Suzi Scarlett and Morgan Dunbar are at the end of the phone any time you call the North East Growth Hub team. They can help with your questions about what support is out there for your startup.

What kinds of questions do people ask when they call the North East Growth Hub?

Morgan: People call up with a really broad range of questions. Of course, we get asked about what financial support is available for businesses, but people are also looking for information on expanding their business, or putting in place training for their staff, for example.

Suzi: Net zero and saving money on energy bills is a big theme at the moment. People are investigating alternative ways to generate energy and reduce emissions, and we can signpost them to the best information and support (like this list of funding opportunities for low carbon projects).

Post-Brexit, we’re also responding to a lot of enquiries about export and helping people to understand the current regulations. There’s also advice on this in the Growth Hub’s markets toolkit.

What information should people have handy when they call?

Morgan: We’ll ask your name, your business name and your business address, including the postcode. It’s also really useful to give us an idea of your turnover and staff numbers – a ballpark figure is fine – as that will help us to get a better understanding of what support will be best for you. And then we’ll have an initial chat to find out what kind of support you’re looking for.

What happens next?

Suzi: We’ll put together a package of information which we send via email, telling you what the most suitable programmes and support are for you and your business. We also follow up with businesses we’ve helped in the past to see how they’re doing and see if we can help them any further.

What do you like about role and what are your own areas of expertise?

Morgan: I like that this is a job with a purpose – to help people succeed – and there aren’t many other places people can get the range of information we provide. I can also use my own experience of starting and running a retail business which helps me understand the challenges businesses face.

Suzi: I love knowing what’s going on in the North East, and the range of people we talk to. Just recently I’ve spoken with a small, vegan food startup and then the next moment it’s a huge, multinational business looking for a UK base.

I’ve run my own dance business for 12 years and I’ve been a support worker, so I have good knowledge of the creative industries and business support for people with learning or physical disabilities. And I know that, if you’re thinking of locating a business here, you’ll have access to everything you could need. It’s a great part of the country.

Find more advice and support for startups in our Business Startups Toolkit.