Bridging the Gap for Business Owners and How Just Starting Out Is Redefining the Business Landscape
Just Starting Out, a UK-based platform headquartered in London, is preparing to launch a whopper of a search engine designed to connect new business owners with their first customers, while simultaneously helping households navigate the ongoing cost of living crisis. Built on three years of research with over 1,700 early-stage businesses, alongside extensive consumer data, the platform is positioning itself as a dual-sided solution to two of today’s most pressing economic challenges.
“At a time when new businesses are struggling to be seen and households are increasingly selective about where they spend, there is a clear disconnect,” said Abi Hill, Founder of Just Starting Out. “Our mission is to bridge that gap - giving new business owners a genuine route to market, while making essential and everyday services more accessible and affordable for the public”.
The platform will operate as a dedicated search engine, allowing consumers to find and connect with newly established professionals across a wide range of services, from trades and creative industries to beauty and wellness. In return for competitive pricing and flexible service offerings, new business owners gain invaluable early traction, including ratings/reviews, testimonials, image permissions and real-world experience that are often critical to long-term success.
Insights gathered during the platform’s research phase reveal a growing trend, while aspiring entrepreneurs face increasing barriers to entry, many consumers are actively delaying or avoiding services altogether due to rising costs. Just Starting Out directly addresses this imbalance by connecting untapped supply with unmet demand, thus creating value on both sides of the transaction.
Already making waves ahead of its official launch, Just Starting Out has received multiple accolades, including recognition as ‘Best Emerging Start-Up Support Innovators 2025’ at the Southern Enterprise Awards, ranking 11th in the UK Start-up Awards 2025, and being shortlisted for both the Global Gamechanger 2025 Award and Best Business Start-Up at the UK Small Business Awards. The company has also been recognised as part of the Brainz 500.
With its official launch not long away, Just Starting Out is set to redefine how new businesses enter the market - offering a smarter, more accessible way for entrepreneurs to grow, and for consumers to access the services they need in an increasingly challenging economic climate.
About Just Starting Out
Just Starting Out is a UK-based platform dedicated to supporting new business owners in gaining early traction and building sustainable businesses. Alongside connecting emerging professionals with cost-conscious consumers, the platform also provides practical tools, guidance, and a community forum - recognising that many new business owners often feel isolated in the early stages of their journey. By combining access to customers with ongoing support, Just Starting Out aims to reduce early-stage business failure rates while making services more accessible to the public. Founded by Abi Hill and Richard Windley, the platform is built on extensive market research and a mission to empower the next generation of entrepreneurs.
Media contact
Amanda Grant
Communications Manager
0203 633 0286
