The Zig Zag Hub has opened in Nowra, giving local entrepreneurs the chance to start their own business

The 'Zig Zag' Hub has officially opened on Kinghorne Street in Nowra, having originally started in Wollongong.

The Hub offers a variety of courses for young individuals with an entrepreneurial mindset who want to get started with their own business.

'StartGap' is one of the courses on offer, with the 10 week course giving anyone aged 17 to 29 the opportunity to explore key business areas including marketing, e-commerce, finance and other areas, all with an assigned mentor.

Bianca Pentecost and Lauren Greer founded their Wollongong business 'Happy Body Collective' through the help and experience gained in the 'StartGap' program.

Together, the pair run a hula hooping business, where they teach the tricky art of hula hooping, perform and sell active wear as well as hula hoops.

Miss Pentecost said the pair had an interest in hula hooping, however they did not know how to get started with a business.

"We were intimidated with having our own business," she said. "They (StartGap Mentor) really encouraged us and supported us through everything; they really helped us get started."

Miss Greer said they started their business while they were completing the 10 week StartGap course.

"We launched while we were doing the course because we were given confidence that we could do it," she said.

The pair have been running their business since October 2021 and are now teaching hula hooping classes at the University of Wollongong, as well as performing and selling their products.

"Any young people in Nowra or the Shoalhaven that want to start a business should definitely look at the StartGap course through the Zig Zag hub," Miss Pentecost said.

Other courses offered through the hub include half-day School holiday workshops in coding and 'Design Thinking', through to a 4 week 'Incubate Your Idea' program and 10 week 'Business Accelerator' program, all which will be offered in the Nowra Hub in 2022, as well as 'StartGap'.

Founder of the hub Carman Rudd said The Zig Zag Hub provides Entrepreneurial Programs for young people who want to start their own business or learn how to develop an idea.

"We offer several different programs where kids, through to young adults, learn skills such as critical thinking, problem solving and business fundamentals from expert facilitators," she said.

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Shoalhaven Business Chamber President and Nowra Zig Zag Hub General Manager Jemma Tribe said the hub will become an entrepreneurial community, with individuals interested in starting their own businesses throwing ideas off one another and learning how the business world works.

"Carmen found in Wollongong that this hub has been a huge success with people coming in to learn from each other and just be in that business environment," Mrs Tribe said.

The Hub's name of 'Zig Zag' came from the difficulties running a business brings.

"The name is a recognition that business journeys are not a straight line, there are twist and turns and the last few years have shown that," Mrs Tribe said.

"But the last few years have brought out people's entrepreneurial spirit, it's given people the tools to think creatively and pivot and find a way to succeed in business.

"These courses are raising up the job makers of tomorrow and these young people who complete these courses are the future employers of the region."

The courses will be on offer for Shoalhaven residents through the Zig Zag Hub in 2022.