Thursday 20 November saw a fantastic celebration of business support in our region as more than 150 North East SMEs and business support providers joined the Department for Business & Trade (DBT) at the Biscuit Factory in Newcastle to launch the Business Growth Service Roadshow.
Designed to help businesses discover how Government backed local and national business support can help them to start, grow and succeed in the region and beyond, the event heard from a wide range of speakers, including some inspirational business leaders and entrepreneurs from here in the North East.
The support on offer from the new Business Growth Service
Blair McDougall MP, Minister for Small Business and Economic Transformation, started the event by praising the region's SME business community and highlighting the support on offer from the new Business Growth Service. He highlighted the "excitement and opportunity” the service provides, adding: “It’s designed to offer bespoke, personalised support, and to make sure businesses access advice that’s best for them.”
Cllr Karen Kilgour, Leader of Newcastle City Council, went on to talk about the business opportunities in the region, referencing growing sectors like tech and digital, clean energy, and the creative industries. Karen said: “To grow our economy, we need to help small businesses to thrive - helping them to get started, helping them to grow, and sustain success.
“However you enter the support system we will direct you to the place that can best help. Whether you come in through the government’s new Business Growth Service website or the North East Growth Hub. Whether you’re seeking investment, expanding into new markets and innovating. Or if you just want to know how to get started.”
And Chris Barton, Director of Local and International Growth Service at DBT, talked about the government's plans to support small businesses through the Industrial Strategy, Trade Strategy, and ‘Backing your business: our plan for small and medium-sized businesses’ strategy. Chris said: “You (small businesses) are absolutely front and centre of the government’s national ambitions for economic growth. The drivers for economic growth are business. It is business that creates jobs and improves living standards, and it’s businesses that provide the wealth we need to improve our public services.
“The Business Growth Service isn’t just online or in person, it’s local. Local Growth Hubs, including the North East Growth Hub, are ensuring local businesses know what support is available and how to get it.”
Hearing from local entrepreneurs and business owners
The audience of North East business leaders then heard from three local entrepreneurs who have all accessed support from the North East Growth Hub and other government backed initiatives. Each talked about how accessing business support has helped their respective businesses grow, and why other North East businesses should actively seek out the help available.
Hayley Smith CEO & Founder of Craft Yourself Silly Ltd, a fast-growing arts and crafts fabric supplier in North Tyneside, talked about the support she received from the Department for Business and Trade to grow her business in the United States. She also talked about how the Business Growth Advisers at the North East Growth Hub signposted her to the support that was right for her.
Peter Fairley, CEO and Founder of Fairley Gunn Group Ltd - the Newcastle-based networked community specialising in providing expert engineering solutions to industry - said: “The biggest impact we’ve received via business support is our involvement with the Made Smarter programme in the North East. As well as giving us financial support, it also backed it up with training. We got a lot from that experience.
“If you’re trying to grow, or just trying to be around for the next five to ten years, there is support available to you - everything from financial, coaching, mentoring, and workshops. You can access it all through the Business Growth Service.”
Completing the panel was Helen Butler, CEO & Founder of Simplified Operations, an operations consultancy that helps owner-led companies design the structures, teams, and processes they need to scale. Helen added: “A real lifeline for me when growing my business was joining the NatWest Accelerator programme. It opened up new connections and gave me access to training and coaching.”
The importance of knowing your vision and values
The keynote address came from the CEO and co-founder of B Corp law firm, EMG Solicitors.
Emma Gaudern spoke about starting the business in Durham back in 2013; growing the law firm to six offices across the country; and the importance of knowing where you’re going as a business - what are your mission, vision and values.
She also talked about the role business support has played in growing the law firm. “I’ve accessed business support in all sorts of ways throughout my career as CEO of EMG Solicitors. I’ve been through collegiate courses, I was a member of the Vistage hub, and I also did the Goldman Sachs 10,000 small businesses course, which is an incredible free resource. I’ve also joined more local networks, including the North East England Chamber of Commerce and Entrepreneurs Forum.
“I would advocate for any business to get any kind of help they can. Look at the Business Growth Service website as that pulls all the available support together in one place. Put yourself out there, ask for help, and seek out different ways to help your business grow."
Accessing funding in the North East
The last speaker of the day was a well known face in the North East business community, and someone that advocates for business support and finance and funding for SMEs. Jason Hobbs, Chief Executive of The North East Fund, took to the stage to introduce the latest round of the North East Fund, which includes the new North East Elevate Fund and North East Accelerate Fund.
Jason said: “The North East Fund is for everyone, we’ve made it as accessible as possible by investing in all types of businesses. Over the course of the next few years, £100m will be invested in North East businesses. Ask yourself, why shouldn't it be your business that accesses that money.”