Home / News / Page 56

North East closing employment gap – good progress but work still to be done

Richard Baker, North East LEP Head of Strategy and Policy, today welcomed the latest employment figures which revealed the continuing rise in the number of people in work in the region.
The Office for National Statistics data shows a record high employment rate in the North East standing at 71.1% – continuing to close the gap with the national average rate over the past year by two percentage points – and within 2% of the target set in the Strategic Economic Plan.

While unemployment grew slightly nationally between June and August this year, it fell in the North East by 8,000 people.

“These latest statistics show continued progress towards the target we set in the Strategic Economic Plan of growing the number of jobs in the North East economy and closing the employment rate gap with the national average,” said Richard.

“Other recent evidence suggests that almost 60% of the North East jobs growth is in higher productivity roles. Clearly, there are concerns about making sure that people in less stable employment can progress into more stable jobs and we will be looking at provisional figures in this part of the labour market carefully.

“The overall picture though from today’s statistics is good news for the North East in that there are more employment opportunities for people who are finding work to move out of unemployment and into work.

“Unemployment over the past year has seen a marked and welcome fall – down by 20,000 people which is an 18.8% rate fall compared to a 2.7% decline nationally.”

Home / News / Page 56

Scale-ups: the key to a growing economy?

A very small number of high growth firms can have a major significant impact on a regional economy.

In 2015 in the UK 22,500 out of 5.3 million firms created 40% of all new jobs – wow!

It is estimated that the North East has 600 of these “scale-up” firms. We need to identify, encourage and work with firms that are experiencing or want to experience rapid growth (over 20% increase per annum in sales or new jobs).

Does the North East want an exciting and better business future? Do you want an exciting and better business future? These are questions I asked myself after taking part, with a small team from the North East, in a three day scale-up event, in Manchester.

It was led by Dan Isenberg, a leading professor in entrepreneurial ecosystems. We considered what makes a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem, and in particular the three C’s: communication, capacity to grow, and cash – communicating the success of growing firms, as success breeds success; capacity to grow in terms of management knowledge and skills; and cash in terms of funding, finance and investment.

It was highlighted that the most important factor in triggering growth is the desire and motivation to grow. Has the North East got enough entrepreneurs with real growth ambition?

What came across powerfully was that creating more start-ups is not the sole answer to generating a more vibrant economy. There is a clear distinction between being an entrepreneur and being self-employed. In the North East we may have lost sight of this distinction. There is a need to make a policy shift to put more emphasis on scale-ups.

The North East LEP is facilitating a follow-up to this event and is working with local business people and academics to gauge a way forward. I can’t wait to find out more and I believe more is on the way from the North East LEP. The future is definitely scale-ups.

A scale-up is an entrepreneurial business that wants to grow fast and profitably. Are you such a business?

Roy Stanley, North East Entrepreneur

Home / News / Page 56

In conversation with Colin Bell, Business Growth Director: Leading your business through the different phases of growth

Colin Bell, Business Growth Director, discusses how to lead your business through different phases of growth.

At the North East LEP, our business growth programme exists to make sure that people have access to the support and finance required to start and grow a business. It’s therefore important that support is targeted at the common challenges faced when transitioning from one stage of growth to the next. Each transition tends to change the businesses structure, complexity, and what’s required from leaders as well as throwing up a multitude of challenges that risk destabilising the business and stalling growth.

So what are the main phases of growth and associated challenges?

Phase 1: Birth – the owner does everything!

You are the leader, you are the sales person, the receptionist, the technical specialist, the operations manager…..you are the business, it’s an extension of you! As the business’s major resource, you are working incredibly long hours, and family and hobbies feel like a distant memory. Generating a predictable cash flow to recruit additional resources is the short-term issue.

The major challenges include:

  • Defining your market and ideal customers
  • Generating enough cash to feed and develop the business
  • Coping with operational disorder and chaos
  • Maintaining the required levels of energy and tenacity
  • Attracting talent with limited resources.

Phase 2: Development – making the shift from manager to leader

Your business is in lift off; the orders are rolling in, you markets and customers are more defined, you’re utilising 110% of your resources but cash is beginning to build and a management team has begun to form. The business’s operations have become less reliant on your day to day involvement.
The major challenges include:

  • Maintaining the levels of energy required to grow the business
  • Motivating and aligning people’s efforts on the vital few things that will achieve the business’ goals
  • Developing the systems and processes required to consistently deliver your value proposition and control growth
  • Generating or raising enough cash to invest in the businesses development.
  • Identifying, attracting, recruiting and developing talent
  • Developing the trust, capability and confidence in people to empower them to own and take account for parts of the business
  • Developing the competence in others to sell – vital to breaking through to the growth phase.

Phase 3: Growth – becoming a leader!

The business has begun to get real traction, you’re attracting some great customers and employees and are known within the industry and things are feeling a little more stable. Stability, however, can result in a loss of the restlessness and entrepreneurialism that’s got the business to this point.
The major challenges include:

  • Developing the leadership capability required to take the business to its next level
  • Reigniting your entrepreneurial spark and reconnecting with your vision and purpose
  • Packing your business full of the talented people needed to deliver growth
  • Providing the opportunities for talented people to grow their career within the business
  • Making sure that the business’ systems and operations continue to deliver the value proposition
  • Having visibility of and understanding what causes either good or bad performance
  • Nurturing, enhancing and maintaining the businesses culture, value and purpose.

Phase 4: Expansion – Mastering Leadership

Your business has been successful, you’ve expanded geographically, perhaps made a few acquisitions, but it’s likely that your market is becoming more crowded and competitors are approaching your customers and your staff. Growth requires something new to differentiate from the competition and to retain profitability. It’s time to break the mould and rewrite the rules of competition creating a culture capable of developing and executing the ideas that will disrupt the market.

  • Developing a culture capable of generating and moving forward the new ideas that will fuel your next growth curve
  • Breaking down the silo mentality and sub cultures that has formed over time
  • Communicating and having presence across a larger business
  • Keeping people aligned to the businesses vision and goals and living the businesses values and purpose
  • Developing effective governance and keeping an increasingly complex group of stakeholders happy.

To find out what support and finance is available to support your growth then please visit www.northeastgrowthhub.co.uk

Home / News / Page 56

Free digital technology programme launched to help North East businesses grow

Businesses in the North East can now access a free digital technology programme thanks to a new initiative from the North East Local Enterprise Partnership (North East LEP).

The programme, aimed at SMEs, will focus on utilising technology to promote business growth and expansion.

Growth through Digital Technology is a partnership between the North East LEP and some of the technology sector’s biggest names including Microsoft, BT, Google, Uber and Nominet. Local partners including Federation of Small Businesses, Asian Business Connexions, Sunderland Software City, Digital Skills Academy and the Department for International Trade are also supporting the initiative.

The first event on Thursday 24 November – delivered by BT in association with Uber and the SME Centre of Excellence – will focus on using technology to deliver faster and more profitable growth. Speakers include Mike Jones, an entrepreneur with a number of small businesses, formerly founding MD of BT Local Business, a BT division serving over one million SME customers; and Senior Operations Manager at Uber UK, Gemma Bloemen.

Colin Bell, Business Growth Director at the North East LEP said: “We’ve teamed up with organisations including FSB, BT and Nominet to help small to medium sized businesses in the North East LEP area use digital technology to scale up.

“Our series of free masterclasses and seminars will cover everything from selling online to attracting new customers. We’ll also be looking at how digital technology can be used to control costs and finances, as well as build long-term business resilience.

“We’ll be helping businesses access free advice from experts in the field so they can draft and implement a digital strategy that works for their business.”

Chris Yiu, General Manager at Uber, added, “We’re really excited to be involved with the North East LEP. There is a fantastic tech scene here in the North East and we really want to play a role in making it a leading tech hub.”

Designed for businesses looking to expand their digital presence and use new technology to grow their operation, Growth through Digital Technology will provide SMEs in the region access to expert help as well as supporting tools and techniques via business support platform, the North East Growth Hub (northeastgrowthhub.co.uk).

In addition to the series of free masterclasses and seminars, funding to support businesses in developing a digital technology action plan has been secured via Northumberland-based enterprise agency NBSL and the North East Business Support Fund.

Colin continued: “This is a fantastic programme and one that many businesses could really benefit from. Research has shown that organisations that adopt digital technology grow faster and enjoy higher growth profits. That’s something we want more companies in the North East to achieve.”

Some of the free masterclasses businesses can sign up to include; ‘Attracting customers with killer content’, ‘Using the cloud to manage operations and mange performance’ and ‘Using digital technology to trade internationally’.

The programme’s first event, ‘Delivering faster and more profitable growth’, takes place on Thursday 24 November.

Home / News / Page 56

The Rural Growth Network: in conversation with North East LEP Board Member Gillian Hall

Evaluation of the Rural Growth Network pilot programme

Since 2012 we’ve seen the Rural Growth Network (RGN) working to stimulate economic growth in the North East’s rural areas and communities. This has included identifying the key issues which face businesses in these rural areas; assisting businesses with either financial support or business advice; helping to create enterprise hubs; and providing capital investment to support employment and business growth in the rural economy.

In the North East, the RGN pilot project began in 2012 with £3.2m of funding from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).

Defra has recently completed its evaluation of the national RGN pilot phase, looking at the impact made by the Networks’ support to the rural economy across the UK. I was interested to be able to review some of the key findings which have emerged from the report and am pleased to see evidence of the project’s impact, including:

  • For every £1 of Defra RGN investment spent by the end of September 2015, the return on investment will be around £6.60 by the end of the next three years
  • The pilot initiative helped to create or safeguard over 2,200 jobs
  • It also helped to create over 700 businesses
  • The RGN support has brought about a range of soft outcomes, including building skills and capacity in the areas of enterprise and business growth, addressing confidence issues and creating sustainable business networks.

Here in the North East, we had some specific targets for the region’s RGN pilot project, including the aim to support the creation of 300 new jobs and 40 new businesses.

In fact, both these targets were exceeded during the three year project, with nearly 200 new businesses helped to establish themselves. The pilot achieved 100 enterprise spaces in 13 enterprise hubs. The network has grown successfully and there are now 36 enterprise hubs across the rural North East, from Berwick to Bishop Auckland, Amble to Allendale.

Following these successes, the North East LEP and central Government allocated a further £6m of Local Growth Funding to phase two of the North East RGN, over a five year period to 2020. The new capital programme aims to support rural businesses and stimulate business growth within the rural areas of Northumberland, Durham and Gateshead.

Projects which have already received support from the North East RGN include The Sill – this ambitious £14.2 million initiative will result in a new Landscape Discovery Centre and YHA Youth Hostel, transforming how people explore the landscapes, history and heritage of Northumberland and also delivering substantial economic benefits to the area.

In Tyne and Wear, the Kibblesworth Village Millennium Centre secured over £40,000 in support from the Rural Growth Network to support the project, which includes the creation of three iconic enterprise pods and conversion of space in the centre building to create further office accommodation, informal business meeting space and toilet facilities.

Between now and 2020, the North East RGN is set to help create more and better jobs in the North East’s rural economy.

Find out more about the North East RGN.
Find out about the business space on offer at www.ruralconnect.biz 

Gillian Hall, North East LEP Board Member.

Home / News / Page 56

VentureFest North East 2016 to be the biggest yet

The region’s innovation conference VentureFest North East has announced a series of new features aimed at making its 2016 event the largest and most successful yet at helping businesses to grow.

 
The annual autumn conference has grown to 700 people this year and its next gathering on 8 November at St James’ Park will comprise a programme packed with inspiring new content, as well as tried and tested highlights.

 

This year’s conference will see the introduction of Innovation Challenge North East , a project focusing on helping businesses explore how to turn the real-world challenges facing large corporates, the public sector and society at large into commercial opportunities for their organisations.

 
Delegates will be able to meet face-to-face with some of the large corporates, such as Northumbrian Water and ENGIE, to hear about the challenges facing their businesses and discuss whether they have the technology, services and talent to provide solutions.

 
Northumbrian Water will discuss the opportunity for businesses to help map its vast sewage network and how solutions could include technology able to determine the level of sewers, devices that offer streaming of data and even approaches based on citizen science or gamification.

 
Chris Jones, Research and Development Manager at Northumbrian Water: “Large organisations like ours face complex operational challenges and while we know there will be businesses in the region with the skills and expertise to provide solutions the issue has always been in reaching out to them.

 
“VentureFest provides us with an exciting opportunity to access a wide network of talent and find solutions faster. We will be on hand to meet delegates face-to-face and discuss how they might be able to turn our challenges into commercial opportunities for their businesses and I’m looking forward to a day of exploring innovation in the North East.”

 
Businesses will get the chance to see how an innovation sandpit works as an intense innovation process to generate fresh ideas and stimulate creative thinking, with Northumbria University students coming up with solutions to tackle a big issue over the course of the day.

 
Other new developments include the inclusion of FinanceCamp at VentureFest for the first time. FinanceCamp is a programme that prepares businesses for investment and then brings them together with potential investors and lenders in a succession of quick meetings.

 
The North East LEP is also bringing its North East Growth Hub to the event to help answer questions of businesses relating to their growth. Usually a digital resource, Growth Hub Live will bring the information, knowledge, advice and support of the region’s business community to VentureFest so experts can discuss issues in person.

 
Estelle Blanks, Deputy Director of Innovation SuperNetwork which delivers VentureFest North East, said: “The purpose of VentureFest North East is to provide a unique day in the business calendar that is dedicated to bringing people together to explore new opportunities and overcome challenges standing in the way of their business growth.
“We are dedicated to constantly evolving the event, working closely with the region’s business community to ensure it reflects the needs of our delegates and highlights the latest innovation trends. This year’s programme is packed with content to inspire and inform businesses of all sizes and sectors and we look forward to opening the doors in November to our largest gathering of innovators to date.”

 
Registrations are now open for VentureFest at venturefestnortheast.com and attendance is free to all businesses.
VentureFest North East is part of the wider Innovation SuperNetwork programme, developed with around 50 partner organisations to support innovation in the North East. Led by the VentureFest North East team, the SuperNetwork is supported by Innovate UK, the North East LEP and North East BIC, with part-funding from the European Regional Development Fund.

 
• For more information and to apply for VentureFest North East visit www.VentureFestnortheast.com
Notes to editor

 
For information please contact Innovation SuperNetwork Communications Manager Laura White on email: [email protected] or telephone 07739 126152.

European Regional Development Fund

The project is receiving up to £522,000 of funding from the England European Regional Development Fund as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020. The Department for Communities and Local Government is the Managing Authority for European Regional Development Fund. Established by the European Union, the European Regional Development Fund helps local areas stimulate their economic development by investing in projects which will support innovation, businesses, create jobs and local community regenerations. For more information visit https://www.gov.uk/european-growth-funding.

Home / News / Page 56

The If We Can You Can Challenge, 2016: co-production, community, collaboration and celebration!

The If We Can You Can Challenge is now open to all 0-3-year-old businesses in the North East of England.

Organised and delivered by Caroline Theobald and Charlotte Windebank of FIRST Face to Face Ltd backed up by Jake Gebhard and with comprehensive support from the Entrepreneurs Forum members, the Challenge’s main aim is to identify ambitious businesses within the region and help them grow.

The competition is looking for all pre-start business ideas or start-ups established in the North East within the last 3 years regardless of the business leader’s age, ethnicity or experience. Working with the 5 universities, enterprise agencies and businesses within the five fastest growing sectors in the region, the FIRST Face to Face team are aiming to create a co-produced, inclusive challenge that will ensure that start-up businesses can access the help and suitable support they need to thrive.

This year all start-ups who make it to the second round will receive relevant and constructive feedback from leading business experts to help them ‘stay and grow’ their business in the region. Applicants will be given introductions to industry contacts, mentors and finance-providers and will receive publicity through various media platforms. With a 300-word maximum ‘Sell your business to us’ application, the opportunity to be involved is just a couple of clicks away.

Confirmed sponsors and supporters include: Entrepreneurs Forum, PNE, TEDCO, North East Finance, Evolution LLP, the five regional universities, Federation of Small Businesses, the North East LEP Growth Hub, Campus North, Toffee Factory, Newcastle Enterprise Centres, Digital City and BQ as our media partner.

Deadline for entries is 16th of October, 2016 and the shortlisted companies and the business idea winner will be showcasing their start-ups at BALTIC: Centre for Contemporary Art on 16th November, 2016 in the middle of Global Entrepreneurship Week. The exhibition will be followed by a celebratory dinner where attendees will crown the IWCYC winner and celebrate new talent, innovation and achievement.

Caroline Theobald CBE said: “Feedback from the entrants last year prompted us to think carefully about how to offer them maximum support. By working closely with the 5 regional universities, enterprise agencies and regional businesses and involving them in the Challenge process we will give the region’s start-ups the best possible growth prospects whilst banging the drum for collaboration across the enterprise ecosystem.”

Charlotte Windebank, MD of FIRST Face to Face said: “The aim of the Challenge is to signpost start-ups and those with business ideas to the relevant and exciting opportunities the region has to offer. Last year’s winners highlighted the creativity and innovation that’s happening in the North East and if we all work together the Campaign this year can really help those just starting out and show the rest of the world the quality of start-ups that are coming from our region!”

For information on how to apply, the competition and its benefits please visit www.ifwecanyoucan.co.uk

For any questions or if you’re interested in becoming a partner, please email: Charlotte on [email protected]

Home / News / Page 56

Award winning firm finds space to grow

Sunderland-based interior design and architectural company Space ID has expanded at the North East Business and Innovation Centre (BIC).

The award winning company, founded in 2008 to provide design services across the UK for the hotel, bar and restaurant sectors, has gone from strength to strength and has recently taken additional space within the BIC to accommodate their recent growth.

The three Directors of the company, Mike Simmons, Marc Hardy and Phill Young have pushed the company forward since the initial set up by bringing together their individual skill sets to provide a comprehensive design service to their clients. The team covers all areas of design from initial concepts, 3D visuals, site surveys and local authority applications through to full design packages and on site design management to realise their client’s projects and aspirations.

Director Phill Young explains: “The market has greatly improved within the construction sector and we have taken this upturn as an opportunity to expand.”

“We have a range of new projects in various stages of design and construction at present situated around the UK and are taking briefings on future works.

“Having recently recruited two interior designers and with plans for a possible further two members of staff in the future, the extra space was not only needed to accommodate the expanding team but will also help us to maintain our links with Local Universities.

“We teamed up with the University student placement scheme which allows the next generation of design talent to gain hands on experience within a design company. In fact, one of our newest team members originally came to us on a placement from Teesside University.”

Phill continues: “The BIC is the ideal environment for businesses just starting out and needing incubation space, but it also has room for growth. With flexible lease terms and on-site business support, companies like ourselves can plan their expansion wisely.

“The Jupiter Centre suits our business needs, and the location is perfect not just for ourselves but for clients travelling from all over the UK. Being based just off the A19 and slightly outside of the city centre is very convenient and there is more than enough car parking space. We can also see the benefits and opportunities that the new bridge will bring once complete.

“Moving offices couldn’t have been easier, the BIC staff were brilliant and the IT and telephone systems were set up immediately, so we were never without access.”

Donna Surtees, centre manager at the BIC commented: “Here at the BIC we pride ourselves on nurturing business success whatever the sector or size here in the North East.

“We are delighted to provide a dynamic and supportive environment to accommodate the growth of Space ID. I wish them the very best in their new office and with their plans for further expansion.”

For more information on Space ID check out their website www.spaceid.co.uk, look them up on Facebook or alternatively, contact them directly on 0191 516 6832

For more information on Space at the BIC contact the team on 0191 516 6066

ENDS

Home / News / Page 56

Businesses invited to put their head in the cloud

Businesses in the region are being invited to join a free workshop with leading technology firm techUK to learn how to implement cloud computing in their organisations.

Delivered in partnership with the North East Local Enterprise Partnership (North East LEP) and Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), the SME Cloud Clinic takes place on Thursday 20 October at Newcastle College.

Designed to provide SMEs with an introduction to the benefits of cloud computing, the event features a panel of expert speakers and the opportunity to meet with cloud computing service providers.

Colin Bell, Business Growth Director at the North East LEP said: “Cloud computing is an increasingly popular way for businesses to operate thanks to the flexibility and mobility it provides.

“This course is part of techUK’s popular Cloud Business Guide for Business Leaders that provides help and support to organisations looking to implement cloud computing.

“Operating in the cloud has shown to improve business efficiency and encourage greater scalability; something we’d like to see businesses across the North East benefit from.”

Cloud computing has grown in popularity in recent years as more and more businesses take advantage of using the internet to access files, data and programs, rather than a traditional hard drive.

Speakers at the event include David Aspindle, Head of Sales and Marketing at MDS Technologies, Jeremy Lilley, Programme Manager Cloud, Big Data & Analytics at techUK and Richard Stinton, EMEA Solutions Architect at iland Cloud Services Provider.

A free copy of techUK’s Cloud Business Guide for Business Leaders will be available to all attendees.

techUK’s Newcastle SME Cloud Clinic takes place at Newcastle College from 08:00-10:00 on Thursday 20 October. Places are free but must be booked in advance from http://www.techuk.org/events/briefing/item/8993-newcastle-sme-cloud-clinic

For more information about techUK, visit www.techuk.org