What happens at your first business advisor meeting?

Your first meeting with a business advisor at Yorkshire in Business focuses on three things: understanding your "why" beyond making money, defining who your customers actually are, and getting an honest look at your numbers. Expect practical questions, not a sales pitch, and a follow-up session to work through your specific financial position with one of our advisors.

What should I bring to my first meeting?

Bring whatever you have, even if it feels incomplete. A rough business plan, a few numbers scribbled on paper, a list of who you think your customers are. We'd rather see honest gaps than a polished document that hasn't been tested against reality.

What we're really looking for in that first conversation is your reasoning. Why this business? Why now? Why you? We start with your "why" because purpose that goes beyond profit tends to carry a business through the difficult stretches that money alone won't get you through. If you can't articulate it yet, that's fine. Part of the session is helping you find it.

Will the advisor ask about my target market?

Yes, and this is usually where the most useful conversation happens. Many people arrive with a broad idea of their customer ("small businesses" or "homeowners") and leave with something far more specific, because we push on it. Who exactly is buying? What do they currently do instead of using your product or service? Have you actually spoken to any of them?

We teach established market research methods for a reason: assumptions about customers are usually wrong in some important detail, and that detail can reshape the whole business. We encourage clients to talk to potential customers before finalising a business plan, not after. That conversation, done early, has changed the direction of businesses we've supported more than once.

Does the first meeting cover money and pricing?

It touches on money, but the detailed financial work happens in a dedicated follow-up. In the first session we'll talk generally about how your business makes money and delivers value, including supplier relationships and commercial terms, because these shape what's actually viable.

The deeper number-crunching comes next. Because every business has different financial needs, we follow the first meeting with a one-to-one, usually with Dawn or Jo, focused entirely on your costs against your pricing. That session works out what needs to come in to cover your outgoings, including paying yourself, and uses that to test whether your idea is viable as it stands or needs adjusting. We'll also point you towards the tools available for bookkeeping and tax returns, so that side of things isn't something you're guessing at later.

What's the difference between this and generic business advice?

Generic advice tends to stop at motivation. Ours goes into the mechanics: business plan development, cash flow forecasting, HMRC registration guidance, and company structure decisions. These aren't abstract topics, they're the decisions that determine whether a business survives its first eighteen months.

Our advisors bring over 100 years of combined experience working with businesses nationwide, and we've built our approach around ongoing relationships rather than one-off sessions. What a start-up needs from us in month one looks very different from what an established business needs when it's preparing to expand, so the relationship is designed to evolve with you rather than end after a single meeting.

Will I get any networking or contacts out of it?

Often, yes. Part of what we do beyond the advisory sessions themselves is make introductions: to potential collaborators, suppliers, or people further along a similar path. We think of networking as relationship building rather than sales pitching, and we'll sometimes suggest specific people or groups worth talking to based on what came up in your meeting.

Our Anglo programme, for example, supported over 85 businesses with more than 1,160 hours of guidance last year, an average of around 13 hours per business, delivered by Jenn, Joanne, and Ian. That level of contact means advisors get to know your business well enough to make genuinely useful connections, not generic referrals.

Common questions about first business advisor meetings

Is the first meeting free?
As a government-recognised enterprise agency and a quality assured member of the National Enterprise Network, we're committed to keeping quality mentorship accessible rather than exclusive. Get in touch directly for the specifics of what's available to you, as this can depend on your circumstances and stage of business.

How long does a first meeting last, and what happens after?
The initial session is a conversation about your business idea, your market, and your goals. After that, we typically arrange a one-to-one focused on your specific financial position, usually with Dawn or Jo, to work through costs, pricing, and viability in detail.

Do I need a finished business plan before I come?
No. Many people come to us with an idea and some rough thinking, not a finished plan. Part of our job is helping shape that plan around what your market research actually tells you, rather than what looks impressive on paper.

What if I've already started trading?
That's fine too. Our advisors work with start-ups and established businesses alike, and the conversation adjusts accordingly. An established business preparing for expansion needs different support from someone just registering with HMRC, and we tailor the meeting to where you actually are.

Ready to book your first session?

If you're weighing up a business idea, or you've already started and want a second opinion on your numbers or your market, the first step is simply having the conversation. Bring your questions, your rough plan, your doubts, all of it. Visit Yorkshire in Business to arrange your first meeting and find out exactly what support fits where you are right now.