In true Dragon’s Den fashion, the start-up students of the 5 to 9 Club are pitching ideas at a local pub to mark end of their course
Treorchy pub, The Lion, is holding a presentation evening on 21 November for start-up business support group, the 5 to 9 Club, so that they can pitch their polished project plans to their peers.
As part of the Welsh Innovation Centre for Enterprise’s (ICE) outreach programme, the 5 to 9 Club has been meeting weekly at the old Burberry factory at Cwm Farm Shop, to receive tutorials on how to set up a successful business.
The presentation evening, held in the upstairs function room aptly named ‘The Lion’s Den’, signifies the end of the eight-week workshop course, where all of the graduates can put what they have learned into action.
Starting at 5pm, there is expected to be 15 separate 3-minute pitches from the start-up students of the club, each with time for questions from the audience.
The event is free to attend.
Lesley Williams, the outreach engagement manager at Welsh ICE, explained that the pitches will be on a range of different business ideas, from the conventional to the obscure.
She said, “Of all our 5 to 9 clubs so far, this is definitely the most diverse we’ve seen. For example, we have a driving instructor looking to expand to a wedding planner, and we have a new coffee roast brand!”
Adrian Emmett, the owner of The Lion and chair of the Treorchy Chamber of Trade, and has given the 5 to 9 club his full backing.
Speaking to Wales247, he said, “We’re really hoping to give the next generation of founders the help they need so they can start and build a business in Treorchy.”
For the 5 to 9 Club, the mission continues. “I’m always planning more!”, Lesley said, “Our next stop is Aberdare, then Ferndale, before revisiting Ebbw Vale to do the tour all over again.
“Our aim is to keep growing a healthy ecosystem of start-ups across the valleys, for the benefit of the valleys.”
