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Monday 10am - 4pm Tuesday 10am - 4pm Wednesday 10am - 4pm Thursday 10am - 4pm Friday 10am - 4pm

Portobello Business Centre

Name: Portobello Business Centre
Address: Canalot Studios, 222 Kensal Road, London, W105BN, GB
Telephone: +442074605050

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Portobello Business Centre

We are a not-for-profit social enterprise that has supported entrepreneurs and small business owners across London for more than 30 years.

We provide practical advice, workshops, funding opportunities and tailored business support. We help small business to start up, survive, and grow. We are a friendly group of people, committed to helping you to enter and thrive in the business world. We offer and deliver: one-to-one advice, training courses, seminars, workshops, business consultancy, and networking opportunities. We also provide advice and access to business loans, finance, and grants for London-based businesses.

26/08/2026

A great day filming with some of the young people who have taken part in our Student Entrepreneurship Programme. 🎥

We heard directly from them about the ideas they’ve been developing, the businesses they want to build and what they’ve taken away from the experience.

For us, this is exactly what the programme is about: giving 15–19-year-olds the chance to experience entrepreneurship properly - not just learn about it, but actually develop an idea, understand their customers, build a plan and pitch it.

We’re now looking for the next group of young people ready to get involved.
If you know someone aged 15–19 with a business idea, a side hustle or an interest in entrepreneurship, please share the programme with them:
https://www.pbc.co.uk/student-enterprise

More from the students themselves coming soon. 👀

19/08/2026

Running a business is hard enough at the best of times - and that’s before you try to keep on top of everything digital. 🤯

Is your website actually helping to bring in customers? Are people finding you on Google? Could AI save you time? Are you making good use of the data your business already has? And how confident are you that your business is protected online?

For a small business owner, these things matter - but finding the time to understand what to improve, which tools are worth using and where to start can be another job in itself.

That’s where the East Sussex Digital Growth Series comes in.

From September 2026, the Series will bring practical, in-person digital workshops to businesses across East Sussex, helping you tackle the digital challenges that can affect how visible, productive and resilient your business is.

Rather than simply telling you what you should be doing, each workshop is designed to help you understand what matters for your business and give you practical actions you can start putting into place straight away.

This programme is being delivered by Portobello Business Centre CIC, working in partnership with East Sussex County Council and the Sussex & Brighton Strategic Authority.

The fully funded workshops will cover everything from getting found online and making your website work harder, to using business data more effectively, strengthening cyber security and getting a practical grip on AI.

These aren’t sessions designed to leave you with another notebook full of ideas.

They’re hands-on workshops built around giving you useful actions you can start applying to your business straight away.

📍 Eastbourne, Hastings, Uckfield, Lewes and Bexhill
📅 September 2026 – March 2027
✅ Fully funded for eligible East Sussex SMEs, sole traders and small charities

Find upcoming workshops and book your place:
https://www.pbc.co.uk/east-sussex?utm_source=BlogPost&utm_medium=Wednesday&utm_campaign=19th

13/08/2026

It’s Results Day!🎓

A huge congratulations to everyone receiving their A Level, T Level and other Level 3 results today. Whether you got exactly the results you hoped for or your next step looks a little different than expected, today is only the beginning of what comes next.

University isn’t the only route.

For some young people, the next chapter could mean an apprenticeship, employment, further study or even turning an idea into a business of their own. At PBC, we want young people to see entrepreneurship as a real and achievable career pathway. Through our NextGen Elevate Student Entrepreneurship Programme, students get the opportunity to explore entrepreneurship, develop their own business idea and build practical skills through workshops, mentoring, founder insights and pitching experience. Because your results are important - but they don’t define the limit of what you can achieve. To every student receiving results today: congratulations, and good luck with whatever comes next.

Sign Up:
https://www.pbc.co.uk/student-entrepreneurs

11/08/2026

Your next business breakthrough might not happen at your desk. ☀️

Across London, networking is starting to look a little different.

Founder socials, coffee meet-ups, walk-and-talks, co-working communities and events in unexpected spaces are creating new ways to meet, talk and do business.

And maybe that’s a good reminder for all of us.

When you’re running a business, it’s easy to get stuck behind the desk.

There’s always another email to answer, another task to finish and another problem demanding your attention. But sometimes, the best thing you can do for your business is get out there.

Make the most of the summer weather. Grab a coffee with another founder, go to that event you’ve been considering, take a meeting outside or start a conversation with someone new.

Because that missing piece of the puzzle you’ve been trying to find?
It might be sitting in someone else’s perspective.

A conversation can give you a completely different way of looking at a problem. It can lead to a recommendation, an introduction, a new idea or an opportunity you didn’t know was there.

That’s the real value of networking. It isn’t about collecting contacts or handing out as many business cards as possible. It’s about having the right conversations, building genuine relationships and staying connected to the business community around you.

So while London is giving us some summer sunshine, step away from the desk every now and then. Get outside, meet people and see where the conversation takes you.

And if one of those conversations sparks a new idea, challenge or opportunity, come and have the next one with us. At PBC, we’re here to help you turn those conversations into practical next steps.

You never know where one good conversation could lead.

https://www.pbc.co.uk/businessform

07/08/2026

Can doing good also be good for business?

There’s an interesting shift happening in how we talk about business growth in the UK.

Social value – the wider contribution a business makes through things like jobs, skills, opportunities and stronger communities – is becoming an increasingly important part of the conversation.

Recent government developments have put greater focus on social enterprises, co-operatives and mission-led businesses, alongside plans to give greater weight to social value in major public procurement.

And this isn’t a small part of the economy.

Research from Social Enterprise UK estimates that there are around 131,000 social enterprises operating across the UK, generating approximately £78 billion in turnover.

For us at PBC, there’s an important message here:
Economic growth and social impact don’t have to be competing priorities.

A successful business can generate revenue and create jobs while also developing skills, opening opportunities, supporting local supply chains and strengthening the community around it.

And you don’t necessarily have to be a social enterprise to think about your social value.

For a small business, it could mean employing locally, giving a young person their first work experience opportunity, choosing local suppliers, reducing environmental impact or using your skills to support your community.

As a Community Interest Company ourselves, we’re particularly interested in seeing this conversation gaining momentum.

Because perhaps the question for the future isn’t simply “How much does a business grow?”

It’s also:
“What grows around it?”

03/08/2026

Could AI save your business hours every week?

AI skills are becoming one of the fastest-growing requirements in the UK job market but this isn't just a trend for large organisations.

In fact, small businesses often have the most to gain.

Used well, AI can help you:
✔️ Write marketing content more efficiently.
✔️ Respond to customer enquiries faster.
✔️ Plan social media in advance.
✔️ Reduce time spent on repetitive admin.
✔️ Free up more time to focus on growing your business.

The businesses that benefit most from AI won't necessarily be the biggest. They'll be the ones willing to experiment, learn and adapt.

At PBC, we're helping local entrepreneurs understand where AI can genuinely add value not by chasing the latest trends, but by finding practical ways to save time, improve productivity and support business growth.

💬 We'd love to hear from you.

Have you started using AI in your business yet? What's been the biggest benefit or the biggest challenge?

31/07/2026

What We've Been Hearing from Businesses This Year

This year, we've spoken to 50+ businesses, from people just starting out to established business owners looking to grow.

While every business is different, we've noticed three common challenges coming up time and time again.

📈 Finding new customers
Many businesses are asking how they can attract more customers without significantly increasing their marketing budget.

🤖 Making sense of AI
Business owners are keen to embrace AI but want practical advice on where it can genuinely save time and add value, rather than following the latest trend.

💷 Managing rising costs
From increasing overheads to economic uncertainty, businesses are looking for ways to remain resilient while continuing to grow.

The encouraging part? None of these challenges are unique, and they don't have to be tackled alone.

Every conversation we have is different, but they all start the same way with a business owner looking for practical advice, a fresh perspective and the confidence to move forward.

If any of these challenges sound familiar, we'd love to help.

💼 Find out more about our free business support:
https://www.pbc.co.uk

28/07/2026

Running a business doesn't mean you have to have all the answers.

The most successful business owners know when to seek advice, ask questions and bring in expertise that helps them make better decisions.

A fresh perspective can often unlock opportunities that aren't obvious when you're working in the business every day.

That's why our Business Advisers focus on more than just solving immediate problems. We work alongside entrepreneurs to provide practical guidance, challenge ideas, and help businesses move forward with greater confidence.

We're incredibly grateful to Nan Nan for taking the time to leave such a thoughtful review following her sessions with Greg.

Hearing that Greg was able to bring clarity, direction and technical expertise to support her digital strategy is wonderful feedback, and a great example of the tailored, one-to-one support we aim to provide every client.

If you're looking for expert guidance to help move your business forward, our team is here to help.

💼 Find out more about our free business support:
https://www.pbc.co.uk

27/07/2026

We're delighted to share that Portobello Business Centre CIC has been shortlisted for the Kensington, Chelsea & Westminster Chamber of Commerce Awards 2026 in the Charity or Social Enterprise of the Year category.

Being shortlisted is recognition of the work our team does every day to support local entrepreneurs, start-ups and small businesses. It's also a reflection of the determination and success of the businesses we have the privilege of working with.

The winners will be announced on 22 October, and we're proud to be recognised alongside so many organisations making a positive difference across the boroughs.

Thank you to everyone who has supported Portobello Business Centre over the years. We'll keep you updated once the winners are announced.

23/07/2026

Sometimes, the biggest breakthrough isn't finding all the answers. It's finding clarity.

Running a business often means wearing multiple hats, juggling competing priorities and trying to make important decisions with limited time. It's easy to become overwhelmed by everything that needs doing.

One of the most valuable parts of business support isn't telling someone what to do. It's listening, asking the right questions and helping them step back so they can see a clearer path forward.

That's exactly what our Business Advisors aim to do every day.

We're incredibly grateful to Saskia for taking the time to share her experience after meeting with Greg. Knowing that she left feeling focused, empowered and ready to move forward is exactly why we do what we do.

Thank you, Saskia, for your kind words and for trusting us to be part of your business journey. We wish you every success as you continue to grow your business.

If you're feeling stuck, overwhelmed or simply need someone to help you work through your next steps, we'd love to support you too.

💼 Find out more about our free business support:
https://www.pbc.co.uk/businessform

Address

Canalot Studios, 222 Kensal Road
London
W105BN

Opening Hours

Monday	10am - 4pm
Tuesday	10am - 4pm
Wednesday	10am - 4pm
Thursday	10am - 4pm
Friday	10am - 4pm

Telephone

+442074605050

Website

http://www.pbc.co.uk/

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