FEATURES
INCUBE CREATIVE PROGRAMME
A resource that empowers Renfrewshire’s entrepreneurs to harness their full potential, InCube’s Cindy Robb regaled us with the fantastic services on offer down at their High Street base.
“I
t’s a one-stop-shop for anyone looking to start up a business. We provide a whole range of services; Business Gateway, digital boost workshops and we’ve got a Princes’ Trust workshop for people aged 18-30. However, the part I’m really engaged with is the InCube Creative Programme. It provides support for any productbased designers or makers. We work with milliners, ceramicists textile designers, jewellers and anyone who has something that they hope to sell. WHAT TO EXPECT The programme is through competitive entry and the next course is due to start in September. They come to us twice a week for about six months for masterclasses, workshops and one-to-one support. There’s a lot of peer support too as a lot of them have been working from their bedrooms or a 46 MILL
shed if they’re lucky. By coming down, a lot of creatives say that one of the main benefits is connecting with a network and bouncing ideas off one another. This programme also provides a year’s membership to Renfrewshire Chamber of Commerce and access to a whole raft of legal & HR support and networking meetings. We cover the whole range of skills that you need to start up a business, as there’s a lot of talented people out there but no-one is born knowing how to grow a brand or make it sustainable. On the marketing side of things, we help people to develop their story and teach them what it takes to engage with customers. Speaking of which, one of the new things we’ve done this year is ‘website in a day’ in which they can leave with a fully functioning platform and e-commerce facility for their wares. Another program that ran this year was the “Creative Toolkit” with business
