Over £57 Million in Economic Impact Across South and East of England in 2025-26
2025 was a landmark year for Let’s Do Business Group – and for the thousands of businesses, entrepreneurs, and communities we serve across the South and East of England. Through our wide range of services — from access to finance and business advice to skills training and specialist programmes — we have helped to power economic growth, create jobs, attract investment, and deliver lasting positive change for people across our region.
2025 saw Let's Do Business Group deliver support on a scale that reflects both the ambition of our organisation and the resilience of the businesses and entrepreneurs we work with. From early-stage start-ups seeking their first steps to established SMEs looking to scale, our teams were on hand at every stage of the journey. Using our Social Impact Calculator, we can capture the full impact of the value generated through our services – not just in financial terms, but in the wider economic and social benefit delivered to the region.
“Looking back on the past year, it's hard not to feel a real sense of pride in what this team has achieved. What makes this organisation special is the care and expertise our people bring to every interaction. That might be an advisory session that helps someone find clarity in a difficult moment, or a loan that gives a business the breathing room it needs to grow. It all matters, and it all adds up.”
— Graham Marley, Chief Executive, Let’s Do Business Group
Fuelling economic growth across the South East
South East England is one of the most dynamic and diverse economic regions in the UK — and Let's Do Business Group sits at the heart of it. In 2025, our programmes directly contributed to economic growth by helping businesses start, scale, and sustain themselves through a challenging but opportunity-rich landscape.
Access to finance
One of the most critical barriers for growing businesses is access to the capital they need. Through Let’s Do Business Finance and our lending and finance programmes, we ensured that businesses that might otherwise have fallen through the gaps of mainstream finance were able to secure the funding to move forward.
These figures represent not just pounds lent, but the businesses saved, grown, and launched- with jobs and economic activity that happened as a result.
“Elaine was amazing, I absolutely loved working with her! She was a total superstar, incredibly knowledgeable, very efficient, and really supportive. I felt like she really held my hand through the process, and she really stood out compared to my experiences of working with other financiers.”
— Jo Malone, founder, Village Pizza Kitchen
“As a female-owned business, I think there's quite a lot of bias when it comes to loaning money to women in business; that was a difficulty. Let's Do Business Finance were the one who came through for me. I wouldn't have been able to do it without that assistance.”
— Ayesha Ibrahim, Founder, HONEY CORN UK
Business advice and growth support
Our expert advisers delivered hundreds of hours of high-quality, impartial business support throughout 2025. Whether working with a sole trader just starting out or an established business looking for strategic guidance, our teams provided the insight and expertise to help businesses make smarter decisions and grow with confidence.
Creating jobs and opportunities
Behind every figure in our Social Impact Report is a person — someone who found work, started a business, or gained skills that opened new doors. Job creation is one of the clearest measures of economic impact, and we are proud of the role our support has played in generating employment right across South East England.
They represent real people entering or remaining in the workforce, families with greater financial security, and communities with more active local economies. Every business we support has the potential to be someone's first employer or the opportunity that changes a career.
Building skills
Through our training and skills workshops, we invested in the people who power the businesses of the South East of England – giving them the confidence and knowledge to launch, lead, and innovate.
From digital marketing skills, to financial literacy, leadership development and more, we built training programmes that tackled the real skills gaps that hold small businesses back – and gave business owners the tools to achieve their goals.
Attracting investment and supporting a competitive region
Supporting individual businesses is just part of the picture. At Let’s Do Business Group, we aim to play an active role in shaping the conditions for inward investment across the region, as well as showing the value in what supporting businesses can do for local economies. In 2025, we worked alongside local authorities, growth hubs, and other business support organisations to strengthen and amplify this message – helping to show that the South and East of England is an attractive destination for investors, employers and talent – creating a cycle of economic confidence that would benefit the whole region for years to come.
Positive impact on society and communities
Our work reaches communities that have historically faced greater barriers to enterprise — and we are committed to ensuring that the benefits of business support are felt as broadly as possible.
Supporting underrepresented founders
In 2025, a significant proportion of those we supported came from communities that are typically underrepresented in businesses – and we are proud that our programmes are designed to be genuinely accessible to all, meeting the needs and realities of business owners.
Social value and community contribution
Beyond the businesses we worked with directly, our support ripples throughout communities – through increased local spending, new employment, and the vitality that comes as a result of a thriving enterprise culture.
Programmes we delivered:
We delivered a wide portfolio of programmes across the South and East of England – each tailored to the specific needs of the businesses and communities in each area. In 2025, the programmes we delivered meant that we were able to support businesses at every stage, in every sector, and in each part of the region.
We worked in close partnership with industry partners such as the British Business Bank, local authorities, growth hubs, inward investment engines like the North Essex Economic Board and Freeport East, along with a wide network of referral partners – and it was through these positive partnerships that we were able to reach the businesses that needed us most.
“The programme was very extensive. The trainer, Mark, went through all the different strategies we should use to be successful. We had been hell-bent on doing things a certain way, but through what we learnt in this programme, we have redrafted our whole business plan. The course was a real eye-opener.”
Looking ahead
Though it is an uncertain time for businesses across the country, Let’s Do Business Group is committed to continuing our mission of supporting businesses to launch, grow, and thrive. 2025 sharpened our focus on what more we can do – advocating for increased business support programmes that target the challenges that business owners are actually facing, and the barriers that hinder their growth. In 2026, we will continue to expand our reach – deepening our impact, and continue to work in close partnership with our funders, stakeholders and partners to ensure that no business that needs support goes without it.
