Okehampton’s new Business and Intellectual Property Centre (BIPC) will be holding a series of live, in-person coaching workshops for the self-employed at Okehampton Library

These weekly workshops will take place throughout February and will also be held at Exeter’s and Exmouth’s libraries and will be available via Zoom.

Richard Love, BIPC Devon marketing and engagement manager, said: ‘The challenges and demands of modern life can often be overwhelming. It can be easy to feel overwhelmed by negative news and the struggles of daily life. These coaching sessions aim to provide attendees with the mindset and self-help tools necessary to regain balance and stability, allowing them to focus on building real and lasting change’

In a small launch event on November 23 last year, Okehampton Library recently became Libraries Unlimited’s newest business and intellectual property centre (BIPC) to help new businesses take off and support more small businesses in the West Devon region.

This is just one of several BIPCs supported by Devon library organiser Libraries Unlimited’s with the others located in Exeter, Paignton and Barnstaple. The Okehampton branch is the only such centre in the West Devon region and was established in the town in order to provide West Devon residents with specialist business support.

The new BIPC is also offering specialists business support for women (She Started It) and for those of black, Asian or ethnic minorities (BAME Start-Up Grant).

The BIPC will also offer people in West Devon the Bedroom to Business course for those unsure how to turn their business idea into a reality.

The Libraries Unlimited BIPC scheme, in association with the British Library, has been running since November 2020 and since it was set up has helped over 2,000 Devonians start a business.