IMPACT Issue 5 - Start-up Enterprise

Centre for Enterprise

Start-up Enterprise Edition

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IMPACT AUTUMN, 2014

North West LEP Chairs explain the importance of start-ups to their growth plans

Start-up Enterprise: - Excellence in Business Start-up from a graduate and staff perspective - What does the data say about North West Start-ups?

- Legal Matters: practical tips for navigating legal pitfalls in the early stages - Start-up stories: North West Businesses tell us how they got up and running

Putting knowledge to work to grow your business

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UK Start-up Stats

Introduction from the Prof.

Total number of Start-ups in North West & UK reported in 2012

So this edition is around the topic of business start-up. Is Nesta Senior Researcher Valerie Mocker right in her judgement that start-ups are new political darlings? See page 4! They are vital for national and regional growth according to policymakers but creating businesses that enjoy sustainable growth is a global challenge, according to Dr Clare Schofield, (an Assistant Head at MMU Business School with an international profile in entrepreneurship education).

26,535 269,535 Number of start-ups as a percentage of the total number of businesses North West

London

11.4%

14.8%

The North West has the second highest rate of any UK region

Start-up survival rates in the North West One year

OCTOBER, 2014

• Picture by Ade Hunter

Professor Lynn Martin Professor of Entrepreneurship and Director of the Centre for Enterprise

Certainly, it is important to Manchester Metropolitan University, as can be seen by the statement from Deputy Vice Chancellor, Professor Dr Myszka Guzkowska and by the range of practical advice based on in-depth knowledge from MMU specialists Jane Matthews and Madeleine Jarvis. Catch up too with the three answers about the importance of business start-up from the Northwest Local Enterprise Partnership Chair for your area. Their five sets of responses are set against the regional data for business start-up through an analysis by Dr Val Antcliff, which shows start up and survival rates of new businesses (see the infographics on this page).

Working with over 8000 students and graduates to help them to understand business development and encourage them to be more enterprising in their approach, has given us a passion for supporting sustainable new businesses. As ever though, the star contributors are the business owners, both staff and students, who have shared their journeys, views and aspirations for the future.

We have tried to show how even very traditional business can enjoy major growth after start up through innovation - by operating in different ways to their competitors.

Thanks to all contributors - enjoy browsing the pages, let me know any ideas or views on the content by Twitter @proflmartin or by email john.williams@mmu.ac.uk.

95% e year Thre

62%

Five year

44%

• Source: Business Demography 2012, ONS

“Putting knowledge to work to grow your business” The Centre for Enterprise at Manchester Metropolitan University is passionate about turning research into practical knowledge, which can be applied to improve regional businesses. Our areas of expertise are growth, leadership, entrepreneurship and sustainability. We offer a range of programmes around these themes, many of which are fully-funded.

Register with us to access our knowledge, our business network and to grow your business.

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Contents

IMPACT

1

INTRODUCTION Lynn Martin, Professor of Entrepreneurship and Director of the Centre for Enterprise.

3

INSIGHT: BUSINESS START-UP STATISTICS

Overview of North West statistics by LEP area and industry, with discussion on how this compares to the rest of the UK.

4

RESEARCH: GROWING PAINS MMU Principal Lecturer in Management and Enterprise, Madeleine Jarvis, offers practical tips for start-ups about taking on new staff.

5

4

BUSTING START-UP MYTHS Valerie Mocker, Senior Researcher at Nesta, brings clarity to some start-up fallacies.

5

Innospace, Business Incubator at MMU

• Picture by Ade Hunter

VIEWPOINT Dr Clare Schofield, shares her views on

the role of universities, in fostering entrepreneurship.

5

INNOSPACE Business start-up incubator ‘Innospace’, gives us a run down of their new £1m home.

6

ENCOURAGING ENTERPRISE Dr Myszka Guzkowska,

Deputy Vice-Chancellor at MMU, explains how the university supports enterprise activities.

6

NEW BORN, BRINGS NEW BEGINNING Laura Novak of Identity Incentives, tells how she started her business to balance both, work and family life.

7

NORTH WEST LEP VIEWPOINT The North West LEP Chairs describe the current situation with business start-ups in their area and look ahead to the future.

6

Laura Novak, Identity Incentives

• Picture by Mike Simensky

9

PRACTICAL TIPS The legal team from MMU, offer some practical advice on how to protect yourself as a business start-up.

10 11

WORKING WITH US The Cake Nest is on the rise.

12

FROM ARTIST TO ENTREPRENEUR Andrea Zapp,

ENTERPRISE IN PRACTICE Mighty Giant and Wannalistit.com, share their start-up stories.

Senior Research Fellow in Media Arts at MMU, is launching the fashion, media and design label AZ.andreazapp for 2014, hear her story here.

13

12

Andrea Zapp, AZ.andreazapp

• Picture by Ade Hunter

WORK WITH US We would love to work with you.

The first step is to get in touch.

14

NEXT ISSUE On the theme of ‘Big Business'.

CONTACT US Want to contribute to Impact?

Each issue of IMPACT carries a central theme, but also relies on contributions from the businesses we work with, our dedicated research team, the wider MMU community and our partners. We always welcome your input so please get in touch.

For future IMPACT e-magazine issue themes and to submit a contribution for consideration please email: k.young@mmu.ac.uk 0161 247 3989

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Ask the Expert Each issue, we feature an expert who will answer your questions.

This isue features Melanie Bryan OBE, multi-award winning social entrepreneur and change specialist. Turn to p9 for the Q&A. To find out who the expert will be in the next issue of IMPACT, follow @mmucfe on twitter.

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General Enquiries?

Telephone: +44 (0)161 247 3871 Email: cfe@mmu.ac.uk

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Insight

• Written by Dr Valerie Antcliff

Small Business Demographics: Measuring Birth and Survival Rates in the North West How often have we heard it said that there's no better time to start a business? Recent increases in the number of self-employed suggest that we are indeed living in enterprising times. The over fifties, mums, new graduates – it seems the potential to turn your business idea into reality has never been greater. In this short article, Dr Valerie Antcliff, Research Fellow, at the Centre for Enterprise, looks at some of the statistics behind business start-ups across our region and assesses the potential for survival beyond the first year.

Business Demography There's no one set of official statistics that captures every business start-up. One of the most comprehensive sources of information is the Office for National Statistics annual publication 'Business Demography'. Business Demography records details of business births by providing a count of all business registered for either VAT or PAYE at any point during a twelve-month period. This isn't perfect, it excludes very small start-ups with no employees who aren't registered for VAT, but it can give us a broad overview of trends in our region and an idea of how we compare with the rest of the UK.

New Business Survival Rates Business Demography calculates rates for the percentage of businesses that survive for one, three and five years after registering for VAT or PAYE. Across the UK as a whole the 5 year survival rate for businesses born in 2007 was 47% in 2012, while 60% of businesses born in 2009 had survived for three years and 93% of businesses born in 2011 had survived their first year.

In the NW one year survival rates in 2012 were 95%, 3 year rates were 62%, slightly above the national figure, while 5 year survival rates were lower than the UK as a whole at 44%.

The picture across the NW is interesting.

Cheshire and Cumbria LEP areas have rates well above the national and regional averages. In 2012 the 5 years survival rate for businesses born in 2012 was 48% in Cheshire and 49% in Cumbria, compared with only 41% for Liverpool and 42% for Greater Manchester.

Taken together with the figures for business births this seems to suggest that business 'churn' is greater in Liverpool and Greater Manchester, while the business population in Cheshire and Cumbria has remained more stable.

Enterprise Births in the North West Greater Manchester

Cheshire & Warrington

Liverpool

Lancashire

Cumbria

North West

30,000 25,000 20,000 15,000

Births The most recent data available is for 2012.

Across the UK there were 269,535 new businesses registered for either VAT or PAYE, an increase of around 3% on 2011. The North West recorded 26,535 new businesses an increase of around 1% on the previous year.

10,000 5,000 0

Within the North West Greater Manchester LEP area had the highest number of new businesses (10,855), with Lancashire in second place (5,025), closely followed by Liverpool (4,675). At the other end of the scale Cumbria recorded 1,705 new businesses in 2012.

The total number of business births has continued to show an overall upward trend since 2010 in all NW LEP areas.

Birth Rates To facilitate comparison across regions, rather than a simple count, Business Demographics calculates a 'birth rate' based on the number of new businesses as a percentage of existing active enterprises.

The NW and NE of England recorded the joint second highest birth rate in 2012 (11.4%), with only London coming in higher (14.8%) Births by North West LEP areas Across the North West in 2012 Manchester and Liverpool LEP areas recorded business birth rates slightly above the regional average (12%), while Lancashire (10%) and Cumbria (9%) were a little below. But new business births only tell half the story. How well do NW businesses fare in their first few

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Business Survival Rates for NW LEP Areas Greater Manchester

Cheshire & Warrington

Liverpool

Lancashire

Cumbria

North West

100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0%

Source: Business Demography 2012, ONS

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• Written by Madeleine Jarvis

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Research: Growing Pains MMU Principal Lecturer in Management and Enterprise, Madeleine Jarvis, offers us some practical tips Taking on staff may be a necessary step in growing your business, but it can be fraught with difficulties. Following research conducted with start-up companies over a three-year period, we have put together some tips for managers to consider before recruiting.

Understand your capacity The time to hire is when your business is at total capacity. This is when you and your team cannot grow because you do not have the human resources to make it happen. In other words, hire when it hurts – and not before.

Research suggests that hiring ahead of need to try to trigger growth can work for some businesses, but it is a risky strategy. Sales may not follow quickly enough to cover staff costs if you grow too quickly.

Ask 'who knows my business best?'

In the last few years, there have been many changes to business support in the UK and funding cuts have meant that there are less business advisors and support initiatives on offer in some places. This might be a good thing! Initiatives such as 'free' interns or supported placements often come with

hidden costs such as training and management. Can your business really sustain the added overheads additional employment demands - even if at first it is free? Think carefully about what will really benefit your business strategy.

Make what you have count When looking at your current business model, are you really making the most of all the resources you currently have? Can you adapt your model to use current resource in new ways or utilise your social networks to support some of the extra workload that comes with early stage growth? Maybe looking at freelancers, partnerships or even friends and family could be a better shortterm strategy than recruiting new staff. Be adventurous and open to new and collaborative ways of working – it might open up many more opportunities.

Look back – as well as forwards Growing a business takes commitment, forward planning and no small amount of belief in the future. However, be mindful of the steps it has taken to get you to this point. Many small businesses get in the habit of recruiting the same types of people,

Madeleine Jarvis

or only looking in the same talent pools – even if these strategies have not worked in the past. Take time to learn from previous mistakes and be prepared to change your approach.

The decision to recruit is a big step for any small business, but particularly those who are at the very early stages of growth.

Underestimating the impact of new people in the business is crucial to creating a stable platform for future growth. Of course, there are no magic bullets, but understanding where you are right now is just as important as thinking about where you want to go when planning for growth.

Busting start-up myths Valerie Mocker: Senior Researcher - Startups & Entrepreneurship at Nesta, an innovation charity Start-ups are the new political darlings.

Rightly so, given the disproportionate impact of startups on job creation and innovation. However, there are various misconceptions about these businesses, especially when it comes to what startups are, who they are founded by and where they are located Myth 1. Start-ups are not SMEs Start-ups and SMEs are regularly mentioned in one breath and used interchangeably.

Whereas SMEs are often defined by size (in the UK as businesses with less than 50 employees), being a startup is about being young. Start-ups are young, often innovative businesses with high-growth ambition, in search of a scalable business model. Even though the majority of startups fail, they are disproportionately contributing to innovation and economic growth. That's why start-ups matter.

Myth 2. Start-up founders are not all Mark Zuckerbergs Start-ups are often associated with young entrepreneurs building new apps at London's Silicon Roundabout. The data paints a different picture. High-growth start-ups are more likely to be founded by opportunity-driven entrepreneurs, i.e. those seeing an opportunity for a business rather than being forced into entrepreneurship due to a lack of job prospects. In the UK, many opportunity-driven entrepreneurs are

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gaining industry experience before becoming an entrepreneur in their early thirties and late fourties. That does not mean that graduate entrepreneurs cannot be successful. The important point is that founding a start-up should not be seen as a once in a lifetime decision to be taken right after graduation. Entrepreneurship is an exciting opportunity with multiple entry points throughout your life.

Myth 3. East London is the place to be London's digital cluster is doing well in international start-up ecosystem rankings, and the south-east is repeatedly identified as the UK's strongest entrepreneurial region. However, startups are thriving across the country. Brighton, Cardiff and Liverpool are leading hubs for the games industry, Sheffield and Leads have created a digital economy worth £3.4bn per year.

Especially a look beyond digital reveals that many tech clusters are outside London and not only in Oxford and Cambridge, but also cities like Manchester, an active player in life sciences and materials.

Setting start-ups into perspective We are getting better at grasping the different shades of start-ups, but more attention has to be paid to this variety. Highgrowth start-ups are increasingly equated with digital businesses, but it is important to also look at the activity and needs of hardtech and low-tech businesses. This includes

Valerie Mocker

scouting more actively across the UK to understand different start-up hubs. Cities should also become better husslers for their own activities. For example, Cambridge has done a fabulous job of creating reports and data that others can read and reference.

Angel investors, from Cambridge, also actively engage with Westminster to raise awareness of their city's needs and concerns. Edinburgh's annual investor event 'Engage, Invest, Exploit' is successfully attracting investors from London to travel North, knowing that a selected group of high-potential companies is waiting for them. Such initiatives are building bridges. Bridges between startup clusters are what we need, to create a country in which start-ups can thrive, be they funded by students or industry experts, in the South East or North West.

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Start-up

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• Written by Dr Clare Schofield

Viewpoint: Dr Clare Schofield, MMU Enterprise Champion and Deputy Director of the Centre for Enterprise As the economy starts to recover, the recent focus of the academic, policy and practice communities has been on business growth.

However, it is important that we equip the next generation of entrepreneurs with the right knowledge, skills, attributes and resources to start new and sustainable businesses. That is the renewed focus of my role as the Manchester Metropolitan University Enterprise Champion.

This autumn I attended two international conferences that focussed on enterprise and entrepreneurship, but from two very different perspectives. The first was from the perspective of the enterprise educator, at the annual International Enterprise Educators Conference (IEEC) that was held in Newcastle 3-5th September. The conference theme was 'Education + Engagement = Impact' and this year I was Conference Chair as part of my role as a Director of Enterprise Educators UK. The conference organisers and I were seeking to

explore ideas of education and engagement to examine what is making a difference in the classroom across our institutions and in the communities with which we engage.

The second conference was the Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centres (GCEC) in London 2-4th October. The conference theme was 'Entrepreneurship Everywhere', demonstrated by the fact it was the first time the conference had been hosted in Europe. Having worked as Deputy Director of the Centre for Enterprise, for over fourteen years, it was extremely stimulating to listen to and share our practice with colleagues from North America, Canada and Europe.

What I learned from attending both conferences, was that supporting the development of high quality new businesses capable of sustaining growth is a global challenge. From the enterprise educators perspective we need to ensure

Dr Clare Schofield, Deputy Director

that we provide access to high quality education and training for enterprise educators, to ensure they are equipped with the right tools and techniques necessary to support new entrepreneurs. From the entrepreneurship centres perspective, I learned that universities play a vital anchor role in their regional entrepreneurial ecosystem and can act as lead catalysts to attract knowledge, networks and resources that are needed to sustain new ventures. I am looking forward to putting my new learning into practice.

• Written by Louise Kenworthy

Viewpoint from MMU Business Start-Up Incubator ‘Innospace’ The UK's Business Incubation Association (UKBI) states “Business incubation provides growth SMEs and start-ups with the ideal location to develop and grow their businesses”. At Innospace, MMU's incubation unit for pre-start and early stage businesses, we provide a supportive environment to help fledgling businesses grow and develop.

Kenworthy, Incubation Services Manager, said of the new facilities at Innospace: “The new building is truly fit for purpose to support and train companies to build the economy. The fact we are closer to the University means it is easier to create links and get more people engaged in what we offer.”

MMU Business School's Centre for Enterprise launched Innospace in July 2007, the goal being to foster businesses that would drive the regional economy – and trigger the entrepreneurial spirit in MMU students and graduates.

Innospace Cheshire Innospace Cheshire also opened its doors earlier this year offering hotdesks and meeting space to MMU Cheshire students. There are currently 10 social enterprises based in this space who receive support from the central site in Manchester, as well as key enterprise lecturers in Crewe.

Innospace is now a central resource for MMU and has broadened its tenants reach to include non-MMU students, graduates and members of the wider community. For pre-start MMU student and graduate businesses, the first three months are free.

It has also recently been relocated to a new £1million home on the All Saints campus.

The 1,284sqm newly refurbished unit on Chester Street, includes a range of workspaces to suit firms at different stages: start-up offices, grow-on spaces, hotdesking for up to 120 people, virtual tenancies and pay-as-you-go desks.

More than 70 tenants are now operating out of the revamped base. Since 2007, around 380 tenants have passed through its doors, creating more than 500 jobs. Louise

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Marketplace Studios Graduating art students will also have access to a unique resource following the unveiling of MMU's Marketplace Studios in Stockport. There are 10 multiple-occupancy studios available with a mixture of shapes and sizes. The studios will be open 24 hours a day and additional facilities include a shop area where the resident artists will be able to sell their work, and a project space for public workshops.

It is believed that Manchester School of Art is the first art school in the country to provide this sort of resource for its graduates.

Project manager of Marketplace Studios, Clare Knox-Bentham said: “It can be hard for artists who are just starting out on their own. We wanted to provide our graduates with somewhere they could develop their practice and refine their business models but at low risk to themselves.”

Get Involved Innospace Manager – Manchester and Cheshire: Louise Kenworthy-Taylor Email: Innospace@mmu.ac.uk Tel: 0161 247 3850 Web: www.innospace.co.uk Twitter: @Innospace

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• Written by Dr Myszka Guzkowska

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Encouraging Enterprise at MMU Dr Myszka Guzkowska, Deputy Vice-Chancellor at Manchester Metropolitan University As an institution focussed on the development of World Class Professionals through a range of Undergraduate and Postgraduate Programmes, Manchester Metropolitan University has a proud commitment to support the future careers of our graduates.

As part of this, we work with a range of employers to ensure students have effective internships, placements and projects. We also ensure that our programmes have a strong employability focus in knowledge and skills.

Of course, business start up and enterprise are embedded in this.

Our three incubators offer different experiences of business start up. In the curriculum, our Innovation, Creativity and Entrepreneurship modules are offered In faculties across Undergraduate levels and our groundbreaking nonaccredited work in

Enterprise Learning is offered across MMU, led by Enterprise Educators UK Board member and MMU Enterprise Champion Dr Clare Schofield.

We have just completed a pan-university review of Enterprise and expect to be incorporating the findings into our new E3 Strategy to further enhance opportunities for students and graduates via plans for employability, employment and enterprise.

We want to build enterprise into the curriculum across faculties. This Includes developing enterprising individuals to be flexible and adaptable in their future careers and focussing on skills to support business start-up. We are also planning to extend our current Incubator provision, by supporting graduate business start ups in new innovation incubators across the city, in partnership with key regional bodies.

Dr Myszka Guzkowska

We have seen our graduates succeed in many fields and look forward to their future achievements, through these work-based opportunities at MMU and internationally across our partner base in Europe and Asia.

New mum gives birth to successful merchandise business A new arrival led to a new business beginning for Identity Incentives’, Laura Novak.

Only days after giving birth, Laura defied convention and started a new business in pursuit of the flexibility to both work and care for her newborn son. Two and a half years on, promotional merchandise company Identity Incentives, has customers across the UK and Ireland. With the support of the Centre for Enterprises’ Knowledge Action Network, they have moved offices three times, to accommodate a business and workforce growing at over 50% each year, with a turnover of £200K. How it started After working her way through the ranks at the three largest promotional merchandise companies in the UK to become an office manager, Laura was working 15-hour days and spending far more time than she would like, travelling to and from work.

However, after the arrival of her son, she knew she must do something different and for her there was only one option. Hand in her notice, skip her maternity leave and go it alone. Her son was born in December and she registered Identity Incentives on 4th January. “I have always been career driven and didn't want to be a stay at home mum. I believe mums are 'Queens of Multitasking' and I thought if I can give birth, I can do anything!”

From pens and mugs, to custom-made orders from factories in the Far East and Turkey, Laura's experience and emphasis on customer service provided a new offering.

Teething trouble Although Laura knew the industry well, she

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Name: Laura Novak Business: Identity Incentives Industry: Promotional Merchandise LEP Region: Cheshire & Warrington CfE Programme: Knowledge Action Network Turnover Growth: ü Employment Growth: ü

Laura Novak

• Picture by Mike Simensky

took the first steps towards running her own business alone, and admits she had little time to properly plan in the hurry to get going. The early days were not entirely without issue, including a fine from HMRC for incorrectly filing VAT receipts. A hard lesson learned which has since encouraged Laura to seek the right business support available to her.

MMU Boost Laura joined the Knowledge Action Network (KAN) programme at the Centre for Enterprise and immediately saw the value in working with both, other business owners and the programme's experts.

“There were a lot of networking opportunities and the contact with people in the same boat as you was really refreshing. We had lots in common. We all wanted to grow our businesses and needed that little arm round our shoulders to help us.”

Laura found the guidance of a KAN coach to be particularly useful. “Having a personal coach who cares about your business is invaluable. You can just throw everything at them and they will give you their advice and input.”

Laura started identity Incentives to give her the flexibility to work and bring up a family, so has it worked out how she hoped: “It's not been quite how I imagined. The business never closes and I'm answering emails, at 6am and 10pm, but it does give me the flexibility to work around my commitments. I've loved every minute and wake up each morning with a spring in my step as I want to get in and do so much more.”

The company continues to go from strength to strength; Laura is set to expand further with the imminent addition of two apprentices, which she sees as her way of, building the business, but also giving back to society.

Advice And Laura's advice for other new start-ups would be? “I think it is just about having the enthusiasm and guts to take that leap forward. You've got to take a leap of faith and believe in yourself.”

Get Involved If you are a start-up or have a great new business idea we would like to hear from you. Get in touch and find out how we can support you.

Centre for Enterprise, MMU 0161 247 3871 ¦ cfe@mmu.ac.uk ¦ @mmucfe

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North West LEP Viewpoint Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) were established so economic and growth plans can be set locally, and focus on regional priorities. We asked the Chairs of the five North West LEPs, three questions about the role startups play in their areas.

1. What is the current state of business start-up in your LEP area?

2. How important are business start-ups to your LEP area?

3. In two years time what would what you like to see happen in terms of business start-ups in your LEP area?

Christine Gaskell, Cheshire & Warrington LEP Chair

The Cheshire Plain

1. Traditionally Cheshire and Warrington has an impressive record in new business start-ups and this continues to be the case.

The key concern from a macro economic growth perspective is the GVA contribution which can be attributed to business startups.

importantly those businesses that do have genuine growth potential, should also have access to high quality business advice to ensure they can fully maximise their growth potential and so contribute to the success of the local economy.

2. All advanced economies are having to

It must be recognised that the majority of start-ups are lifestyle businesses and many do not continue to operate after 3 years.

This is not unique to Cheshire and Warrington; it is a feature of new business activity nationally and internationally.

come to terms with long-term structural changes in manufacturing and to the threats from trends in globalisation. In addition to this many advanced economies are also having to address the demographic inevitability of an ageing population. This sub region is no exception. New business creation is therefore an important element of maintaining high levels of employment, especially for the older workforce.

In an ideal world, there would be appropriate levels of start-up guidance and support available to all individuals with the necessary entrepreneurial spirit. More

A particular challenge in this region is that we are actively attempting to restore our levels of productivity. But given that the majority of new business start-ups are

lifestyle businesses they are unlikely to be engaged in high value, growth activity. The trick therefore is to identify rough diamonds and polish them into precious jewels.

3. The ambition in Cheshire and Warrington is to have a start-up advice service which is available to all residents. In addition, we hope to have the capacity to identify those companies with true growth potential and intervene to ensure that they maximise their contributions to local economic growth and new job creation.

In particular, we wanted to take advantage of our unique science and technology assets such as Thornton Science Park, Sci-Tech Daresbury and Alderley Park. We also want to build on the opportunities offered by Atlantic Gateway and the once in a lifetime growth prospects which will come with HS2.

Getting a new business off the ground is never easy but here in Cheshire and Warrington we offer 871 square miles of growth, opportunity, ambition and innovation to those who want to get started.

George Beveridge, Cumbria LEP Chair to this, Cumbria has seen a small increase in business failures which had previously been a reasonably static indicator.

Keswick & Derwent Water

1. Cumbria has always been a great place to start a business. A tremendous coverage and range of business support underpin a strong culture of entrepreneurialism. The County has more businesses per person than anywhere else in the North West and SME's account for 98% of the registered enterprises.

Some cautionary signs are beginning to emerge however. The business start- up rate has dropped off slightly in recent years and although some of this can be accounted for by businesses opting to remain micro enterprises rather than register for VAT, it doesn't fully explain the situation. Further

Impact│October 2014│7

One indicator that has remained e n c o u r a g i n g however is business survival rates. Cumbria continues to perform better than the national average in terms of 3 year and 5 year survival.

2. The very nature of the Cumbrian economy and geography require entrepreneurial individuals to start businesses. They are vitally important to the continued health and diversity of the Cumbrian economy.

This is reflected in significant levels of support being available to new start businesses, through the Business Growth Hub for example.

In order for Cumbria to achieve its economic potential however, it requires new and

existing businesses to grow. The County will not realise the opportunities that exist if business growth does not follow and build on business start-up.

3. In two years' time, Cumbria would undoubtedly like to see an improvement in the number of new business start-ups, see continued improvements in survival rates and to be seen as an attractive destination to start and locate a business.

Ideally a diverse range of new business start-ups will be continuing to benefit from the right support, accommodation and finance at the right time. Enabling those businesses to achieve their full potential and capitalise on the economic opportunities that exist within Cumbria.

The existing and future business support activity will not only increase the number of new start businesses in the County, but it will also lead to an increase in the number of businesses reporting high growth and operating successfully in global markets.

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Edwin Booth, Lancashire LEP Chair 2. Start-ups are an essential element in any successful economy, creating the new ideas that force all businesses to continually innovate and improve.

Preston, Lancashire

1. Lancashire is a great place to start a business, benefiting from a host of advantages such as a highly-skilled workforce and great transport links, and we have a thriving start-up community here.

3. Business startups are essential and we will continue to support their growth and ambition in Lancashire now and in the future.

Nationally, around 60% of new businesses

survive the first three years, but we know that figure improves markedly with support.

The Lancashire Enterprise Partnership is keen to see active support for start-ups through both public funding and commercial providers.

We are focusing publicly-funded support on priority sectors and high-growth prospects with the potential to create five to ten jobs, or £250k+ turnover within three years.

Through business support services such as Boost Business Lancashire and funding such as Rosebud Micro, the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership is doing all it can to encourage new businesses to set up and be successful in the county.

Mike Blackburn, Greater Manchester LEP Chair tasked with providing an i n t e n s i v e programme of s u p p o r t t o individuals with the ambition to start and grow their own business.

MMU Business School

1. Greater Manchester's entrepreneurs are playing a key role in delivering our ambitious plans for economic growth. Since 2009, Greater Manchester's rate of business start-ups has increased by over 10% and we are doing better than many other core cities.

However, we are very conscious that the number of companies in GM surviving over five years is slightly below the UK average and there is a continuing need to ensure that start-ups get the bespoke business support and access to finance that they need to develop and grow. Manchester Growth Company on behalf of the GM LEP is

2. Business startups are a key element of Greater Manchester's business base; they make a significant contribution to both private sector employment and economic output.

As set out in the Greater Manchester Strategy, a key priority for the GM LEP is attracting more start-ups and accelerating the growth of those businesses with the greatest potential to expand. Our private sector led Business Growth Hub provides a range of funding and programmes to support individuals to start and grow their own business in an integrated way.

3.Greater Manchester has an ambitious agenda around accelerating growth and prosperity, combined with clear plans to reform our public services; the aim is to become a net contributor to the UK economy by 2020. The route to growth lies in creating the conditions that make GM an attractive destination nationally and internationally to start and grow a business.

We will do this by working with our partners to provide a fully integrated set of locally tailored support, bespoke to the needs of each individual business start-up.

We want to be seen as the centre for high growth business start-ups particularly in health innovation, advanced materials and the digital and creative sectors, where we have the assets and advantages to succeed nationally and internationally. The innovation and new ideas that start-ups provide are critical to growing and diversifying the economy both in GM and nationally.

Robert Hough, Liverpool City Region LEP Chair

Liverpool skyline

1. There are 38,000 active enterprises in the City Region; numbers have recovered after a decline following the recession. Growth in business births although from a low base, has outstripped national growth during the recovery. However there continues to be a need to bolster entrepreneurial culture in the City Region, to improve business density and formation rates.

2. Business start-ups are key to the future prosperity of the City Region. A healthy

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business base with strong business growth is crucial to increasing the e c o n o m i c performance and competitiveness of Liverpool City Region overall.

Credit to ACC Liverpool Business density in the City Region is too low; we require an additional 18,500 businesses to match the UK average business density rate. This can only be achieved through a balance of new start-ups with sustainable and scalable businesses, increased competitiveness of the existing business base and the attraction of inward investing businesses. Creating the right environment for business – both new and existing - is critical for the City Region.

have been created across the City Region.

The overarching goal for Liverpool City Region is to produce a step-change in the scale of enterprise and business activity, to expand the business base and accelerate economic growth. City Region partners have worked to establish programmes to stimulate firm creation and support business growth, with positive results. We would like to see the best of these programmes continue and to be enhanced and for those interested in starting a business to be able to readily find the right advice and support, appropriate to their needs and business opportunity.

We also want to see the City Region as a magnet for high growth business starts, working with our Universities, Colleges and in our high growth sectors where we have national and international competitiveness.

3. Obviously, we want more start-ups to

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Practical Tips

• Written by Jane Matthews • Picture by Ade Hunter

‘Legal Matters’ for a Business Start-Up MMU Senior Lecturer in Business Law, Jane Matthews offers us some practical tips “But do not give it to a lawyer's clerk to write, for they will use a legal hand that Satan himself will not understand.” No doubt true in 1605 when Don Quixote was first published and, despite campaigns for clear language in legal drafting, it can still be true today. Lawyers are also notoriously expensive and so when the goods they deliver seem to confuse not clarify, the temptation can be to ignore “legal matters” and concentrate efforts on establishing and then generating (a new) business.

However, contrary to popular myth lawyers don't spend all their time at law school learning how to time record inventively for billing purposes. A cornerstone of legal training is the law of contract which is also, of course, a foundation stone of business life itself. Conflict and dispute about exactly what has been agreed is all too commonplace and often revolves around the same few misunderstanding and/or misconceptions. So, here are some ‘pointers’: It doesn't have to be in writing, but it helps Lawyers are taught that all most contracts require is an offer and an unambiguous acceptance (no “counter offers”), whilst underpinning the whole transaction there must be an intention to create legal relations. With a business contract this intention will be presumed to be present, on the basis that “there is no such thing as a free lunch” in the cut and thrust of the commercial world.

Exceptionally, a number of contracts including those for the sale of land, the transfer of intellectual property rights and some consumer contracts must be in writing, but for the most part it is still true that “your word is your bond”. This, of course, works well for the millions of transactions that take place daily where no problems arise. But, there are some contracts that those contemplating setting up a new business might (unwittingly)

enter into, which do not need to be in writing, but that sometimes can have unwanted consequences for those bound by them.

Just collaboration or a legal partnership?

Start to work together in common with one or more associates with the intention of making a profit and you are in partnership.

This means (amongst other legal consequences including unlimited liability for all business debts) that you have entered into a partnership agreement with your coentrepreneurs. The agreement may be unwritten, but it is a contract nonetheless and it’s terms (in the absence of accord) will be divined from your dealings with each other and from the Partnership Act 1890.

This Act will apply to the partnership in default on fundamental matters such as its duration, profit share, management and even partners' ability to expel.

Find yourself in this position and you can, with the consent of your fellow partners, amend all that has been provided for you.

However, if you know the legal “score” before you embark and agree your own terms, you are more likely to establish a business that does what you want from the outset and maybe avoid business-busting discord along the way.

If I commission work, I own it. Right?

It's a common scenario. A new business requires a website. An associate, friend or even family member is commissioned to produce work that the business' founders don't have the time and/or skills to create for themselves. Content (“copy”) is duly created but who owns it, who has copyright in it and what happens if the “author” attempts to use the copy elsewhere or the commissioning business wants to use it again in a difference context or even for a difference business? The general rule is that work generated by a business' employees during worktime belongs to their employer, however, it is quite usual that those involved won't be employees, but

Jane Matthews

independent businesses in their own right.

Where that is the case then although the commissioning business would normally have a licence to use the copy for the purposes it was commissioned, copyright in it will reside with the contractor. A business unhappy with this prospect needs to make ownership (in formal legal terms an “assignment of the copyright”) a condition of the contract and to return to a point made at the outset, ensure that this assignment is put in writing even if nothing else is about how the contract will be performed.

Contracts can be at once both totally straightforward and of labyrinthine complexity. At some point a need for legal advice is likely to occur. However, be clear in your own mind what it is you want to achieve and you have a baseline from which to assess all future decision-making including the compromises, trade-offs and changes of circumstance that business life invariably generates and that your agreements will need to accommodate.

Get Involved Want more support with legal matters?

The first step is to get in touch with us: Centre for Enterprise, MMU 0161 247 3871 ¦ cfe@mmu.ac.uk

#AskTheExpert: Questions & Answers Melanie Bryan OBE, Public Sector Tender Expert, High Growth Mentor & Enterprise Ambassador, answers your questions: David Heffer @daviejheffer Gaz Shaw @gazshaw “Public sector organisations can be seen as very traditional. How can you encourage them to be more dynamic?”

“What are your tips for getting people who may be set in their ways to embrace positive change?”

Melanie Bryan @WhyNotChange In a nutshell make the change more attractive than the old ways and the journey to get there as easy as possible. A couple of things to help. Make it a real priority – focus on one change at a time so everyone knows it is important. Vivid stories, metaphors and pictures work really well – Jamie Oliver could have tried to educate kids about healthy eating, instead he showed a disgusting truckload of fat and made healthy cooking cool. Mobilise your crowd to 'go viral' – a few people will jump onboard enthusiastically from the beginning, some will get there late, but the majority want to be safe in the middle – so find your key influencers at all levels, get them onboard and the rest will follow.

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Melanie Bryan @WhyNotChange

Melanie Bryan OBE

Send your #AskTheExpert questions to:

Twitter: @mmucfe Email: cfe@mmu.ac.uk Phone: 0161 247 3989

“It's a challenge that many grapple with and with such a diverse public sector, (and you can find dynamic examples within it), it's difficult to be generic. For me one practical step that could help would be to rethink public sector procurement. They operate open competitive tendering processes for good reasons, including fairness for suppliers and value for money.

But unfortunately these processes does not encourage innovation or new thinking. We need smarter ways of doing things. So a procurement process that actively encourages open innovation and focuses on what needs to be achieved rather than specifying how a service should work could have a significant impact. ”

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The Cake Nest Recipe for Success 225g Self-raising flour 225g Caster Sugar 225g Butter 2 Eggs 1 Innovative Idea Lots of Hard Work

Delicious Cake Nest cake, awaiting personalisation

Cake business on the rise The Cake Nest, a successful online cake delivery business, has been supported to grow through the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses programme, delivered by the Centre for Enterprise. Here they tell us how it all started and reflect on the support they’ve received.

Flour, eggs, butter and sugar are usually the recipe for a successful cake. Husband and wife partnership Abi and Steve Phillips, have taken an innovative idea and added a lot of hard work to create a thriving online business. The Cake Nest specialises in posting scrumptious handmade gifts and now has 2 part-time staff and has achieved 80% growth this year already. Recently, it was recognised as a Small Business Sunday winner, by the Dragon's Den entrepreneur T h e o P a p h i t i s . T h i s p r a i s ewo r t hy recognition of their hard work now seems a long way away from its humble beginnings back in 2008.

How it started As a self-confessed foodie, who enjoyed experimenting with new recipes and creating tasty bakes, Abi was in demand to meet the need of her local community's sweet tooth. Working from her kitchen table, Abi wasn't initially convinced of how she could turn her hobby into a business: “I just thought it's ok for a bit of extra money, but this isn't something I'm going to be able to make a full time job out of.”

Back in the 'real' world, Abi was working hard, the business was growing and she was learning quickly. “In the beginning there were times when it felt like guesswork. We'd read books we'd read blogs, we'd do whatever we could, but essentially Steve and I don't come from a business background so we really had to think on our feet.”

The rise Their hard graft soon started to pay off and along with the order book; the workforce expanded as Steve also joined the Cake Nest full time. He explains: “I was an architect for 10 years, but then the recession hit. I was eventually made redundant, so we just decided to make a break for it and we've never looked back.”

In June 2013, the cake had officially taken over their house, so the Cake Nest moved into purpose designed professional kitchens. Their new home allowed it to increase its product range. As well as all sorts of cake-based confectionaries, you can now join its cake slice club, to get, or give someone a regular 'hug in an envelope'. All the while, Abi and Steve have kept true to their early philosophy, with each piece of

Name: Abi & Stephen Phillips Business: The Cake Nest Industry: Food CfE Programme: Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Turnover Growth: ü Employment Growth: ü

cake made from beginning to end by hand.

MMU support To ensure they continue with the right ingredients for success, in 2013 Abi enrolled on the Goldman Sachs 10,000 small Businesses programme. Talking about the programme, Abi said: “The programme opened my eyes and we are taking a much more strategic approach. I've put together a growth plan and worked a lot with the team to determine how we wanted to move forward and what we want to do next.”

Advice What advice would Abi and Steve give to those starting out today. “Don't become an entrepreneur thinking you'll be a millionaire overnight. Do it because you have an idea you are passionate about and are willing to work hard to make that a success. Start with a lot of finding out, speak to people, make sure that whatever you're doing is what people actually want and start small and grow from there.”

However, a desire to escape the banking sector and to create a work-life balance that would fit around having two small children, led to a shift in focus and a new approach.

By starting to sell cake online, the business immediately became more scalable. “At the start I'd just send out a tweet saying 'who wants cake?' and then race round to the post office to make the 5 O'clock post.”

Social media played an important role, for the Cake Nest, Abi credits its impact: “Social media was a fantastic resource, because we'd be getting feedback from people that didn't know us. It was great, as whether good, bad or indifferent, people were being very honest with us. Those interactions really helped us to improve and develop new ideas.”

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Abi & Stephen Phillips

• Pictures by Mike Simensky

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Enterprise in Practice Mighty Giant has designs for a bright future Jonathan Ashworth of motion graphics company Mighty Giant, explains how his freelancing evolved into an award winning business • Picture by Ade Hunter

expand. I'd experienced a surge in the amount of contracts I was getting and this gave me the buffer to take on Andy.”

Jonathan is confident that a new showcase film and marketing campaign, developed with the support of his KAN coach, will help develop new leads and bring in the work required to enable further growth.

Manchester-based motion design company, Mighty Giant, participants on the Centre of Enterprises' Knowledge Action Network (KAN), were winners at last year at the Big Chip Awards. Here we look at their journey and how KAN has supported them along the way.

After first registering the company back in May 2010, the first big stride for owner Jonathan Ashworth and his team came three years ago, when they won the contract for a rebranding and new title sequence for CBBC's flagship programme, Blue Peter. This was soon followed by their biggest project to date, providing the inprogramme graphics and titles for Fierce Earth, a children's programme, which highlights the power of Mother Nature.

Looking back, Jonathan admits it was not all plain sailing. After studying a degree in graphic design, Jonathan joined the BBC, to hone his trade. During six years there, Jonathan seized the opportunity to use his design skills to create motion graphics for the broadcaster.

When moving on from the BBC Jonathan worked for smaller companies and freelanced, and it was out of this work that Mighty Giant emerged.

Jonathan Ashworth

“At first it was hard, as I was only doing freelance here and there. Each month, I'd wonder if there was enough money for the next. I was just waiting to get two or three big jobs through that would give me the breathing space and confidence to push on.”

As their reputation grew, so did their diverse portfolio of clients, from TV channels, to airlines and charities.

Encouraged by the progress he was making and by this time with the support of the Centre of Enterprises' Knowledge Action Network (KAN), Jonathan decided to take on his first employee.

“I just felt that if I was going to be taken seriously and develop, I had to look to

Community Support Officer to upcoming Manchester entrepreneur Manchester-based start-up aims to increase consumer power and give SMEs access to the local marketplace Fo r m e r M a n c h e s t e r M e t r o p o l i t a n University (MMU) student Melvin Morrison of Wannalistit.com imagined a different way of doing business. Where the customer can find what they want, when they want it, by alerting businesses of their need and waiting for offers to come in.

Melvin delved into this online world after trading in his job as a Police Community Support Officer, now turning his idea into a business. Trading for four months now, Melvin explains the daunting decision he was faced with: “I spent week after week contemplating whether I should pursue the business full time. There was always a risk involved by giving up a steady monthly income, but I had to be honest with myself and this business is what I want to do.”

Melvin sees his business as being of mutual benefit for both consumers and businesses

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Name: Jonathan Ashworth Business: Mighty Giant Ltd. Industry: Digital Design LEP Region: Greater Manchester CfE Programme: Knowledge Action Network Turnover Growth: ü Employment Growth: ü

“The reason we did our film was to push ourselves into different areas. I've got lots of meetings coming up so it's definitely connecting with people. It's going to be an interesting couple of months coming up.”

Spending more time on the business and less time designing has been a sacrifice for Jonathan, but vital to keep the momentum and continue growing.

“It's a catch-22 situation really – We want to grow, but to do that I need to be out there securing new business. But it is the new business and staff that will allow me to rebalance my time, towards the creativity I enjoy so much.”

So, what would Jonathan's advice be to any potential start-ups out there? “Definitely know your figures and get to know your market. In hindsight, I'd start marketing earlier. I know it's difficult but you've always got to think a year or two ahead even from the beginning.”

Name: Melvin Morrison Business: Wannalistit.com LEP Region: Greater Manchester Industry: E-commerce

When faced with the prospect of large website development costs and the associated debt he would take on in the process, Melvin instead decided to learn the skills necessary and do it himself. This was one of his most important lessons and ultimately would be his advice to anyone looking to start their own business:

alike. During the recession, many of his colleagues and friends experienced redundancy and chose to start their own businesses when other opportunities proved elusive. However, they struggled to find ways of getting their products and services noticed by potential customers.

Melvin believes Wannalistit.com can act as a new sales channel to help these businesses and others.

“Trust in your own ability to get things up and running to limit start-up expenditure, and don't underestimate what you may be able to achieve yourself.”

Melvin studied media and communications at MMU and has put social media at the forefront of his business strategy. His website has already generated a buzz in the social sphere and his motivation to take on the project full-time was in part encouraged by the feedback he has received:

Melvin is optimistic about the future and has received support during one to one sessions with a business advisor specialising in commercial websites. “I know with the right level of time invested I can push the business forward and make it a success.”

“I knew I had a good idea, the feedback I received through social media was positive, and most importantly I was being contacted by potential businesses. I thought it's the right time to go for it!”

Get Involved If you are a start-up or have a great new business idea we would like to hear from you. Get in touch and find out how we can support you.

Centre for Enterprise, MMU 0161 247 3871 ¦ cfe@mmu.ac.uk ¦ @mmucfe

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• Written by John Williams

From Artist to Entrepreneur Andrea Zapp, Senior Research Fellow in Media Arts at MMU, is launching the fashion, media & design label AZ.andreazapp for 2014 Andrea Zapp is a media artist and academic, who throughout her career has transitioned between research and design projects with seamless ease. When she saw business potential in her latest clothing project, she sought support from the Centre for Enterprise and recommends others do the same.

Originally, from Germany, but now settled in Manchester, Andrea's work combines visual content with the online world to create digital installations. These installations, which she has exhibited internationally, tell stories and develop narratives, two subjects for which Andrea first became known.

With most of her works existing in a virtual space, she admits she was missing the connection with her art and wanted to reengage with the process of making something more physical. This has inspired her recent project, which brings her digital talents firmly into the 'real world', by transferring images from screen to fabric.

This October will see the launch of her brand AZ.andreazapp, with a collection of unique dresses that reflect her new philosophy. The digital photography isn't distorted or edited, but the context of the image tells a story, which once transferred onto fabric creates the pattern and shape of the dress.

Andrea explains how it all began: “I started to show the dresses at art exhibitions and media festivals, and they began to gain commercial interest. I would explain the ideas behind the piece to people who were interested in the concept, but often they would just want to know where they could buy it.”

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It was therefore a natural progression for Andrea to create a new business to bring the dresses to market and she could count on the support of Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) to make this aspiration a reality.

“I have received tremendous support from MMU to take this artistic idea to market and they also have awarded me an Innovation grant. For me, as an artist, moving into the business world was quite scary, but the advice I have received from the Centre for Enterprise has really helped develop a plan to take the brand forward.”

Andrea also credits the Hollings faculty, which creates an academic and creative bridge between the arts, business and science for the effort they put into establishing a production team. The combination of her ideas and with a strong team behind her means she has been well equipped to face the challenges of her first venture into commercialising her art.

“I have moved from an artist to an entrepreneur and this has involved making lots of decisions, outlining a business idea and becoming familiar with new lingo. It has been a steep learning curve, but so many people have been supportive of the project and I've received a lot of positive feedback.”

Although, Andrea is happy with the collection and the launch exhibition begins this October at Manchester Art Gallery and runs through until February, she is already developing plans to expand her brand. The dresses collection could soon be followed by scarfs and she has many other creative

Andrea Zapp, AZ.andreazapp

• Picture by Ade Hunter

ideas, but realises she still has a lot of hard work ahead: “There is still a lot to do in terms of setting up the company and spinning it out from the University, which I am working on at the moment and ultimately despite the interest, we have to prove the product out on the open market.”

However, Andrea is confident about the future and that she can overcome these final few hurdles. And does she have any advice for those looking to get develop an idea into a business?

“I would think about seeking advice internally, because this is a project that is now spinning out of the university. I would definitely talk to the Centre for Enterprise, because this is where I started. The feedback in terms of business development was vital and is certainly where I would begin in terms of commercialising a creative idea.”

CfE Viewpoint The Centre for Enterprise played a central role in developing Andrea’s idea and were vital in bringing together a variety of stakeholders from across the university.

From structuring the business plan and trade forecasts, to obtaining the trademark and advising on company structure, the Centre’s assistance has been paramount.

Ian Gibbs, of the Centre for Enterprise said: “Working with Andrea has offered valuable insight into what we can achieve by combining our expertise, with the knowledge of our outstanding staff.”

Centre staff have exceptional experience of researching, structuring, operating and growing successful businesses and nurturing opportunities emerging from across MMU. Ian Added: “As MMU grows, so will the role of the Centre in both devising and supporting commercial opportunities from all corners of the university.”

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“It has been like having your own Mastermind group - it can help you identify and define a problem, then discussing around the issue helps you to a greater understanding. The best thing about it is that you take time out to think about the problem from the outside”

Growing Businesses Engage with other business leaders, use our expert business knowledge and access the latest research available to help you grow your business. Whether you are a small firm, large firm or third-sector firm, we can support you. If you would like to find out more, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

“The 10,000 Small Businesses programme has made me recognise my strengths and it has helped me put processes in to place”

Supporting Enterprise Turn your idea into a business with entrepreneurial knowledge and skills. We work with undergraduates, graduates, alumni and academics to embed enterprise learning in the next generation of business leaders. Find out more @ www.mmucfe.co.uk

“I’ve been supported all the way by my coach who helped me with some crucial decisions, even giving me phone advice outside of sessions. We are in a very exciting place at the moment”

Re-energising Large Firms Utilising our vast experience in helping SMEs develop and grow, it is no surprise that larger companies are now seeking support from the Centre for Enterprise. Our skills remain around the core strengths of leadership, entrepreneurial behaviour and growth, underpinned by authoritative research and bench marking of best practice. Our programmes that are tailored for big enterprise, nurture the ethos of “Corporate Capability with SME Agility''. Individuals, teams or whole organisations can be the beneficiaries.

““It has been really useful to have other company Directors to bounce ideas off. It gives you an opportunity to look at the business from outside, instead of just struggling with the day-to-day.””

Embedding Research Our specialisms are growth, leadership, entrepreneurship and sustainability. We are successful at generating high quality, original research, generating research impact and have a strong track record in research council funding. Find out more @ www.mmucfe.co.uk

“Research is the cornerstone of our successful start-up, growth and leadership programmes. Our sustained stream of research income comes from central and local government in the UK, the European Commission, business, charities and UK research

Informing Policy We use our business engagement and research to practically impact upon regional and national economic growth, UK and European policy development and international academic advancement of knowledge. To find out more, please get in touch with us.

“The Centre has given me the opportunity to understand the latest research, network with other companies and get our views heard by key stakeholders in the North West.”

• All pictures by Ade Hunter

Register with us for updates on support & events Centre for Enterprise, MMU 0161 247 3871 cfe@mmu.ac.uk Twitter: @mmucfe

We would love to work with you. The first step is to get in touch with us and tell us a bit more about you and your business. Why not arrange a visit and perhaps we can tell you a bit more about the options available to you.

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Next Issue Big Business

IMPACT BIG BUSINESS

North West LEP Chairs explain the importance of large firms in their regions

Featuring: - Critical learning points from companies growing into the millions and beyond.

- Viewpoint from Mike Perls, founder and CEO of MC2 - How the Centre for Enterprise can help large businesses learn from SMEs - What does the data say about large businesses in the North West

Putting knowledge to work to grow your business

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Impact│October 2014│14

Contact us: Website: www.mmucfe.co.uk Telephone: +44 (0)161 247 3871 Email: cfe@mmu.ac.uk Twitter: @MMUcfe Address: Centre for Enterprise Manchester Metropolitan University Faculty of Business and Law, All Saints Campus, Oxford Road Manchester, M15 6BH, United Kingdom