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KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS The business NEWSpaper for Kirklees
Marina finds route to calmer waters A DEWSBURY marina is among a growing number of firms to benefit from Business Link services. Business Link Yorkshire’s annual review showed the number of companies and entrepreneurs using the service rose by more than 11% to 119,133 in the year to March. It also claimed that businesses using the service were twice as likely to report improved performance and are forecasting growth of up to 5%. In Kirklees, Business Link helped 321 businesses get started and safeguarded 264 jobs. There was also a substantial rise in the number of firms working in-depth with advisers. Companies to benefit from Business Link Yorkshire include Dewsbury-based Calder Valley Marine, which was launched by Gordon Lambert in 2002 and offers marina facilities and the repair, maintenance and sale of narrow boats at four Yorkshire locations. The company was making steady annual profits, but Mr Lambert called Business Link Yorkshire in 2008. He said: “I knew I was lacking certain managerial skills and that Angela Banshard, my general manager and I would benefit from external
support.” After talking to a Business Link Yorkshire adviser, it was agreed that the downturn in the marine industry meant the business had to consider diversification into the pub and café sector. Business Link set up access to marketing and business planning expertise. As a result, the Dewsbury marina has been developed into a local attraction and event venue which regularly attracts large numbers of visitors. Said Mr Lambert: “It was refreshing to create a vision for the business. I suddenly had a clearer picture and realised I didn’t have to keep everything in my head. “Business Link Yorkshire helped us to discover what we realty had as a business rather than fire fighting on a day-to-day basis.” Kate Dallas-Wood, Business Link area manager, said: “At the height of the recession, businesses concentrated on reducing costs and overheads. “There is generally more optimism and order books are fuller, albeit from a lower base. Many companies are now seeking our help to improve their sales and marketing techniques to look for new customers.” She added: “Finance is still a major
outperform the UK average, according to the survey conducted by the Markitt Group. The headline Business Activity Index – which measures the combined output of the region’s manufacturing and service sectors – fell from 54.9 in August to 54.4. This was the lowest reading since January. Anecdotal evidence suggested that difficult economic conditions and pending government spending cutbacks led to the slowdown in growth for new orders. Private sector firms increased their workforces in September to cope with
Barnsley bound STUDENTS at Huddersfield University are helping out South Yorkshire firms. An innovative programme allowing businesses in Barnsley to benefit from the skills and enthusiasm of university undergraduates has expanded for the new academic year. Services to Business, based in the Centre for Creative Enterprise at the university’s Barnsley campus, employs placement students to provide small and medium enterprises with up to five days of free work.
● Full story - Page 5 ■ STAYING AFLOAT: Gordon Lambert, of Calder Valley Marine, pictured at Savile Town Wharf, Dewsbury with his dog, Poppy
concern and we are working with businesses to find alternative routes to fund working capital and growth.” Business Link Yorkshire, which is funded by Yorkshire Forward, said major issues affecting callers to its customer information centre focused on finance, skills, sales and marketing and starting up a business. The centre
received 75,000 calls during the year. Centre manager Karen Marsden said: “We saw a trend over the year from customers pressured into considering self-employment because of the threat of redundancy to callers being much more positive with well developed ideas about starting a new business.”
Growth rates slow for output and new orders GROWTH in output among Yorkshire companies hit an eight-month low last month, according to a report today. The latest Purchase Managers’ Index also showed that workforce levels across the region rose at a “modest pace” but said businesses were hit by a sharp rise in prices for energy and raw materials. The Yorkshire PMI report signalled weaker growth in the regional economy for the second consecutive month. Business activity fell to an eight-month low while new orders were at their lowest for seven months. Even so, the region continued to
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increased business activity and sales. Although only marginal, the rate of employment growth was stronger than the UK average. Job creation was registered in both service and manufacturing sectors, but was stronger in manufacturing. In addition, increased business capacity allowed private sector firms time to reduce their levels of unfinished work, but the rate of decline was the slowest for seven months. Prices of inputs continued to rise during September and at the fastest pace in three months. Anecdotal evidence suggested this was due to
higher costs for energy and raw materials. Patrick Bowes, chief economist at regional development agency Yorkshire Forward, said: “Growth of private sector output and new orders eased during the month, but the rates of expansion in the region remained faster than seen nationally. “There is some evidence that capacity utilisation is improving further, especially in manufacturing. “One clear benefit to result from this is employer hiring intentions – this should help the regional job market and provide a stimulus at a much needed time.”
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Singer in the frame A SPECIALIST portrait painter in Mirfield has captured singer Donny Osmond on canvas. Sporting Canvas has produced a licensed limited edition oil painting of the international star, which are individually signed by Donny and are accompanied by a numbered certificate of authenticity.
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