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Welcome to

The PRIME Initiative….

We are the only national organisation dedicated to helping people aged over 50 set up in business. PRIME’s Chief Executive, Laurie South, says:

Executive Director Laurie South

"I believe passionately that you should have the opportunity for self-fulfilment and independence that starting your own business can provide. Enterprise may not be for everyone, but I do know that each one of you has more experience, talent and ability than you realise. PRIME is here to help you unlock this through self-employment. Do contact us. We are here for you"


Visit www.primebusinessclub.com for free business start-up pack and other practical help.


What's New

BBC Money Programme

Valerie Singleton, Sir Alan Sugar and PRIME's Laurie South on the over 60s who are too young to retire. more

Smallwood report

Read economist Christopher Smallwood's report into how the government could improve employment prospects for the over 50s. more

New PRIME web site

www.primebusinessclub.com is for people starting or running businesses in the UK. That's where you'll find all our practical information, news and case studies for older entrepreneurs. more

Meanwhile this site, www.primeinitiative.org.uk , is for people looking for background on PRIME or research into issues affecting older people in business and the job market .

Free PRIME guide

"Working for YOURSELF" is a 40-page practical guide to sales, marketing and preparing a business plan specially written for people aged over 50. more

Finding the right business

PRIME has produced a free eight-page A4 workbook designed to help people find the right self-employment idea. It's based on a successful series of live workshops.
more

Free booklet about self-employed pensions

PRIME has published a 32-page guide to pensions for the 50+ self-employed. We feel too many people are simply ignoring the issue.  more

About PRIME

PRIME helps people over the age of 50 set up in business for themselves. We are a registered charity linked to Age Concern England, founded by HRH The Prince of Wales, who remains PRIME's President, and a member of the Prince's Charities Group.

We offer a sympathetic ear, free information and help, workshops and business networking events. We can also refer you to properly-accredited advisers in our Partner organisations for free business advice. We also provide help and advice on starting a social enterprise.

We are also working at local, regional, national and EU level to ensure there is proper help and support for people over 50 considering enterprise because this has been, and remains, a neglected age group.

PRIME (the Prince's Initiative for Mature Enterprise) is the working name of The PRIME Initiative, a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales (company number 4184314).  PRIME is also a linked charity to Age Concern England, with the charity number 261794-2.

PRIME’s registered address is Astral House, 1268 London Road, London SW16 4ER.

PRIME operates in England and Northern Ireland. In Wales we have a sister organisation PRIME-Cymru which will help you if you are over 50 and considering running your own business.


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Loans

PRIME's original business start-up loan scheme for the over 50s has come to an end after running for almost four years, and we are taking this opportunity to review it.

We're planning to have a new scheme up and running in 2008. We will announce the new scheme here on this web site once it has been finalised.

In the meantime here’s a list of other business loans offered by our partners and other properly-regulated community organisations. All these schemes are for people who the banks would generally turn down, as was PRIME's.

It is still worth contacting us if you are 50 or over and want to set up in business - as PRIME and its partners can help you in other practical ways with your plans.

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PRIME Stories

Frazer Spence saw retirement as an opportunity to do something he and his wife, Rita, had thought up twenty years earlier. But now it was possible to do it even more effectively with the help of the Internet.

 

STAYdontPAY is an innovative Bed & Breakfast exchange scheme. Frazer did the basic web-site design in the garden shed on an old computer. www.staydontpay.net went live with over 200 members in July 2005 and has been growing steadily ever since.

  

Frazer says of PRIME "Many thanks for sparing time to look at STAYdontPAY - your help was greatly appreciated.”

 

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News

13/06/08 London radio station covers over-50 entrepreneurs
Older entrepreneurs were the topic of Westside Radio's Friday morning business programme. Presenter Pooja talked to Annabel Rhodes of cosmetics start-up Rhodes to Heaven, and to Laurie South of PRIME. You can listen to the program...
more

03/04/08 Study into PRIME and older entrepreneurship
The International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behaviour & Research has an article about PRIME in the current issue. It puts information about PRIME and the (anonymised) results of surveys of the people who contact PRIME in front of...
more

PRIME Events

Upcoming Events

12 Jun 08: Business networking club - Sheffield

17 Jun 08: Starting a new business in Belfast

26 Jun 08: Starting your own business - Sheffield

For more details click on the links above, or go to the full events list

more

 


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PRIME's central office is at:
Astral House
1268 London Rd
London
SW16 4ER

Our telephone number is:
0208 765 7833
Our helpline number is:
0800 783 1904
Our fax number is:
0208 765 7879
Our email address is:
prime@ace.org.uk
Our website address is:
www.primeinitiative.org.uk

 

PRIME
Astral House
1268 London Rd
London
SW16 4ER

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Tel: 0208 765 7833
Fax: 0208 765 7879
PRIME Helpline: 0800 783 1904
Email: info@primeinitiative.org.uk