13courses9tools

    Explore the Grow courses

    Need funding now? See growth finance

  • Pathway 03

    Buy

    For people buying a business, or owners growing by acquisition.

    Core focus: Valuations, due diligence, deal structures, funding, transition.

    11courses8tools

    Explore the Buy courses

    Need funding now? See acquisition finance

  • Pathway 04

    Specialist

    Franchise

    For people looking at a franchise, a resale or more units.

    Core focus: Choosing a brand, the franchise agreement, funding, resales and multi-unit growth.

    Modules to be confirmed

    Explore the Franchise courses

    Need funding now? See franchise finance

The curriculum

Every course, planned in full.

Start courses

For people exploring, planning, launching or newly trading.

  1. Developing Your Business Idea

    How to shape, test and refine an idea before committing money.

  2. Market Research Basics

    Understanding customers, competitors, demand and pricing.

  3. Writing a Business Plan

    Step-by-step guidance to build a clear, practical and lender-ready business plan.

  4. Cash Flow Forecasting

    How to build realistic forecasts, understand assumptions and avoid common mistakes.

  5. Startup Costs & Budgeting

    Understanding setup costs, working capital, monthly overheads and contingency.

  6. Pricing Products & Services

    How to calculate pricing, margins, break-even and value.

  7. Business Structure Options

    Sole trader, limited company, partnership and key practical implications.

  8. Funding Readiness

    What funders look for and how to prepare before applying.

  9. Cloud Accounting Basics

    Why cloud accounting matters and how it supports decision-making.

  10. Making Tax Digital

    What business owners need to understand and prepare for.

  11. Bookkeeping Fundamentals

    Keeping records, tracking expenses and understanding profit.

  12. Business Banking & Payments

    Choosing accounts, payment systems and managing cash movement.

  13. Compliance Essentials

    Insurance, data, contracts, invoices and basic customer records.

  14. Marketing Foundations

    Setting up simple, realistic marketing activity from day one.

  15. Sales & Customer Follow-Up

    Building a basic sales process and keeping prospects engaged.

  16. Website & Social Setup

    Creating a credible online presence.

  17. Customer Service & Retention

    Managing expectations and encouraging repeat business.

Tools and templates

  • Business plan template
  • Cash flow forecast template
  • Startup cost calculator
  • Market research worksheet
  • Launch checklist
  • Bookkeeping checklist
  • Monthly budget tracker
  • Compliance checklist
  • Marketing planner
  • Customer follow-up tracker

Grow courses

For established businesses that want to increase revenue, improve systems, hire or expand.

  1. Growth Planning

    How to build a practical growth plan and decide what to focus on next.

  2. KPIs & Management Information

    Tracking the right numbers and making better decisions from data.

  3. Cash Flow During Growth

    Why growing businesses run out of cash and how to plan working capital.

  4. Hiring & First Team Members

    When to hire, role clarity, onboarding and avoiding staffing mistakes.

  5. Leadership & Delegation

    Moving from doing everything yourself to leading the business.

  6. Systems & Automation

    Using tools, processes and AI to reduce manual work and improve consistency.

  7. Sales Process Optimisation

    Improving conversion, follow-up, pipeline discipline and customer journeys.

  8. Marketing Strategy for Growth

    Channels, offers, referrals, partnerships and campaign planning.

  9. Access to Growth Finance

    Understanding finance options for established businesses.

  10. Operational Scaling

    How to scale without losing control of quality, cost or customer experience.

  11. Customer Retention & Repeat Revenue

    Building loyalty, repeat sales and stronger customer lifetime value.

  12. Expanding Products or Services

    How to decide what to add, test or remove from your offer.

  13. Improving Profitability

    Reviewing margins, costs, pricing and operational efficiency.

Tools and templates

  • Growth plan template
  • KPI tracker
  • Cash flow stress-test
  • Hiring plan
  • Process mapping template
  • Marketing strategy planner
  • Sales pipeline tracker
  • Profit improvement checklist
  • AI prompts for business owners

Buy courses

For people buying a business, or owners growing by acquisition.

  1. Why Buy a Business?

    Benefits, risks and when acquisition may be better than starting from scratch.

  2. Understanding Business Valuations

    How businesses are valued and why asking price is not always value.

  3. Due Diligence Basics

    What to check before buying: finances, customers, staff, contracts, debts and risks.

  4. Financial Red Flags

    Warning signs in accounts, cash flow, customer dependency, margins and liabilities.

  5. Deal Structures Explained

    Asset purchases, share purchases, staged payments, earn-outs and seller finance.

  6. Funding a Business Purchase

    Personal funds, commercial finance, asset finance, invoice finance and blended structures.

  7. Legal & Professional Support

    When to involve solicitors, accountants and advisers.

  8. Transition Planning

    Taking over staff, customers, suppliers, systems and reputation.

  9. Post-Acquisition Growth

    Stabilising first, then improving operations and revenue.

  10. Buying as a Growth Strategy

    How existing businesses can grow through acquisition.

  11. Preparing for Exit or Resale

    Understanding value drivers and future saleability.

Tools and templates

  • Acquisition checklist
  • Due diligence checklist
  • Valuation worksheet
  • Red flag checklist
  • Funding requirement calculator
  • Transition plan
  • Post-acquisition 90-day plan
  • Adviser questions checklist

Franchise coursesSpecialist package

For people looking at a franchise, a resale or more units.

Modules to be confirmed. Franchise is a specialist package, and we will share its courses here soon.

Looking at a franchise now? See franchise finance

Planned curriculum. Course titles and content may change before launch.

How it works

Short lessons. Real outputs.

  1. Short lessons

    Bite-sized lessons in plain English, written for people doing this for the first time.

  2. Practical tasks

    Each lesson ends with something to do on your own business, not a quiz.

  3. Downloads and templates

    Plans, forecasts and checklists you fill in and keep.

  4. Track your progress

    See what you've finished and pick up where you left off.

  5. Earn your certificate

    A certificate when you complete a course or a full pathway.

Certificates

Show what you've completed.

Completion Certificate

For finishing a course or a full pathway.

Readiness Certificate

For completing a pathway and its practical outputs, such as your business plan, forecast or readiness checklist.

  • Start Ready
  • Growth Ready
  • Acquisition Ready

Certificates show that you have completed the learning and readiness tasks. They are not a guarantee of funding, a professional qualification or formal accreditation.

Optional extra

Optional 1:1 business mentoring.

Mentoring is sold separately from the courses, for when you want a person to look at your plan, your numbers or your deal.

  • 1:1 Start support

    A second pair of eyes on your idea, plan and first forecast.

  • 1:1 Growth support

    Working through your numbers, priorities and next hire.

  • 1:1 acquisition mentoring

    Talking through a target business, its figures and the deal.

Formats

  • Single sessionOne focused conversation on the question in front of you.
  • 3-session packRegular check-ins while you work through a plan or a deal.
  • Plan or forecast reviewWritten feedback on your business plan or forecast.
  • Readiness reviewA practical check of your pathway outputs.

Taking a Start Up Loan? The scheme already includes 12 months of free mentoring. About Start Up Loans

Mentoring is practical guidance. It is not regulated financial, legal or accountancy advice.

A bike shop owner listening as a mentor talks him through a printed plan in his workshop

Ways to learn

Learn one course or the whole library.

  • Single course

    Take one course on the topic you need right now.

  • Pathway bundle

    Every course and tool in the Start, Grow or Buy pathway.

  • Full library

    All courses and templates across every pathway.

  • Membership

    Monthly or annual access to the library as it grows.

  • 05 · For organisations

    Team and member licences

    For accelerators, councils, franchisors, accountants and others who support business owners.

    Register your organisation's interest

Waitlist members hear pricing first.

FAQs

Questions about the Academy.

Join the waitlist
When does the Academy open?

We are building the first pathways now. Join the waitlist and we will email you as soon as yours opens.

How much will it cost?

You will be able to buy single courses, pathway bundles or full library access, or join as a member. Waitlist members hear pricing first.

How is this different from your free guides?

Our guides explain a topic. Academy courses take you through it, with tasks, templates, progress tracking and a certificate at the end.

Will completing a course help me get funding?

It will help you prepare. You will know what lenders look for and have the documents to show them. A course or certificate does not guarantee funding. The lender makes the decision.

Is mentoring included?

No. Mentoring is optional and sold separately. If you take a Start Up Loan, the scheme already includes 12 months of free mentoring.

Is this financial, legal or accountancy advice?

No. The courses and mentoring are practical education and guidance. For advice on your own situation, speak to a qualified adviser. Our courses explain when and how to involve one.

Do I need to be a bizbritain customer?

No. The Academy is open to anyone starting, growing, buying or franchising a business in the UK.

Can my organisation buy access for its members?

Yes, we are planning team and member licences for organisations that support business owners. Choose "An organisation" when you join the waitlist.

There are free business courses. Why would I pay for these?

Many free courses teach general business management. Ours are built around the plans, forecasts and checks that lenders, sellers and franchisors ask for, and you finish each one with the document done, not just the theory.

Join the waitlist

Be first in when your pathway opens.

Tell us which pathways interest you. Once they are live, you'll be the first to get exclusive early bird discounts and access.

Which pathways interest you?

Optional. Choose any that apply.

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We will email you about the bizbritain Academy launch and your chosen pathways. You can unsubscribe at any time. See our Privacy Policy.

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