Start-Up Support in Southend-on-Sea: Spotlight on New Businesses in Essex
Southend-on-Sea is rapidly becoming one of Essex’s most exciting hubs for start-ups and small business growth. With its strong sense of community, access to local resources, and a growing number of entrepreneurs choosing to launch their ventures here, Southend is now firmly on the map as a destination for innovation and enterprise.
At Backing Essex Business, we’re proud to offer start-up support in Southend-on-Sea and beyond, helping entrepreneurs turn their ideas into reality. Whether it's access to funding, expert business advice in Essex, or guidance on building a sustainable business model, we’ve been there from the beginning for many of Southend’s most promising start-ups.
To highlight the impact which we have made in Southend, we are highlighting a selection of start-ups across the area. Representing the diverse and vibrant energy that defines the local business scene – from creative industries and digital services to food, retail, and more – their stories show what’s possible when ambition meets the right support.
The Hang Out Venue Ltd
The Hang Out Venue is a fun, family-friendly space where 8- to 12-year-olds can hang out, play, and get creative – and their adults aren’t forgotten either! It doubles as a community hub for events and meetings.
When Kasia Zielinski-Rushforth first got started, she needed help balancing her big vision with the realities of running a sustainable business. Backing Essex Business helped her plan how to make it work financially without losing sight of the venue's heart. After being guided by Backing Essex Business, she was put in touch with Chris Smith, a Business Manager at Let’s Do Business Finance, which enabled her to secure a £17,000 UK government-backed Start Up Loan. The Start Up Loan covered everything, from renovations to equipment, helping to transform the centrally located venue into a welcoming space.
City Family CIC
Created as the legacy of the ten-year Lottery-funded ‘A Better Start Southend’ Programme, City Family CIC is a purpose-driven social organisation, with a mission to make family life easier by providing support, information and guidance. They work with families from pregnancy to their child leaving secondary school.
Since starting support from us back in 2023, Tara Poore has worked with our team, attending workshops on topics such as marketing, business finance, and public sector procurement, as well as one-to-one guidance across marketing and business planning, in addition to advice on financial planning as they explore applying for a Growth Guarantee Scheme loan. The support from the team has contributed to creating four new jobs and safeguarded thirteen existing roles. City Family CIC is a fantastic example of how practical advice and training can help a social enterprise not only grow, but thrive, supporting families and strengthening the local community simultaneously.
Helen Lewis Tutoring
Helen Lewis Tutoring offers personalised learning support for children from early years through to GCSE level. Built on Helen’s extensive teaching experience, she provides structured, confidence-building tuition, which is designed to help students thrive academically.
As her client base grew, Helen recognised the need to formalise her operations and understand how to scale sustainably. Another goal of hers was to build stronger links within the local business community. Through Backing Essex Business, Helen was able to access expert advice on business planning, financial management, and growth strategy. She also benefited from networking opportunities and one-to-one mentoring with Business Manager, John Sargant, allowing her to strengthen her foundations and expand her reach. Today, Helen Lew Tutoring continues to grow, supporting families across Southend and beyond.
Fighting Through 28
Fighting Through 28 is a community interest boxing gym based in Southend-on-Sea, which was set up by Jordan and Richard to provide support for people facing mental health challenges, addiction recovery, loneliness, or simply looking to reconnect with the community. The gym is designed as a safe space where members can build strength, resilience, and camaraderie, whilst working on both their physical and mental well-being.
Since opening in July 2025, the gym has already drawn attention from the local community, including the Mayor of Southend, who visited and praised the uplifting environment and courage of members who shared their recovery journeys. As a CIC, Jordan and Richard aim to scale the gym to meet growing demand, ensuring it continues to be a welcoming, supportive place for all.
Backing Essex Business began supporting Fighting Through 28 in September 2025, providing one-to-one coaching, business templates, marketing workshops, and resources for self-led learning. While the business is still early in its support journey, the guidance will help with admin, scaling, and accessing funding, so the gym can continue to grow sustainably.
Lyfe VR
Founded by Simeon Brookstone, Lyfe VR is an innovative virtual reality start-up which specialises in immersive experiences that push the boundaries of digital engagement. Since launching in 2023, Lyfe VR has been a part of Southend’s growing creative-tech landscape.
Turning a high-tech concept into a commercially viable business is never straightforward, and Simeon needed guidance on business structure, financial forecasting, and accessing finance to accelerate early growth. With the support of Backing Essex Business, Simeon received help to refine Lyfe VR’s business plan, to understand market positioning and also access funding options which aligned with his ambitions. This strategic support helped his business to bridge the gap between early-stage development and operational reality, positioning Lyfe VR for future expansion in a rapidly evolving sector.
All of these Southend start-ups have benefited from the guidance of John Sargant, our dedicated Business Manager for the area. John began giving business advice after many years of running and owning a family business, and he quickly discovered his passion for helping new entrepreneurs get started. With his wealth of knowledge, experience, and hands-on approach, John has met with over 3,000 business owners and spent more than 15,000 hours advising or presenting to them. While John focuses on supporting businesses in Southend, our wider team is here to help start-ups and growing businesses across Essex, making sure entrepreneurs get the advice and support they need to thrive.
“What makes Southend-on-Sea such an exciting place for business isn’t just the commercial opportunity - it’s the way local entrepreneurs care about their community. I’ve had the privilege of supporting many start-ups from their very early stages and seeing them grow into successful businesses, seeing them with their own stands at business shows and networking events is incredibly rewarding. It’s also deeply humbling when they stop by my stand to thank me for my guidance along the way. Being part of their journey, watching them thrive, and seeing the positive impact they have on Southend is truly inspiring, and it’s a reminder of why I love working with local businesses so much.”
Looking for Business Support to start a business in Southend-on-Sea? If you're thinking of starting a business in Southend or anywhere in Essex, now is the perfect time. Backing Essex Business provides free start-up advice, funding support, and one-to-one guidance for entrepreneurs at every stage of their journey. To learn more about our services and how we can help your business idea thrive, contact us today!