Grow your business: Master AI, Digital Branding and understand good Business Finance
Build, Brand
& Balance
Full Course:
Individual Module:
Learn how to scale your business or develop your start up idea, over 9 weeks.
Build, Brand & Balance — An (optional) 3 module course for residents of Hampshire*
Build, Brand & Balance is a hands-on program designed to help you grow your business with clarity and confidence. Across three focused modules — AI & efficiency, digital marketing & storytelling and finance essentials — you’ll gain the practical tools, systems and strategies to run your business more effectively. Each module can be taken on its own but together they provide a complete foundation for building a stronger, more sustainable business.
What You Will Learn
Build — AI, Automation
& Efficiency
- 01
What is AI – really?
Cut through the noise and confusion. You’ll discover the fundamentals of AI and Large Language Models, showing how tools like Gemini can support everyday business tasks. You’ll explore how to organise knowledge and write effective prompts – giving you practical ways to work more efficiently and get better results from AI.
- 02
Smart, Safe and Strategic AI?
AI is powerful but it’s not perfect. In this module you will learn about data privacy, bias, copyright and when AI truly adds value. You’ll also discuss your rights within emerging AI regulations while experimenting with tools like NotebookLM to support research, learning and everyday business tasks.
- 03
Using AI for your business
This is where it gets real. In this module you’ll look at what goes into a business plan and using AI tools, you’ll generate ideas, analyse your business through exercises like SWOT and create or refine elements of a business plan to help guide the future growth of your business.
Brand — Digital Marketing
& Storytelling
- 01
Understand your brand identity, customers and competitors
Walk away from day one with a clear understanding of your brand positioning and your audience personas, using tools like Canva to refine your brand personality. You’ll learn how to review your competitors and gain confidence on the brand direction of your business.
- 02
The funnel, marketing and lead generation
Understand how marketing really works with the marketing funnel - focusing on awareness, interest, conversion and loyalty. You’ll explore how to build effective brand storytelling and develop lead generation systems that will fill your pipeline, helping turn followers into customers.
- 03
Using AI for brand marketing and lead generation
Learn how to work smarter, not harder, with AI tools like Gemini to generate content ideas and high quality blogs and social posts, that help grow your audience and drive leads.
Balance — Business Finance Essentials
- 01
Master your business budget
Learn the fundamentals of business budgeting from understanding fixed and variable costs to building realistic budgets. Gain confidence to set pricing strategies and master break-even analysis, giving you the tools to make informed decisions for your business.
- 02
Take control of your cashflow
Understand what cash flow really means and why its important for your business. Discover how to forecast cash flow, spot risks to profitability and manage payments, expenses and invoice effectively - giving you control and confidence over your business finance.
- 03
Using tools to manage your finances
Track your income and expenditure while keeping a close eye on cash flow. Generate clear reports to guide your decisions and build practical financial systems that support the growth and sustainability of your business.
Upcoming Dates
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Book the Full Course
Book Full CourseYour roadmap to a stronger business
Master AI, digital branding, and business finance in just three days.
What's Included
- Full course or individual modules available
- Hands-on workshops
- Instructor led tuition
- Full project-based course materials
*This funded programme is open to learners across Hampshire County Council, with the exception of Portsmouth, Southampton and the Isle of Wight. If you're unsure whether you're eligible, please email us at [email protected] and we'll be happy to help.
Latest updates:
Build, Brand and Balance Frequently Asked Questions
Yes; it’s fully funded and free for eligible learners. The programme is funded across Hampshire County Council for residents of Hampshire, with the exception of Portsmouth, Southampton and the Isle of Wight. If you’re unsure whether you qualify, get in touch and we’ll check.
It’s open to Hampshire residents (excluding Portsmouth, Southampton and the Isle of Wight) who run a business or are developing a start-up idea. It’s built for business owners, founders and the self-employed who want practical tools to grow with no technical or prior business-training background needed.
Either. Take the full 9-day course (48 hours) or any of the three standalone 3-day modules, Build (AI, automation & efficiency), Brand (digital marketing & storytelling) or Balance (business finance essentials). Each module stands on its own; together they’re a complete foundation.
Across three modules you’ll learn to: use AI tools (like Gemini and NotebookLM) to work more efficiently and shape a business plan; build your brand, understand your customers and set up lead generation using the marketing funnel and tools like Canva; and take control of your finances; budgeting, pricing, break-even and cash-flow forecasting.
Because they target the problems that most often sink small businesses: cash flow is one of the most common reasons UK small firms fail, and 82% of UK SMEs report cash-flow difficulties (Novuna), exactly what the Balance module tackles. And with only about 1 in 6 UK businesses (16%) currently using AI (DSIT), the Build module helps you get ahead on efficiency while most competitors haven’t started.
It’s delivered online, part-time. One or two days a week. The full course is 9 days (48 hours total); each individual module is 3 days (16 hours). Sessions are hands-on, instructor-led workshops.
Book the full course or an individual module from the course page, or get in touch if you’d like to check eligibility first.
Need more information or have a question we’ve missed? Get in touch and we’ll be happy to help!
