A mobile business school made a stop at Leicester College earlier this month, on a mission to support and inspire the next generation of budding business entrepreneurs.

The NatWest double-decker bus, which has been touring nationally for 12 months, stationed itself just outside the Abbey Park Campus on Wednesday September 4, 2013.

NatWest offered a range of workshops throughout the day, giving practical advice to hundreds of learners about how to start their own business.

The aim of the bus is to provide support to anyone with a genuine interest in entrepreneurship, and encourage those who may not have thought about starting their own business, to consider it as a viable career option.

Learners from all three Leicester College campuses visited the tour bus, climbing on board throughout the day, the bus was staffed by a team from NatWest, who were available to answer questions, discuss individual career plans and provide helpful literature.

The bottom deck provided a friendly pop-in service for general start-up queries, while the top deck became the hub for a series of 15 minute interactive workshops.

The workshops covered a range of subjects relevant in today’s economic climate, including how to fund a start-up business and the importance of trademarks and patents, as well as money management and marketing.

Students were also invited to discuss their own business ideas, with advice given on successfully making the journey from initial concept, through to launch and evaluation.

Members from the Peter Jones Enterprise Academy learners were among those who visited the bus on the day.

Among the visitors were Marcus Dring and Rishi Kotak, who are both enrolled on Peter Jones Diploma in Enterprise and Entrepreneurship (QCF) Fast Track course.

Marcus said: “It’s a great way to get up-to-date information and be offered a variety of options that can help us in future.”

Rishi added: “The visit was very informative and the support we had was very good. They had a genuine interest in our business ideas and it was beneficial for us too.”