Building Up Business

Client: Money Advice Trust

Working together since 2022 to help support and build the financial resilience of self-employed people, our partnership with Aviva has enabled the Money Advice Trust’s frontline service, Business Debtline, to support tens of thousands of small business owners dealing with problem debt. 

The Building Up Business project extends this mission upstream, preventing problems before they escalate, by equipping business owners with essential knowledge and confidence.

Operating a small business can be a hugely rewarding experience for many, and small business owners play a pivotal role in the UK economy. Many are extremely passionate about their trade, but do not start their business with a high level of existing knowledge and skills to confidently manage their business finances.

Drawing on our expertise, we wanted to build the financial resilience of small business owners across the UK, and help support more businesses to thrive. 

The project combined independent research and the creation of a free, practical digital learning hub. The research engaged more than 1,400 small business owners and informed policy recommendations and the co design of 19 short, accessible learning videos covering topics such as trading status, tax, budgeting and personal guarantees, attracting 16,600 visitors across the course of the pilot.