CHAMBER NEWS

MEMBER SHOWCASE ATELIER; HELEN BROOKS

Atelier; helenbrooks celebrates its first year in business this month. In spite of the challenges faced by startup businesses in 2020, it’s been a transformative year for Helen Brooks, heading up Cornwall’s only purely female-led architecture practice.

Starting out on your own is always a nerve-wracking prospect when you have financial commitments and a family. But after 15 years working for others as a qualified architect, Brooks wanted to offer clients a more personal design experience.

“Of course, it’s wonderful to design a beautiful new space, but you also need to understand how people will use that space in their everyday lives,” she explained.

“I love exploring how my clients might interact with their new surroundings - for me, the greatest joy of architecture lies in bringing those diverse possibilities to life.

“Too often, architecture focuses on the architect’s glory instead of the customer’s needs. At Atelier; helenbrooks, I’m able to focus more on listening to what my clients need, and facilitating their vision in ways that will truly enhance their lives. Connect with people, and great architecture will follow.”

Launching Atelier; helenbrooks, the biggest fear was whether, as a standalone architect’s practice, she could win the trust of the local construction community. But even when Covid-19 hit, she learnt that her business was too new to receive any Government support, and she had to run complex site projects under changing lockdown rules, her focus on good communication paid off.

She added: “Over the past year, I’ve loved being able to share my expertise - I’ve even been able to offer work experience to a trainee architect, reminding me of what it was like to be at the very start of my career and how far I’ve come. Surviving and celebrating this first year as a woman in Cornwall running my own business has been an incredibly empowering experience. My husband and daughter have been so supportive and encouraging throughout. This year has shown me that I can achieve my dreams, while helping others to achieve theirs.”

CORNWALL FESTIVAL OF BUSINESS 2020

The Cornwall Festival of Business took off in 2019, with over 60 events taking place across Duchy in just one week; it was an instant success.

This year, all organisations that are based or do business in Cornwall are encouraged to plan, host, and develop valuable business relationships between November 2-6.

Centrepiecing the week will be the Cornwall Business Fair, the first virtual fair of its kind in the south west. Cornwall Chamber is excited to showcase the state of the art, innovative software that it will be using to host the fair - keep an eye out on the chamber’s social media for more information.

Events in the festival can be any shape or size, from masterclasses and workshops to conferences and open days, the main criterion is that the event must benefit people or businesses in Cornwall by offering other companies the chance to learn, develop, or experience new aspects of business. Cornwall is a special place with a distinct culture, a rich creative heritage, outstanding natural beauty, and a well-deserved reputation for the production of quality goods. Our vibrant business community is home to makers of everything from unique pieces of art, natural beauty and speciality food and drink producers as well as specialist technical products and services. All are closely tied to Cornwall, whether through creative inspiration, supply chain sourcing or both. These independent makers and their products need protecting, which is exactly what the Made in Cornwall scheme was designed to do. The scheme assists producers to promote and verify the authenticity of their Cornish products, giving their customers and clients a credibility and guarantee: if your purchase

Why should your business get involved in Cornwall Festival of Business?

Hosting an event will not only position your business in front of the chamber’s extensive network, you will be opening opportunities to meet and connect with potential customers and new supply chains

There is no cost to taking part in the Festival of Business, and by getting involved you will receive free promotional support from Cornwall Chamber

You have the opportunity to choose whether you host your event virtually or face to face as Covid-19 restrictions start to ease

Be a part of the on-going recovery and drive of positivity for the county

The process of getting involved is simple; create your event, upload it to the Festival of Business event calendar, gain free promotional support from Cornwall Chamber, and then host your event opening endless opportunities for your business to grow, connect and prosper.

Find out more and get involved: www.cornwallchamber.co.uk/

MADE IN CORNWALL

festival-of-business bears this logo, the maker has been through rigorous inspection to confirm that the product was made in the Duchy itself, rather than imported and simply finished in-county.

Businesses wishing to join are assessed by a Trading Standards officer to ensure their process and their product meets the minimum criteria.

The scheme has a distinctive engine house logo, so keep your eyes peeled and help support these local Cornish businesses by buying local. It currently has 220 members of all shapes and sizes and across a broad range of sectors.

For more details visit: madeincornwall.org.uk or email Mirren@madeincornwall.org.uk

Email: hello@corwallchamber.co.uk Call: 01209 216006 Online: www.cornwallchamber.co.uk

POSITIVE FROM THE outset As lockdown restrictions ease around the UK and across most industry sectors, there’s no denying the massive impact the coronavirus pandemic has had on businesses and industries, both positively and negatively.

Sharon said: “I realised many of our sellers Funded by the European Regional The just couldn’t continue supplying and supporting us during lockdown, but I knew I business start-up experts Development Fund, Outset’s award-winning programme has helped over 1,000 individuals Want Despite a range of Government grants and support initiatives designed to help UK businesses survive, sadly there are some that, for various reasons, have been forced to close their doors and cease trading altogether. At Outset Cornwall however, some clients had to do something to keep us all going. “I always thought we should expand the business, and this gave us the perfect opportunity. We’re now shipping orders all over the UK, from Dundee to Penzance, which kept our business alive until we could Attending Outset’s startstart successful businesses throughout Cornwall in the last ten years, so the right support is something they have in spades. Now with an online training room dedicated to delivering the entirety of the programme, plus a comprehensive e-learning platform, clients to be your own boss? #BeOutsetReady have managed to keep their businesses reopen and supported a number of our sellers up course gave can still access Outset’s extensive start-up moving forwards, spotting gaps in the market in the process.” me clear focus and offer from the safety of their own home. and cleverly adapting their products or selling methods to take their businesses in a new direction. While established businesses adapted and moved forwards, many others who were just beginning their start-up journey decided direction. Krissie Colton Me Clothing Take Sharon Holmes, founder of Make to hold off launching their business in such Industries in Penzance, who joined the Outset circumstances. programme in 2017. As a bricks-and-mortar business housing the products of up to 50 sellers at a time, temporarily shutting the shop during lockdown affected not only their incomes but Sharon’s as well. Realising that many local businesses were struggling to remain active, Sharon set up a COVID-19 shop as part of her main website, selling store cupboard essentials from her regular local suppliers such as Tregothnan, Furniss and Cornish Coffee. She also Not the case for Outset client Cassie Davey. Despite having to put her plans on hold initially, Cassie went on to complete the Outset programme online, attend additional workshops and even register her company, Tall and Beautiful Clothing Ltd, with HMRC. Cassie says: “I didn’t expect to get so far so quickly, and now I’ve registered my company, launched my website and started creating awareness using social media. Kate Perkin, Outset Cornwall’s Programme Director, said: “As a result of COVID-19, the Outset team had to work as quickly as possible to move everything online, so that we could keep supporting our existing clients, and help the many who have been approaching us. “We’ve been amazed and immensely proud introduced their own-produced items including “Outset’s support has been amazing; thanks of how resilient and positive our clients have chilli oil, fudge and marmalade, plus reto one of their brilliant advisors I even had a remained throughout all this, by continuing packaged high-quality flour and baking powder which had been in extremely short supply. ‘lightbulb’ moment and set up a Crowdfunder campaign to raise the money to fund Focus Start to look for and seize opportunities that have helped grow, strengthen and increase the Run Grow producing my garments, ready for my official sustainability of their businesses. launch next spring.” “Moving everything online has meant we can Whatever your situation, we can In fact, Cassie’s Crowdfunder was so successful, she exceeded her initial target of help get you where support even more individuals to overcome their barriers, giving them the confidence you want to be £8k and achieved her stretch target of £10k, and ability to move forwards and realise their raising more than she needed and proving ambition of starting their own business or that starting a successful business during a becoming self-employed.” Call 01209 311063 or visit crisis is entirely possible. One thing Outset’s clients would all agree on www.outset.org/cornwall to start your journey To find out more about Outset Cornwall and is they couldn’t have achieved their success its award-winning programme, visit without having the right support. www.outset.org/cornwall Funded by