EBDS-Issue1-inorder

News
The newsletter for East Durham Business Service
Issue 1 • July 2014
EDBS SUPPORTS BUDDING ENTREPRENEURS AS
THEY TAKE THE LEAP INTO SELF EMPLOYMENT
Dozens of people are now
running successful businesses
thanks to the support of East
Durham Business Service.
During the last financial year, we helped
over 70 people to pursue a path into self
employment and of those more than 50 are
still trading.
Among the businesses that are going from
strength to strength are an IT consultancy,
a plasterer, a domestic cleaning firm and a
handmade crafts company.
Denise Fielding said: “For too long this area
has been shown in a negative way and in the
spotlight for all the wrong reasons.
“But organisations like ours that are on the
ground providing support to individuals and
new and growing SMEs know that there is so
much to shout about.
One of the people who has benefited from
support is Emma Summerill. With the
support of business advisor Hina Joshi,
I owe so much to East Durham Business
Service as without them I wouldn’t have
been able to achieve what I have.
“These statistics show that there are people
out there with genuine ambitions to pursue
self employment who, with a bit of a push in
the right direction and someone to support
them, can turn their vision into a reality.”
Emma was able to access a loan through
the New Enterprise Allowance programme,
which enabled her to secure a unit in Horden.
However, within months she’d outgrown it
and moved to her current premises at York
Road in Peterlee.
Emma said: “Since moving to these larger
premises the business has really grown and I
am now completely booked up for weddings
until the end of the year which is great.
“I really do love it and owe so much to East
Durham Business Service as without them
I wouldn’t have been able to achieve what
I have. I would recommend them and self
employment to anyone.”
The publication of results from the last
financial year rounds off a successful period
for the organisation, which has included
strengthening its team with the appointment
of a business advisor and external
communications consultant.
CONSULANT SIMON RAISES £650 FOR CHARITY
Apprenticeship consultant
Simon Naisbett has raised
more than £650 for charity.
Emma Summerill,
Emma Isabella Floral Design
Simon, 35, from Peterlee climbed Ben
Nevis earlier this year to raise much
needed funds for the Stroke Association.
Simon chose the charity after his dad
suffered a serious stroke last year and
continues to have treatment to aid his
recovery.
Simon said: “The weather conditions
on the weekend of the climb were
horrendous and the toughest I have ever
faced, so I was really proud to complete
it and raise over £650 for the Stroke
Association in the process. I am keen to
support the charity as much as I can as
since my Dad had his stroke I’ve become
much more aware of what a great job
they do and how vital funding donations
like this are.”
HINA JOSHI
REJOINS THE
EDBS TEAM
EDBS HELPS YOUNG
PEOPLE INTO WORK
AND APPRENTICESHIPS
Hina Joshi has rejoined our
team as business advisor.
She works with budding entrepreneurs
who want to pursue self employment and
newly created companies that are looking
to get their venture off the ground.
And as part of the expanded business
support programme we now offer, Hina
will also work with growing SMEs that are
looking to implement the next phase of
their growth plan.
Hina, who lives in Sunderland, has worked
as a business advisor in the North East for
over 17 years including a year spent with
East Durham Business Service from July
2012 to March last year.
She said: “I am delighted to re-join the
team and am really looking forward to
working with pre-start, new and growing
businesses in the area to help them turn
their business ambitions into reality.
“There are a lot of people out there with
great ideas but don’t know how to get
them off the ground, so I’ll be working with
them to give them the support they need
to do that.
East Durham Business Service
has helped dozens of young
people Not in Employment,
Education or Training (NEETs)
to find secure employment and
apprenticeships with regional
firms.
Our apprenticeship programme aims to
equip 16-19-year-olds with the skills they
need to go on to secure employment.
And we’ve now taken 60 young people
on intensive and longer term placements
with over 80 per cent entering full
time employment or being awarded
apprenticeships with local businesses.
and will make a real difference to them.
“And it’s working. Since I started in May
2013, I’ve taken over 60 young people
on placements with over 80 per cent
securing jobs or apprenticeships when
they finish. They leave here different people
with the confidence and self belief which
local employers want and that’s what our
apprenticeship programme is all about.”
Simon delivers two main apprenticeship
courses. One is an intensive six-week
programme funded by the European Social
Fund and delivered in partnership with
Gateshead Council, while the second is a
referral based initiative.
Since I started in May 2013,
I’ve taken over 60 young
people on placements with
over 80 per cent securing
jobs or apprenticeships
when they finish.
“And now, because of the expansion of
our support programme, I’ll also be able to
work with established businesses that are
looking to take their plans to the next level.
“This is so important, not only to their long
term future but also for the boost it will
give the area’s entrepreneurial culture;
success breeds success and SMEs have
just as important a role to play in East
Durham’s future growth as those larger,
more established businesses.
Apprenticeship consultant Simon Naisbett
said: “The young people who come to see
me genuinely want to work but aren’t sure
how to find the best opportunities for them,
or lack the confidence that the majority of
employers are looking for.
One of the NEETs who is working with
Simon is 18-year-old Jordan Scott from
Easington. He came to East Durham
Business Service after trying a number of
other training programmes which he felt
weren’t for him.
“Many have been on other training courses
that haven’t helped them so I devote time
to get to know them, what interests them
and their strengths and weaknesses so I can
tailor my support in a way which is engaging
He said: “Simon is making a real difference
to me as he genuinely wants to help. I really
want to get a job as a kitchen and bathroom
fitter and I know when I complete this course
I’ll have a better chance of doing that.”
To find out more about the apprenticeship programme offered by East
Durham Business Service email [email protected].
FACILITIES AT
NOVUS I AND II
AVAILABLE FOR
BUSINESSES
Businesses in the region are being urged to take
advantage of the faciliies at Novus I in Peterlee and
Novus II in Seaham.
Novus I on the North West Industrial Estate provides high quality, flexible
space to new and growing SMEs in the area.
There are 31 offices available which come with easy in, easy out terms
and tenants are offered ongoing support to help them grow and can also
utilise a range of facilities including conference and meeting rooms and
networking areas. The centre also has training facilities and hot desks
available.
Novus II at Spectrum Business Park was opened in January 2013 to meet
the needs of growing SMEs in the North East.
The 15,500 sq ft facility is now home to 14 businesses including an
accountancy firm, a training provider, a recruitment consultant and a
renewable heating contractor which between them employ up to 30
people.
Denise Fielding said: “Novus I and II are the perfect environments for
businesses to realise their ambitions, whether they’re a new start looking
for their first leased offices or a growing company keen to take additional
space to help implement their expansion plans.
“What we can offer are quality conference facilities and meeting rooms
which are available on an as and when needed basis so there’s something
here to accommodate every requirement.”
EDBS HOSTS SOCIAL MASTERCLASSES
Dozens of businesses across East Durham
have been given an invaluable insight into the
power of social media.
EDBS, through through the North East Rural Growth Network
programme, recently joined forces with digital marketing
entrepreneur Pascal Fintoni to host two social media
masterclasses.
The free classes were organised to show businesses how and why
they should be using social media platforms such as Twitter and
LinkedIn to boost their business profile.
Sarah Marshall from East Durham Business Service said: “Those
businesses that use social media know what a powerful tool it can
be. You can hit a massive audience free of charge and it can do
wonders for your profile.
“These events were to educate those businesses who wanted to
learn from Pascal and the feedback we got was extremely positive.”
BUSINESS PROGRAMME TO SUPPORT
NEW AND GROWING COMPANIES
I would urge
businesses to
get in touch
with us to
see if they
are eligible
for support
and if they
are, how
that support
can be best
tailored to
meet their
individual
needs.
Sarah Marshall,
East Durham
Business
Service’s Rural
Enterprise
Development
Officer
Pre-start and established SMEs
in rural parts of East Durham
and Sedgefield are being urged
to tap into a support programme
created to encourage business
growth.
The North East Rural Growth Network
Business Support Programme is being
jointly funded by DEFRA and the European
Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
New and established B2B companies
that are eligible can access support for
consultancy aid in a number of areas
including marketing and communications,
strategic planning and training with up to 12
hours of assistance available. They can also
register for workshops and events organised
as part of the programme.
Commissioned by Northumberland County
Council, the programme is being delivered by
East Durham Business Service with the aim
of creating a thriving entrepreneurial culture
in rural areas of East Durham and Sedgefield
by removing some of the barriers to business
creation and growth which currently exist.
Sarah Marshall, East Durham Business
Service’s Rural Enterprise Development
Officer, is overseeing the delivery of the
project. She said: “There are businesses
across East Durham and Sedgefield that
are eligible for help from the Business
Support Programme but either don’t know
about it or have heard of it but assume they
won’t qualify because they don’t consider
themselves rural. In fact research has shown
that many rural businesses don’t utilise the
help available to them and that’s something
we’re determined to change.
“There are a number of ways in which a prestart or growing SME could benefit, whether
they would like support to develop a brand
or website, help putting their profile out
to the media or perhaps guidance on how
best to develop a strategy to drive forward
expansion.
“The main thing is this programme is there
to benefit them so I would urge them to get
in touch with us to see if they are eligible for
support and if they are, how that support
can be best tailored to meet their individual
needs.”
To find out more about the North East Rural Growth Network programme email [email protected].
Business Support case study: Anna Mobile Modern Hair
Anna Hewitson from Easington
was working in a salon in
Sunderland but wanted to
push herself and felt self
employment was the way to do
that...
After a friend of hers recommended East
Durham Business Service, 22-year-old
Anna contacted them and with the help
of business advisors Hina Joshi and Joe
Greener, she launched Anna Mobile Modern
Hair.
She said: “I was really enjoying working in
the salon where I was employed but I wanted
to do more. I felt because of my age I had
nothing to lose so I contacted East Durham
Business Service to see how I went about
setting up on my own.
“They were so helpful with me and gave
me the extra push I needed. I launched the
business in October 2012 and now things
are going so well. It’s like a domino effect
getting new clients as so much is from word
of mouth and now I am so busy.
“I really do love working for myself and would
say to anyone thinking about it to go for it.”
@EdbsNovus
East Durham Business Service