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Skills Conference to outline benefits of business and education working together
Preparations are well under way for the third Warwickshire Skills Conference for business and education leaders in March.
The conference, organised by Warwickshire County Council's Skills for Employment programme, will take place at Chesford Grange Hotel, near Leamington Spa, on Monday 13 March from 8am-10am (breakfast included).
The focus will be on outlining the financial benefits to business and education of collaboration and highlighting the types of activity that have the most impact. Last year the conference, attended by more than 80 business and education leaders, generated excellent feedback. You can book your free place for this year's event here.
The benefits to businesses of working closely with education-providers are well-proven. A recent ACAS report stated that it costs around £5,000 every time a business recruits a new member of staff using traditional external recruitment methods or an agency. Direct recruitment from a school or college costs a fraction of that amount.
One of the businesses already employing this approach is Alumet Systems UK, based in Southam. The firm is working with Southam College which received a grant from Warwickshire County Council to develop the employability skills of students and support local businesses.
Janice Amey, HR Manager at Alumet, said: “As a specialist company in construction it’s getting even harder to attract people with the right skills, particularly as a small business in a rural area. By working with a local education provider, students are recognising the opportunities available on their doorstep and we have an opportunity to grow our own highly skilled workforce.”
For more information about the conference on March 13, or to find out how your business could work with a local education provider, please email:
skillsforemployment@warwickshire.gov.uk or call 01926 418027.
Similarly, please use those contacts details to find out more about any of the Skills for Employment initiatives. Since the Skills for Employment programme started at the beginning of 2015, it has awarded grants worth more than £1 million to schools and colleges, business and education partnerships.
Thirteen business and education partnership projects were recently awarded a total of £430,000 under the Major Grant scheme, following a bidding process. Among the projects to receive funding were Kineton High School and Woodlands All-age Community School, Coleshill.
These two exciting initiatives will enable students to set up and run businesses from their schools. Kineton High School has been awarded £30,000 to invest in cutting-edge technology and set up a student-run, on-site professional services hub. The students will provide creative digital services to the school’s partner businesses, including the British Motor Museum and Ettington Chase Hotel.
Woodlands All-age Community School in Coleshill has been awarded almost £40,000 to set up Laser Blazer, an online laser cutting micro-business to provide students with the skills and experience to enable them to go on and gain paid employment. The school’s business partner is Fab Lab which is part of the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust.
During the last year, 255 businesses and more than 2,300 students, including 48 at most risk of being not in employment, education or training (NEET), benefited from major grants. These figures include the creation of 15 new apprenticeships and 314 new work-experience placements which illustrates how the grants achieve real outcomes for young people and businesses.
The business path which took Neil from Rugby library to the Royal Households
Recent growth figures reveal that the borough of Rugby is going from strength to strength as a business base.
The borough is a go-to location for business growth - and that reputation is due to companies like bespoke furniture-manufacturer NEJ Stevenson.
You can say that a business is probably doing okay when its client-list includes the Royal Household and the Vatican. That is the case for NEJ Stevenson, based at Warwickshire County Council-run Church Lawford Business Centre.
The firm, started by Neil Stevenson in his father's garage in 1984, has held a Royal Warrant since 2003. It now boasts a clientele including the National Trust and English Heritage and which received another illustrious entry last year when the Galileo Foundation, on behalf of Pope Francis, ordered an intricately-carved staff as a gift for the Archbishop of Canterbury.
It is an eye-catching story and, in some ways, a glamorous one. But as with most successful businesses, its origins are far from glamorous; a lot of hard work, some initiative - and some help from the good old local library.
"When the first recession hit, we'd been in business for six years," recalls Neil. "We faced a decision - we either had to go upmarket or down. We decided on the former.
"So I went to Rugby Library, found the Yellow Pages for Inner and Outer London, photocopied the pages of all the interior-design companies and rang them all. I got knock-back after knock-back but also some interest, and from that came our first repeat customers.
"Then one day out of the blue came a call from Windsor Castle. They wanted some display cases for the Master's Gallery. We did the job and delivered on time and they were really surprised. They said: 'Nothing is ever delivered on time!' Craftspeople can be like that, because they have limited resources, but it's something we have always taken great pride in.
"Then we started receiving orders from other areas of the Royal Household and, after ten years, applied for a royal warrant. I was a bit unsure at first because we didn't want to seem elitist, and also it might suggest we were too pricy. But it's a wonderful association to be a part of."
Such esteemed company was far away in the early days of slogging round county shows and craft fairs in search of customers. But perseverance paid off as Neil had the craft skills and determination and, when he employed his father Alan, the business skills to progress.
"Dad had the business expertise which I very much needed," Neil said. "I became a furniture-maker by training and a businessman by accident. Making furniture was the easy part - I knew nothing about the business stuff."
Neil is the first to admit that he wouldn't have got far without the support of his wife Fiona who is now the company's finance director. Fiona had the regular income in the early days that enabled him to keep going.
More than 30 years later, the company has, in growth terms, travelled far and now employs 34 people. But physically it has not travelled far at all. Originally based at Wolston Business Park, it is now a long-term tenant of the county council's Church Lawford Business Centre.
"It is the perfect base for us," said Neil. "Over the years we have expanded into bigger units for the space we need, and the central location with access to the motorway network is perfect."
All the better for distributing goods to customers, of whom one of the most courteous to deal with is the Royal Household.
"They are the most pleasant and respectful of people," said Neil. "An absolute pleasure. It annoys me when people knock the Royal Household because so much of the money they spend goes to small businesses and British craftsmen. They alone have probably kept some skills alive."
Small businesses' growth accelerated by council grants
Warwickshire County Council has announced a new round of funding worth £600,000 to support small businesses and help encourage economic growth and job creation in the county.
The cash is part of a £2 million package of support approved by the council in October 2015 available to small businesses up to March 2018. The council has so far awarded grants worth a total of £437,736 to 21 firms under this scheme.
The grants, worth £5,000 to £35,000, are available to small and micro businesses with plans to grow, either by employing more staff or increasing turnover. They are designed to help firms finance capital assets such as buildings, plant, machinery and equipment.
Projects awarded grants under previous rounds of the scheme include Marton-based Aviation Engineering Support, an aviation engineering firm supplying technical parts to the aero-industry. The business has received funding of £7,638 for a specialist test area in the company’s new premises.
Paul Broadaway, AES director, explains: “We identified an opportunity to expand the business by developing additional skills to repair aircraft components constructed of advanced composite materials. For this we needed specialist test equipment and an improved extraction system. The cost for the project was a total of £30k.”
“We’ve been very grateful for the grant funding from Warwickshire County Council, which has helped us realise these plans much sooner than we would otherwise have been able to do. Now completed, the project has already enabled us to increase our composite repair work to the extent that we are now in the process of recruiting two designated technicians to undertake this work, which we anticipate will increase further.
“We’re in a great position to continue to expand and make the most of future opportunities.”
Bowie Lockwood Structures Ltd, of Binley, manufacture and construct bespoke industrial and agricultural buildings. The firm was keen to grow its product line of kit buildings which currently makes up 25% of its turnover. The firm received funding of £10,653 for a cutting unit and lift to help grow this line. As a result, the company has been able to create three more jobs.
Marcus Lockwood, Bowie Lockwood Structures manufacturing manager explains: “The funding allowed us to purchase a machine to help automate a job that previously was very labour intensive. We were able to increase our manufacturing capacity by 20% due to the success of the new CNC plasma cutter.
"If we hadn’t received the grant, we simply wouldn’t have been unable to purchase this machine any time soon, and therefore wouldn’t have been able to increase production and employ more staff.
“Now we know how effective these machines are, we will be looking in the future to purchase another plasma cutter to speed up our fabrication process further, and in turn employ even more staff.
The grant funding is designed to help businesses finance capital investment that will help them diversify or modernise their operations, leading to increased turnover and job creation or protection. The grant can be up to 40% of the total costs.
The funding has been directed towards small enterprises (fewer than 50 employees) with priority given to businesses in the following sectors identified as key growth areas for the local economy:
- Advanced manufacturing & engineering;
- Creative Industries;
- Digital Media & gaming;
- Intelligent Transport Systems;
- Low carbon technologies;
- Professional services;
- Tourism & Culture.
The county council is working with its access-to-finance partner, the University of Warwick Science Park, and the Coventry & Warwickshire Growth Hub to promote the fund and support Warwickshire–based businesses looking to apply.
Cllr Izzi Seccombe, leader of Warwickshire County Council said: “Small businesses play an important role in boosting growth and creating jobs. I regularly meet companies across our region and hear first-hand how grants like this are helping them flourish. Small and micro businesses are responsible for nearly half (46%) of the job creation in the West Midlands region. That’s why we must continue our drive to provide the support they need to scale up and grow.”
Cllr Philip Johnson, chair of the council’s Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee, added: “Small businesses are the bedrock of our economy and I’m delighted that we are able to continue our commitment to help them thrive.”
The county council grants are part of a wider package of finance available to support Warwickshire businesses including small business loans (delivered in partnership with Coventry and Warwickshire Reinvestment Trust), ERDF investment grants, ERDF low carbon grants, rural development grants and LEADER grants in North Warwickshire.
For more information about the WCC grants or to check the eligibility of a project, please visit: www.warwickshire.gov.uk/businessgrants or contact Warwickshire County Council's Economy and Skills Group on 01926 412709.
For more information about the range of support available to grow your business including other access to finance opportunities, contact Coventry & Warwickshire Growth Hub on 0300 060 3747.
Warwickshire - a power hub for Low Carbon Vehicles
With strict CO² emissions targets to meet, vehicle manufacturers are accelerating their shift towards low carbon technologies. That is great news for the environment - and for the region of Coventry & Warwickshire as an established leader in the design, development and deployment of low carbon vehicle technologies.
Here, Steph Williams (pictured), an Inward Investment Officer at Warwickshire County Council, takes a closer look at how the business networks and research centres of Coventry and Warwickshire, with their expertise in electric, hybrid-electric, fuel cells and energy storage, hydrogen power, powertrain, system integration, lightweighting and manufacturing, are leading the way.
Low Carbon Vehicle Excellence
Coventry and Warwickshire is a national hot-spot of low carbon vehicle excellence. With a long association with the automotive industry, it boasts the highest concentration of OEMs (vehicle makers) in the UK, with R&D and manufacturing centres for leading names such as BMW, Jaguar Land Rover, Aston Martin, Geely London Taxi, Tata Motors and Dennis Eagle. In recent years the strong local supply chain has developed its capabilities in low carbon powertrain and related activity.
The region is well-placed with extensive R&D capabilities which are supportive of workforce upskilling and actively generate a pipeline of new engineering talent.
Our impressive research centres, meanwhile, support many businesses, helping them to advance their green technology and also providing a test-bed for proving new technologies:
- The Energy Innovation Centre part of Warwick Manufacturing Group, at the University of Warwick, has extensive research facilities and expertise in lightweighting, powertrain, systems integration and advanced propulsion technologies.
- HORIBA MIRA provides extensive engineering expertise in HEV systems, powertrain systems, thermal management, weight reduction and aerodynamics along with impressive testing facilities and a specialised proving ground. In addition MIRA Technology Park is Europe’s fastest growing transport focused centre, attracting OEMs and tier ones from across the globe, including Changan, Bentley and Toyota. It’s the ideal location for engineering companies wanting to advance their research and development on-site.
- The Manufacturing Technology Centre offers an environment for development and demonstrates new manufacturing and component systems to support the production of low carbon technology.
- The Advanced Propulsion Centre is a government initiative designed to support the UK’s position in developing and advancing the next generation of propulsion technology, including vehicle lightweighting. The centre issues funding to encourage collaborative projects between industry and academia focusing at the higher end of the technology, readiness level 6-8, aiming for commercialisation.
- National Low Carbon Centre (NLCC) is being developed at Stoneleigh Park and intends to become a centre of excellence for the UK Low Carbon sector. The NLCC will stimulate and encourage the transition to a low carbon economy and demonstrates innovative processes and emerging technologies. The Centre is partnering with three leading Midlands universities: Coventry, Aston and Birmingham.
Future Visions
JLR recently issued visionary plans to manufacture the next generation of electric cars in Coventry, subject to government support, to encourage the up-take of electric cars. The company recently showcased their visionary electric car, the IPace, and are involved in ongoing research in connected and autonomous technology.
The National Automotive Innovation Centre, located at the University of Warwick, will open later in 2017. The centre is a public/private initiative that brings together academics, students and OEMs including JLR and TATA and other OEMs to develop the low carbon vehicle technologies of the future.
Low carbon vehicles are imperative to meeting future emissions legislation and the Coventry and Warwickshire region is strongly-positioned to play a leading role in developing new technologies to accelerate the adoption of EV’s and HEV’s.
Become a part of Coventry & Warwickshire
Warwickshire's place at the forefront of the low carbon technology sector makes it the perfect location as a business-base now and for the future. Identifying where to establish a new business, or to relocate an existing one, is a huge decision but Invest Warwickshire offers free and confidential services and advice, including local commercial property searches, sector intelligence, employment and skills development support. Please contact us if you think we can help you.
Invest in Warwickshire E: invest@warwickshire.gov.uk T: 01926 412140
Invest team addresses delegates at Energy Efficient conference
Warwickshire County Council's Invest in Warwickshire team were among the exhibitors at the MIA Energy Efficient Motorsport Conference at the NEC, Birmingham.
At the event, which was attended by hundreds of delegates from national and international organisations, the team outlined Coventry & Warwickshire position as a hot-spot for low carbon vehicle research with a strong cluster of OEMs and suppliers to the sector.
Conference topics looked at trends in electrification, autonomous driving concept and how the gaming and motorsport community should work collaboratively to create an immersive experience to support a young generation of audience.
The Invest Warwickshire team shared exhibition space with electric and hybrid vehicle systems company Potenza Technology Ltd, an SME based at Charter Avenue Industrial Estate, Coventry. Further info on the event can be found here: http://www.the-mia.com/MIA-11th-International-Energy-Efficient-Motorsport-Conference-981
Meanwhile, 17 rural businesses have ditched their diesel vehicles and hooked up to all-battery electric cars and vans (EVs) after taking part in a Warwickshire Rural Electric Vehicle project (WREV).
Throughout a two-year trial, researchers from Coventry University analysed the use of the EVs, including the financial savings, driver feedback and exhaust emission savings.
In total, the fleet of 17 EVs used by businesses completed 211,934 miles over the two-years and the result was real financial benefit with one company saving £3,226 in fuel costs across the trial period.
The analysis also found that small businesses could benefit from the additional marketing opportunities gained from by using green transport solutions and the opportunity to reduce emissions and the carbon footprint.
Led by low carbon consultants Greenwatt Technology, WREV formed part of the Warwickshire Rural Growth Network, funded by Defra and delivered through Warwickshire County Council and the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP). The full report and an executive summary can be found on www.wrev.org.uk
The final project event, held at Stoneleigh Park in November, included speakers from rural businesses who took part in the trial, industry experts and researchers. The event also showcased several low emission vehicles including the Nissan LEAF, eNV200 van, Tesla, BMWi3 and the hydrogen Microcab.
Mike Woollacott, project director of Greenwatt Technology, summarised the WREV project outputs: “This project has highlighted that there are many rural businesses whose driving cycles are ideally suited to the electric vehicle especially when suitable charge points are installed.
"However, our feasibility studies revealed that electric vehicles are not suitable for every situation. The WREV dissemination report has revealed just how impressed our project participants have been with the driving style and comfort of the electric cars and vans.
"Companies have listed a number of reasons why they have benefited from the WREV project – not least the grant received from Warwickshire County Council. Others include no exhaust fumes and emissions, genuine fuel savings which can be reinvested back into the business, independence from fuel station refuelling - and the sheer enjoyment of the quiet, comfortable and easy driving style of electric vehicles.”
Build a Business Network scheme connecting up education and business
Schools have received funding totalling nearly £69,000 under a Warwickshire County Council scheme to develop business networks and improve the employability skills of young people and increase job opportunities.
A recent OFSTED report called for more work to be done nationally to promote "enterprise education" in schools and increase business understanding among pupils.
But in Warwickshire that work is already ongoing thanks to the Build a Business Network scheme, funded through the county council’s Skills for Employment programme.
The scheme, launched last June, provides grants of up to £3,000 to schools to establish a network with local businesses. The funding enables schools to commission organisations like the Chamber of Commerce to create and facilitate the network between schools and local firms.
The aim is to improve the employability of school-leavers by providing activities such as work-tasters, careers fairs, and recruitment opportunities with local businesses.
Grants have already been received by 23 schools and colleges including The Coleshill School where a £3,000 grant has enabled the school to work with B46 - an independent networking group for businesses based in the B46 postcode which looks to make the most of the expertise and opportunities available locally.
Coleshill School headteacher Ian Smith-Childs said: “We’re thrilled to be further developing links with local businesses and very grateful to be able to secure the ongoing excellent support of the B46 networking group. The links we are able to build with local businesses will be invaluable to our students and the planned activities will help our students develop vital employability skills and support their life-long learning.”
Two other schools benefiting from Build a Business Network are North Leamington School and Lawrence Sheriff School, Rugby.
A £3,000 grant to each school allowed them to commission Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce to establish a network of businesses from different sectors in the area to facilitate a programme of careers and employability support at the school.
Lawrence Sheriff headteacher Dr Peter Kent commented: “It’s vital that schools prepare their pupils for the world of work and without this funding, finding the right businesses to interact with us would have been more challenging and time-consuming.
"By working with the Chamber, this process is made much smoother and easier, enabling us to work with a range of suitable local businesses. As a result, the grant will make an invaluable contribution to preparing our students for the challenges of the future."
Warwickshire County Council leader Cllr Izzi Seccombe is delighted with the impact of the scheme.
“The Build a Business Network scheme has been designed to stimulate economic growth via schools, skills and employment. The grant was created in response to feedback from schools and businesses who told us they would appreciate opportunities for greater collaboration in a mutually beneficial way.
"Creating closer links between the two will help students gain valuable job skills, while employers will benefit from a valuable future recruitment channel.”
Cllr Philip Johnson, chair of the council’s Communities Overview and Scrutiny, said: “We want to encourage more working between businesses and schools - this will help more pupils acquire the skills they need to be workforce ready. The Build a Business Network will also help inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs to give business a go.”
With a budget committed until 2018, the Skills for Employment programme aims to bring together the business world, education and training to enable young people to enter the workplace with the requisite skills.
For more information about Warwickshire County Council’s Skills for Employment programme, please call 01926 418027 or email skillsforemployment@warwickshire.gov.uk
Warwickshire leading the way in support for women in business
There is plenty of evidence to show that the economy generally is boosted by a growth in female business ownership.
Despite this, gender-based differences, affecting women’s ability to start and grow their own businesses, remain - but in Warwickshire, support is at hand. Sally Arkley, director of The Women's Economy, explains.
In recent years we have seen an increasing focus on women’s enterprise, whether it has been through business support programmes aimed at women, the seemingly endless proliferation of women’s business networks or a stream of stories in the media. Why is this?
Since the start of the 21st century there has been an increasing realisation that what is good for women’s enterprise is good for the economy as a whole. A host of major international bodies from Goldman Sachs to The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development have demonstrated the strong link between the growth of female business ownership and a successful economy.
This led to a number of publicly-funded business support initiatives aimed at women which, although they were swept away in public spending cuts since 2010, left their legacy, both in terms of economic impact and by raising the profile of women’s business ownership in general.
Despite this, in the UK, women’s self-employment continues to hover around 26% of the UK total and women-owned companies represent only about 15% of all those recorded at Companies House.
“UK start-ups would rise by 50% if the start up rate among women matched that of men… if this happened we would close the productivity gap between the UK and the US.” Gordon Brown as Chancellor of the Exchequer 2006
Whether we want to admit it or not (and many don’t) there are gender-based differences, which affect women’s ability to start and grow their own businesses. These include women’s own risk aversion, their tendency to under-capitalise their businesses through lack of funds, exclusion from traditional business networks and always feeling in a minority if they do join them (the rise and rise of women’s business networks is no coincidence) and the various cultural challenges that face women in diverse communities.
The Women's Economy supports initiatives in the UK designed to tackle these challenges, often with conspicuous success. A government survey (2006) found that for every £1 spent by the treasury on women’s enterprise support, £8 was returned in the form of tax receipts and benefit savings.
These initiatives tend to work in women-only groups and offer a transformational approach to business support, taking into account all factors affecting women’s lives, such as caring responsibilities and cultural pressures, rather than the traditional transactional approach offered by the mainstream. This approach has proved so successful that The Women’s Economy (which operates specifically in Coventry and Warwickshire) has exported its support methodology to four European countries, where it continues to flourish.
That said, many women business owners actively avoid women-focused events and reject the notion that they need anything different from men. It is important to remember that women are not a homogenous group, different women having vastly different needs.
For example, women stuck in the benefits trap or experiencing social isolation as a result of community attitudes experience many challenges (not least as a result of their own lack of confidence) that others with a more straightforward route to business ownership might not.
In Warwickshire, as elsewhere, it is difficult to obtain accurate statistics on the number of women-owned businesses because most organisations do not view the disaggregation of statistics by gender as important enough to track – a real pity. But we know there are thriving women’s business networks even if the actual numbers of women-owned businesses must, we assume, more or less conform to the national average.
Growing women’s business ownership, vital though this is to our economy, is not the only challenge to our region. We keep hearing about the skills shortage, particularly in the new technologies, so vital to our business growth. We also know that girls are not engaged in these technologies in anything like the numbers that boys are. A lot of research is being done on this and it keeps pointing to one thing. The way that we are teaching our girls makes too many of them feel that technology is not ‘for them' - a perception that too many teachers seem to share. This has serious implications for our economic future.
The good news is that Warwickshire will soon be leading the way in developing comprehensive skills, employability and enterprise service for girls and women across the county.
Warwickshire County County are already working collaboratively with Women's Economy to deliver new and innovative approaches to business support as part of their county-wide ERDF Business Support package. Both the
Creative Warwickshire and the
Inclusive Enterprise projects meet the growing need for specialised approaches to supporting local companies. Creative Warwickshire, by supporting digital and / or creative companies who are looking to grow and want access to extensive training, personal mentoring and networking opportunities. The project is particularly keen to work with women-led businesses in the industry. Inclusive Enterprise supports residents in Nuneaton and Bedworth to realise their "Business Dream" though confidence building and enhancing the entrepreneurial skills of individuals.
Brexit Club formed to offer practical advice
A Brexit Club has been launched by Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce to offer businesses impartial, practical advice about dealing with the consequences of the EU referendum.
Events will be held across the region to help firms understand what Brexit might mean to their ability to trade abroad - and how it could impact on issues such as hiring staff from overseas.
The club will also provide a forum for businesses to express their concerns regarding the Brexit process as the Chamber will be tirelessly lobbying government to make sure the voice of the Coventry and Warwickshire business community is heard.
Despite ongoing uncertainties following the Brexit vote, international trade remains vital to many business - and may, in many cases, be the key to success in 2017. That is why the Chamber is launching a range of new support packages for businesses on top of the current services it offers through its International Trade Hub.
The Chamber will, for the first time, unveil a new International Trade Membership package which will give companies access to a range of events, services and expert advice to help ensure their export success.
James Ahearne, of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said firms had to make the most of the opportunities to them abroad – despite global uncertainty.
“We’ve had the Brexit vote and that has created uncertainty but it has also created opportunity for exporters in terms of the value of the pound," said Mr Aherne. “Never before has it been so important for companies across Coventry and Warwickshire to take seriously the opportunity to grow through overseas trade. And the range of support we now have available means we are in a strong position to help them achieve it.
“As a Chamber we intend to be there help companies mitigate the risks that lie ahead, but also to capitalise on opportunities to expand into new overseas markets.
“The new International Trade Membership, together with our expanded programme of activities at the international trade hub, mean we have every base covered when it comes to exporting. Whether it’s help from the Chamber Network, the Department of International Trade (DIT) or the private sector, businesses can access the all support they need under one roof.
“We’re calling on companies to get involved with the Chamber of Commerce – not only as place to access advice and support, but also as the voice for local businesses during these uncertain times.”
For more information on overseas trade and the support available through the Chamber call 024 7665 4321 or email internationaltrade@cw-chamber.co.uk
Get 'Business Ready' to take your company to the next level
A new support programme designed to help companies achieve their growth potential and take them to the next level is now available to tech-based companies across Coventry and Warwickshire
The innovative Business Ready programme is being delivered by the University of Warwick Science Park as part of the Coventry and Warwickshire Business Support Programme and is part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund and Warwickshire County Council.
Qualifying firms will receive advice and mentoring and access to key services which can help to unlock their growth potential and help the region’s economy to create more high-skilled jobs.
Eligible, ambitious companies with high growth potential will be offered tailored support, which may include market assessment, competitor analysis and an evaluation of their product, or access to finance including advice on potential funding routes.
Companies will have access to knowledge and skills development support through universities, specialist mentors and other partner organisations.
Janette Pallas, of the University of Warwick Science Park, said Business Ready is built on the support services already offered by the Science Park.
“Over many years, the Science Park has helped companies to establish themselves and grow either by being based here or making the most of the business support services we offer – or both," she said. “Because of that, the team here has built great experience and a myriad of contacts in helping businesses to reach their growth potential.
Business Ready will be an extension of that and will help to grow the region’s economy and create new jobs.
“Barriers to growth usually come down to a lack of access – to finance, to knowledge, to skills and to markets. For some SMEs it can be one or all of those issues that’s affecting them and Business Ready will help them to overcome them and, therefore, grow more quickly.
“The programme will offer access to mentors whose experience will prove invaluable to those businesses who take part in Business Ready. There’s probably nothing our experts won’t have seen before so they will be able to offer the benefit of their experience and expertise to companies across the region.”
Cllr Izzi Seccombe, leader of Warwickshire County Council, said: “It’s vital that companies get access to the support they need and Business Ready is a great new programme for tech companies with high growth potential.
“The idea is that it leads to strong growth for companies in this field and, therefore, the creation of highly-skilled jobs – all of which will be a great boost to the regional economy.”
For more information or to apply for Business Ready support businessready@uwsp.co.uk or phone 024 7632 3121
Nuneaton firm at the heart of the fight against migraine misery
A Nuneaton business is taking on extra staff to meet the demands of its place at the cutting edge of the fight against migraine.
BHR Pharmaceuticals, based at the Warwickshire County Council-run Centenary Business Centre, is the UK distributor for Cefaly, a headband which reduces migraine attacks.
The device, which is made in Belgium, prevents migraine attacks by sending electrical pulses to the brain if worn across the forehead for just 20 minutes a day.
And BHR have recorded a surge in enquiries since the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) stated that Cefaly can be used within the National Health Service for the treatment and prevention of migraine – meaning that doctors can recommend it to patients.
In one study, regular use of Cefaly was found to provide relief in around 40 per cent per cent of migraine sufferers, compared with 50 to 60 per cent who found relief from taking medication.
With no reported side-effects, the device, which costs £250, is in serious demand. And that is good news for BHR who, since their formation in 1990, have become well-established suppliers of technically advanced products to the healthcare market.
BHR director Bharat Vadukul welcomed NICE's endorsement of the Cefaly.
"This is a very significant step forward for migraine sufferers and the clinicians who treat them," he said. "Cefaly may not be suitable for everyone but this means that clinicians now have another treatment option to discuss with their patients, either before they try pharmaceutical drugs, or when their drug regimen has failed."
While BHR are busy recruiting more staff to deal with distribution of the device to customers in more than 25 countries, Lisa Smullen, manager of the Centenary Business Centre, is delighted to see another one of the council's tenants thriving.
“It is a wonderful success story and BHR is just one many businesses that have found Centenary Business Centre an ideal location to base themselves," Lisa said. "With attractive rates, a great location and a centre-management based on site, the business centre is proving a big pull for both local businesses and those looking to locate in the Warwickshire area.”
Read more about Centenary Business Centre at http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/cbc
Coming soon: The first Warwickshire Quarterly Labour Market Report
Look out soon for a brand new publication from Warwickshire County Council's Economy & Skills team - the Quarterly Labour Market Report.
A sister publication of Warwickshire Means Business, the Quarterly Labour Market Report will keep you regularly and fully updated on the very latest Labour Market trends in the county.
All labour market research is collected and released every quarter and each time we will bring it to you as soon as we have it to keep you right up to speed with everything you need to know about employment trends in Warwickshire.
We will also include any relevant business headlines associated with inward investment and additional data indicators.
The Quarterly Labour Market Report will be available to view on the Warwickshire County Council website but, if you would like to receive it directly into your inbox, then please contact samvandeschootbrugge@warwickshire.gov.uk to be added to the distribution list.
Meanwhile, to see all the latest research analysis work undertaken by the Economy & Skills Group, please visit www.warwickshire.gov.uk/economicassessment
Economy & Skills team busy at the Belgrade
Members of Warwickshire County Council's Economy & Skills Team were among the exhibitors at the Federation of Small Business's annual Expo at the Belgrade Theatre in Coventry.
Advice for companies big and small was at hand for the many visitors to the Expo - and the council's Inward Investment team was there to outline the wide range of support that they offer businesses in the county.
Throughout the event they spoke to a number of existing companies which were looking for advice on how to grow their business to the next level. They also advised individuals who are looking to start-up new business ventures in the Warwickshire area.
Areas of interest included help with marketing & social media and advice on apprenticeships and how to get involved with the county council's Skills for Employment Programme which helps local companies work more closely with local schools.
Overall, the event was a great success and Paul Miles Rogers, chairman of FSB Warwickshire & Coventry, was delighted to see the county council presence.
"It was great to see Warwickshire County Council exhibiting at the event and letting people know about all the support they can offer local firms," he said. “The event offered networking, an expo and a range of seminars both for business-owners just starting up and those already established but wanting to take their businesses to the next level.
"Throughout the day business could access free advice by attending one of our eight seminars and workshops, which offered support with branding, protecting your business online, marketing, customer services and generally being more productive.
"It was a great opportunity to support all the businesses in Coventry and Warwickshire."
To find out more about how the council's Economy & Skills team could help you, please visit www.warwickshire.gov.uk/business
Support programme perfectly timed to help grow digital and creative businesses
Applications are now open for the second cohort of Creative Warwickshire, a business support programme for Warwickshire-based creative and digital businesses.
The project gives businesses access to an intensive training programme including personal mentoring diagnostic sessions, workshops, seminars, guest speakers and networking opportunities. If you run a business of a digital or creative nature based in Warwickshire and are looking for ways to grow, then Creative Warwickshire is there to help.
The programme has been developed to meet the growing need for specialised support of all businesses across the digital and creative sector – web developers, photographers, filmmakers, game developers, designers and artists. With the Warwickshire region identified as one of the top 20 creative clusters in the UK (The Geography of Creativity: NESTA/Creative England, 2016) it is the perfect time to grow businesses in that sector.
“This is a timely programme to help catalyse the growth of the creative sector in Warwickshire," said Sheridan Sulskis, project manager for the Inclusive Enterprise Programme. “It has been exciting to help our first cohort grow their businesses, grasp new market opportunities and take their business skills to the next level and now we have opened applications for the next group to be involved in this programme.”
Creative Warwickshire is the latest initiative delivered through the partnership between the Coventry and Warwickshire Reinvestment Trust (CWRT) and the Women’s Economy (WE). It is part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund and forms part of the Coventry and Warwickshire Business Support Programme which is managed by Warwickshire County Council.
Creative Warwickshire is for all creative and digital companies based in the county and particularly welcomes applicants from groups under-represented in the sector such as women, ethnic minority businesses, entrepreneurs with disabilities or older participants.
For full information and applications, please visit http://www.inclusive-enterprise.co.uk/creative-warwickshire/programme-details/.
Meanwhile, Coventry and Warwickshire Reinvestment Trust (CWRT) has received a £34,600 donation from NatWest to support the expansion of the Inclusive Enterprise Programme which is currently being delivered in Warwickshire.
The funding has enabled CWRT to develop a specialist women’s support programme centred in Nuneaton and Bedworth.
The programme will offer confidence building, employability skills, business start-up support and financial literacy training for at least 50 women in the area. It will also develop the Women’s Loan Fund which is unique to the region. This will offer women and girls of working age loans of up to £500 to invest in their personal and professional development.
“We are so thrilled to be launching this initiative, which is the first stage of our partnership with The Women’s Economy in developing a comprehensive support service for girls and women in Warwickshire," said Sally Arkley, specialist delivery director for the Inclusive Enterprise Programme and director of The Women’s Economy.
Rugby: "A gem" in Warwickshire enjoying impressive business growth
The expansion of Rugby and its growing status as a town is having a positive knock-on effect for start-up businesses in the area.
Rugby and the surrounding borough saw a 12.6 per cent rise on the number of new businesses established in the last year compared to the previous 12 months - at a time when there was a slight drop nationally.
The information, from BankSearch, puts Rugby ninth out of the 326 English districts for start-up activity and Craig Humphrey, the managing director of the CWLEP Growth Hub – which signposts businesses to support available in the region – believes it is testament to the improving image of the town.
He said: “Rugby is growing and is fast becoming a real gem in the crown for Coventry and Warwickshire.
“There is a great deal of development going on and Rugby is, in my view, now really making the most of its links to the sport with the creation of the new World Rugby Hall of Fame and that is really helping perceptions.
“There has never been any doubt about its location or connectivity – it really is as good as it gets. And I think the country is really starting to wake up to what a great place this is to do business.
“Judging by the number of start-up businesses in Rugby, entrepreneurs clearly feel that it’s the ideal location to set-up and achieve growth.
“These are stats that we should be proud of, but we must not rest on our laurels and we at The Growth Hub are here to support fledging businesses to survive and thrive as well as assisting the fantastic range of established businesses in Rugby.”
Caldecott saw the biggest leap in the number of start-up businesses with New Bilton, Newbold and Brownsover North also seeing a strong increase.
The top three industries for business start-ups in Rugby are real estate, professional services and support activities; transport, storage & communication; and wholesale & retail trade.
Mr Humphrey added: “Businesses in Rugby can contact the Growth Hub if they want to grow and we can signpost them towards a whole host of support available, while bodies such as the Chamber and FSB also have a strong history of supporting companies in and around the town.
“So it’s a very positive story for Rugby right now and one we are delighted to be part of."
Among Rugby borough-based business thriving on a national and international scale is bespoke furniture-maker NEJ Stevenson, who count the Royal Household and the Vatican among their clients. Read his remarkable story here.
Additionally, any individual looking to start a business can have access to free business support from the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce. They offer a range of help from workshops, to one-to-one mentoring. The support is part of the ERDF funded Coventry & Warwickshire Business Support Programme managed by Warwickshire County Council and part-funded by the districts and boroughs proving a comprehensive package of start-up support across the county.
The Little Book of Big Scams
Warwickshire Police have responded to the escalating threat posed to businesses by cyber-criminals by joining forces with 'The Met' to make The Little Book of Big Scams available to the business community.
Fraudsters are increasingly targeting companies using the online platforms which are integral to all businesses - and the risk is now greater than ever before.
So the police in Warwickshire have worked with their colleagues at the Metropolitan Police Service to explain, in one publication, about all the potential threats posed to businesses.
The Little Book of Big Scams has been produced as part of the Your Business Matters initiative and highlights the importance of taking simple steps to protect your business infrastructure from being targeted by criminals.
SMEs are vital to the overall success of the British economy but there are many threats against them, not least of which is the threat of fraud on a day-to-day basis.
The impact of fraud is often most dramatic on SMEs which simply cannot afford the losses that may arise. Often, these losses can result in business failure - and the threat is very real. The National Threat Assessment puts fraud on a par with drugs and terrorism with 37% of organised criminal networks committing fraud which is, in turn, used to fund other crime.
The Little Book of Big Scams offers valuable crime prevention advice to guard against a wide range of fraud including online fraud and provides businesses with practical tips and guidance to help them identify the risks. The Book includes a Top Ten Tips, Current Fraud Trends and Practical Advice, all of which is aimed at empowering businesses to help protect themselves.
If you would like to access The Little Book of Big Scams please visit: https://www.warwickshire.police.uk/article/21911/The-Little-Book-of-Big-Scams---Business-Edition.
If you’d like hard copies of the book please contact Warwickshire County Council's Business Crime Advisor at alexcharleswilliams@warwickshire.gov.uk.
Meanwhile, the Warwickshire Business Watch initiative continues to grow across the county with its website and Twitter account being updated regularly with incidents, news and events of interest to businesses. Advice sheets on a variety of crime prevention topics are also available on the website
The Keep Me Posted system is a national government messaging system which enables the subscriber to receive any information that is added to the Business Watch website. Information sent directly into the subscriber’s inbox includes incidents, events and important news on a range of topics from the local area and also nationally (on request).
To sign up to the Keep Me Posted Business Watch alerts, please visit the link: https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/UKWARWICKSHIRE/subscriber/new?topic_id=UKWARWICKSHIRE_22
To access the Warwickshire Business Watch website and sign up to either of the alerts please visit: www.warwickshirebusinesswatch.co.uk or use the Twitter address @WarksBusiness.
Jobs & Careers Fair coming to Leamington
A wealth of advice for all people keen to explore their career options will be available at Leamington Jobs & Careers Fair in March.
The Jobs & Careers Fair will be held at Leamington Town Hall, on The Parade, on Friday 10th March between 10am and 2pm. Supported by the JobCentre Plus, Leamington BID, Warwickshire College, Brunswick Hub and local authorities including Warwickshire County Council, this event will endeavour to match those seeking work with local employers or training courses and apprenticeships with recognized providers.
Throughout the event, workshops and seminars will be held to provide advice on finding a job, perfecting interview techniques and volunteering. All sessions will be bookable on the day and the free event will be open to the public of all ages, plus students from local schools and colleges.
Nuneaton and Bedworth project ready to support more life-changing goals
A project set up to help Nuneaton and Bedworth residents with their career choices aims to bring its expertise to a broader client-base in 2017.
For the last 12 months The Business Dream has delivered its services exclusively in Nuneaton and Bedworth, helping people recognise the importance of choosing a career-path that matches their personal needs.
Whether clients didn’t like being employed by someone else, were tired of searching for jobs that didn’t fit their lifestyle or simply had a business idea they wanted to push forward, the programme helped them.
Connected to many community support services, The Business Dream is currently assisting 16 individuals, each of whom is assigned a personal mentor to help transform their idea into a viable business.
The programme delivers unique, interactive, needs-focused workshops, more of which are scheduled for January to March 2017. The workshops - Transferable Skills, Confident Start and Be Your Own Boss - all run in Hatters Space Community Centre, Nuneaton, and will be open to both existing and new clients. Those already to have taken place have been warmly welcomed with feedback including “excellent teaching staff” and an “inspiration to get started.” (For dates of upcoming workshops, see the Events section of this edition of Warwickshire Means Business)
The Business Dream is run by the Inclusive Enterprise Programme which is developed by Coventry and Warwickshire Reinvestment Trust (supported by Warwickshire County Council) and the Women’s Economy, part of the Coventry and Warwickshire Business Support Programme and part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund, managed by WCC.
“Our workshops are a great example of how making the first small step can give you motivation to keep working on your idea until you see it fulfilled,” said IEP project assistant Galya Dimitrova. “Clients have learned that their most valuable assets are their skills. We show them how to appreciate themselves more and apply that confidence both in life and in business."
Business Dream project manager Sheridan Sulskis said: “Our programme is for not only those who want to start up their own business but those who want to boost their confidence, maximise their skill-set and use their skills towards getting a new job or seeking out volunteering opportunities.
“We want to be part of many more new journeys for individuals in 2017 so would love to hear from anyone who would like our support so that we can help them fulfil their potential.”
For more information about the programme in general, please visit www.inclusive-enterprise.co.uk or call 07494 442869. To book a place on any of the workshops please call 07494 442869. The workshops are free but spaces are limited, so booking is essential.
Rush of calls expected from aspiring start-ups in new year
January is the peak time for people ditching the nine-to-five and looking to start their own business – and January 2017 is set to be no exception.
The start-up support team at the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce will be dealing with the customary rush of calls during this month as people look to follow their dream of being their own boss.
The Chamber offers a range of help from workshops to one-to-one mentoring as, according to operations manager Keely Hancox, a new year offers individuals a chance to reflect.
She said: “At Christmas and New Year, people not only take the time to celebrate but they think about what they want to do long term. And for many, it means setting up their own business.
“So January tends to be a busy time for us with people contacting us after Christmas looking for help and support.
“I would certainly advise that they do speak to us because getting the right advice from the outset can be of huge benefit to people as there are many aspects of starting a company that they don’t consider.
“For some, just making the call into the Chamber and hearing that support is available can give them the confidence to take the next step. In some instances, it may work the other way. They may see that they are not quite ready because it’s important to understand that the rewards that come with starting a business also take lots of hard work and can mean unsociable hours at times.”
Over the past 12 months, the Chamber has supported more than 120 people in starting their own business – from a photography company to an independent café.
There are numerous factors to consider in what is a very big decision.
“The starting point is whether you are interested in, or have certain expertise in, something that would make a good business," Keely said. "If you know the subject, that’s a great place to start.
“Then you have to look at whether there is a gap in the market. Is anyone else doing it? If they are, how can you do it differently or better?
“Also, you have to think about what you want from the business. Is it a lifestyle choice or do you want to grow it, take on staff and become bigger than just you?
“Finally, and this is key, what other expertise do you need? You might be brilliant at what you do but there is so much more to running a business than that. You have to consider everything from finance to marketing if you want to make it a success.
“Those questions might be new to you but they are the questions that our team have asked and answered hundreds of times so we’d urge anyone thinking of starting a business to get in touch as soon as possible.”
Warwickshire County Council recently commissioned the Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce to deliver their county-wide business support start-up service. Forming part of the ERDF funded Coventry & Warwickshire Business Support Programme, this project provides start-up advice to individual across the county looking to start a businesses or for people whose business has been registered for less than 12-months. The project is also financially support by both the County Council and the districts and boroughs.
To find out more and book onto one of the Chamber’s start-up programmes, contact the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce on 02476 654 321.
North Warwickshire businesses agree that communication is key
Employers across a range of sectors in the north of Warwickshire have identified communication as a key skill for business success.
That effective communication is viewed as very much "in demand" was clear from a meeting of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce’s North Warwickshire branch which discuss skills and the future of apprenticeships.
Marion Plant OBE, principal and chief executive of North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College, presented to the meeting and outlined how the college was working with businesses to plug the skills gap.
Firms have identified skills such as project management, planning and problem-solving as baseline skills which are required to help grow the economy. But above all, companies have highlighted communication skills as needing to be improved across the advanced manufacturing & engineering, IT & digital media, and tourism sectors.
Ms Plant also outlined her belief that the new apprenticeship levy, a major change to the way apprenticeships will be administered, is designed to give employers a greater say in the training given.
“We work hand-in-hand with businesses and we had positive feedback from two companies at the chamber meeting who have taken apprentices through our college," she said. “The skills gap and the skills shortage have been talked about for many years and apprenticeships are a great way of addressing that.
“Key sectors in this particular region include health and social care, business support services, IT, retail and transport & logistics. But across all the sectors, communication crops up again and again.
“The apprenticeship levy is changing the way apprenticeships are administered and we welcome any business to get in touch to discuss what they need to help their company grow.”
Paul Carvell, chair of the chamber’s North Warwickshire branch, believes the branch meeting was very productive and valuable to members.
“It was a very interesting meeting," he said. "The area of skills was highlighted within our Go For Growth campaign as a potential barrier to businesses expanding and Marion was very informative around the skills that firms have identified and how we might be able to solve that.
“Productivity is another issue that has been highlighted by business and bridging the skills gap is vital to that. We had a very good discussion around how training providers and businesses can work towards a solution to that.”
Evening of music well worth business support
Businesses are being encouraged to donate raffle prizes for an evening of music at Warwick Castle on Friday 27 January to raise money for the Warwickshire Tiffin Club for looked-after children.
The event, organised by Warwickshire County Council’s Music Hub, will take place in Warwick Castle’s Great Hall between 6.30 and 8pm and feature a variety of music performed by young people from various ensembles around the county.
All funds from the night will go towards the running of the Warwickshire Tiffin Club, which acts as a Parent-Teacher Association for Warwickshire’s Looked After Children: funding life-enhancing opportunities, supporting their goals, igniting their dreams and giving them the best start into adult life and work.
There will be a raffle on the night with some fantastic prizes including vintage wine, a football signed by players from Birmingham City Football Club, a signed shirt from Warwickshire County Cricket Club and an Archaeology Warwickshire Experience Day.
Tickets for this fantastic event are £20. Any business which would like to donate a prize to this excellent cause is asked to email krishnashindroja@warwickshire.gov.uk from whom tickets can also be ordered.