How do we know so much about business support you might ask?
Wenta have been providing support to the local business communities for over 35 years, originally starting as a small business ourselves back in 1983.
Here's a timeline summary of our journey so far.
Wenta opens its first Collaboration Station... A fantastic new co-working space designed for start-ups, small businesses and other business professionals to work with flexibility and agility! Learn more here.
This year marked the beginning of our 35th Anniversary celebrations. Proceedings started off in August with the launch of The Business Bookshelf, an online resource full of useful articles, templates, tips and tricks to help small businesses start-up and grow! Further celebrations will continue well into 2019!
Want to know more? Take a look at our annual review!
Chris Pichon hands over the reigns of Chief Executive to Ed Jordan, ex Chief Executive of The Peel Institute and ex Chief Operating Officer at Coin Street Community Builders.
Wenta launch its online business support portal, Wenta Online. Clients can now receive free live chat business advice directly from the Wenta website, join and create their own group discussions within the Wenta Online Community area as well as access business support resources.
Wenta (btc) is crowned the Winner of The Enterprise Award at the Pride of Stevenage Awards 2016 in recognition of the outstanding business support provided to Stevenage residents and businesses.
Wenta Chief Executive, Chris Pichon, receives The Queen's Award for Enterprise Promotion - Lifetime Achievement Award at Buckingham Palace reflecting all the great work achieved at Wenta.
After a massively successful first year, Wenta wins The Future of Enterprise Support Award from the National Enterprise Network for their pioneering approach to business support and 'Mi Ventures' live chat business advice platform.
Wenta helped a record number of over 1200 new start-up businesses this year also.
Wenta launch their sister company – Mi Ventures, an innovative online service which moves business support into the digital era, providing instant live chat business advice online.
Wenta purchase their fifth business centre: The Wenta Business Centre in Enfield.
Wenta celebrate their 30th anniversary with a conference at Knebworth Barns around the theme ‘Inspiring Today, Inspiring Tomorrow’.
Wenta awarded Local Enterprise Agency of the Year for its range of enterprise support services and customer service record.
Wenta receive the Future of Enterprise Support Award from the National Enterprise Network for excellence in business support delivery and the concept for Mi Ventures, a new initiative to be launched the following year.
A sixth business start-up incubator is launched at Hertford Regional College making it the first business incubator within a further education college.
Due to popular demand, our business incubation facility at the btc is refurbished and expanded. HRH The Duke of Edinburgh officially opens the newly refurbished facility in Stevenage.
My Incubator continues to support pre-starts and start-up businesses and expands into Watford and Potters Bar.
During this time, The Enterprise Centre in Potters Bar receives a £250,000 makeover.
Following the success of My Incubator at the btc, a second shared workspace facility for start-ups is launched in Luton.
Wenta are awarded the 'National Enterprise Award for Innovation' by The National Enterprise Network (NEN) for Wenta's business incubation facilities and start-up services.
Wenta are awarded a contract by Stevenage Borough Council to manage The Business and Technology Centre and Chells Industrial Units in Stevenage.
2009 sees the launch of our ground-breaking business incubation facility within the btc, ‘My Incubator’. This service gives new businesses an ideal environment to start and grow their business in, complete with on-site business advisor, meeting room facilities and free training courses.
Wenta celebrates its 25th anniversary with a conference at Hatfield House around the theme ‘inspiring enterprise’.
Small business owners and thought leaders gather to celebrate 25 years of enterprise support.
Wenta Business Services is re-branded to Wenta and our current brand elements are created.
The Wenta Business Centre in Watford undergoes re-development and a new eco-office block is erected providing 24 new offices for small businesses.
Marking our 20th anniversary, Watford Enterprise Agency is re-branded to Wenta Business Services.
Watford Enterprise Agency are awarded the 'Investor in People Award' for ‘excellence and making a difference every day’.
2000 was also the year that we launched our first ever website!
Watford Enterprise Agency introduce a ground-breaking programme for inspiring enterprise in schools - delivering training courses and events to students throughout Hertfordshire and educating them that self-employment is a viable option when leaving school.
Ken Hards, our first Chief Executive, stands down and hands the reigns over to ex Watford Enterprise Agency client, Chris Pichon.
Construction finishes and The Enterprise Centre is formally opened by cricket legend, Graham Gooch. Watford Enterprise Agency now operates two business centres in Hertfordshire.
After seeing the success of our first business centre in Watford, Hertsmere Borough Council approach us to construct a new business centre in Potters Bar. Construction starts in late 1989.
HRH Prince Charles formally opens our first business centre (now known as 'The Wenta Business Centre') in Watford - where our Head Office is still based today.
A disused factory site in Watford is converted into offices and workshops, providing affordable space to small businesses and valuable funding for our business advice service.
Wenta, originally named as Watford Enterprise Agency, was founded in 1983 by a group of local business men in Watford to support small business owners.
