Project Report Jan - May 2013
2
Contents
Background + Context
4
What is CityLab? Start Up Street Stirling
5 6
Journey + Learnings
7
proposal and programme securing a space spreading the word off the street enquiries participant requirements
8 9 10 11 11
Outcomes + Impacts
12
individual participants outcomes and impacts collective outcomes + impacts impact on the wider Stirling community long term impact
13 17 18 19
The Partners
20
project partners outcomes for Stirling Council outcomes for CityLab’s partners
Calendar and Events
Appendices
30
22 23 24
A B C D
participant request for continuation delivery requirements Stirling CityLab stories written content for CityLab
31 32 33 46
25
E
reference material
55 3
Background + Context
“When I first walked in the door of the City Lab back in January, I had little more than a vague idea of running an arts festival in Stirling. By the end of April, I had formed a Community Interest Company complete with a board of directors, organising committee and three members of staff; secured funding from Stirling Council; organised branding; established links with Stirling-based businesses and programmed the entire Four day festival. “That would have been tremendously more difficult if I was still using my spare room as an office. The CityLab not only provided an ideal city centre office to base myself, but gave invaluable advice, introduced me to some extremely helpful outside agencies and provided a great sounding board for my ideas.” (Barry McDonald, Director, Stirling Fringe Festival CIC) 4
What is CityLab? Stirling CityLab was a pop up pilot project that operated as a high street point of contact for start-up businesses, ideas and enterprise, from January to May 2013. The CityLab was dedicated to supporting anyone eager to operate in Stirling’s city centre and provided business advice, support, networking and access to the city centre trading realm whilst offering accessible and free working space, meeting space and WiFi to registered participants. The CityLab was run by Icecream architecture, supported and funded by Stirling Council and is the result of a partnership between Stirling Council, STEP, Stirling Voluntary Enterprise, Stirling University, Stirling University Innovation Park and somewhereto_.
www.stirlingcitylab.com #citylab www.facebook.com/StirlingCityLab
‘CityLab’ is a Stirling Council-funded collaborative project delivered by icecream architecture.
5
Start Up Street Stirling Stirling CityLab was a concept conceived as an element within Start Up Street Stirling, a wide ranging initiative that focuses on the social, physical and retail regeneration of Stirling’s city centre. Start Up Street Stirling is the over-arching title given to the conclusion of a series of discussions between the City Centre Initiative Manager within Stirling Council and Architecture and Design Scotland (A+DS). Snook Design and icecream architecture were appointed to realise the concept from these wide ranging discussions and to facilitate on the ground projects coupled with a reporting format that mapped actions within the developing projects. Activities that related to the regeneration of the city centre were already underway and these included; • •
•
A Facade Improvement Scheme focusing on King Street A participative workshop; including business, public agencies, community and international representation, to grasp needs of key city centre streets, entitled ‘Urban Ideas Bakery’(http://creativecities.britishCouncil.org/urban_ co-design_tools/element/210/urban_ideas_bakery_in_stirling), The development of the first major Start Up Street project, ‘Made in Stirling’, a retail unit for creative industries providing a network and platform to promote and sell locally produced artworks and crafts.
The CityLab had been an aspiration of Start Up Street, as a response to the need for an ‘incubator space’ which would work closely with people with business ideas, this had been highlighted as a city centre deficiency, through a range of previous research activities and city centre discussions. The main aim of the CityLab was to enable these people to channel their motivation and entrepreneurial initiative, by • Guiding them to the relevant resources already available in Stirling • Assisting them through access to a flexible working space, and networking opportunities • Providing backup through a network of partners and participants involved • Identifying `pre-pipeline` business entrepreneurs, keen on developing new business models, that would ideally operate in the city centre in the future. CityLab was a pilot project that adapted to the needs of participants and from those needs developed actions based on their projected milestones over a 4 month period. CityLab was funded by Stirling Council, through funding secured by the City Centre Initiative Manager and delivered by icecream architecture LLP.
6
Journey + Learnings
“The ending of Stirling CityLab was received with dismay amongst many of us who have used this project. It has provided a new business community and encouraged many of us to locate our businesses in Stirling. We would hope that Stirling CityLab may be resurrected in some form as it is an energising environment that acts as an incubator for city centre regeneration and local employment.� (Nick, Broken Spokes Cycle Cafe) 7
proposal + programme
Project Partners
Consultation throughout Start Up Street showed the desire of local residents to increase their social investment and impact within Stirling’s city centre. The success of the ‘Made in Stirling’ project suggested that a collaborative space could offer mutual gains and added individual development for participants from the creative industries. Based on this learning, but with a wider interest of sectors and industries in mind, a proposal was forged to deliver a 4 month ‘booster’ space on King Street, Stirling, that asked the question:
Stirling already had a core of services providing a range of guidance and support to people looking to develop their business ideas. The significant organisations that deliver this guidance and support were approached, and a support network was established. It was important from the outset that CityLab did not duplicate any of the existing services, but instead acted as a relevant aide for signposting and matching participants when suitable. The partner organisations welcomed the ‘high-street’ presence of CityLab and acknowledged that it offered a platform for engagement that was not otherwise available through their service.
‘Do you have a new business, enterprise idea or product that you want to develop?’ It was important that the programme for this space was both user-led and flexible to accommodate participants’ requirements whilst developing specific milestones for them to work towards within the project’s time frame.
Learning Points •
A clear understanding of aims and objectives is essential from the outset to ensure partner buy in to the project.
•
Collaborative commitments of partners are strengthened through working case-by-case with participants rather than as a group.
Learning Points •
The actual levels of engagement and participation far exceeded the projected numbers of the proposal and highlighted a substantial demand for ideas and enterprise development on the high street.
•
There is an identified need for informal engagement with individuals with new and imaginative business ideas and aspirations that have not been developed to business planning stage.
•
The high level of commitment and enthusiasm by volunteers to service the actual needs of participants had been under anticipated.
•
The resource time available for partners to assist the project was overestimated due to other commitments.
•
Partners were eager to avail themselves of the on-street CityLab community that was used throughout the day and during the evening economy.
8
Securing a Space
Space Set Up
CityLab required a visible high-street presence to ensure its impact could be maximised and to ensure accessibility for the greatest number of potential participants. Initial conversations were held with landlords and a database of space holders had been amassed through the Start Up Street initiative. The unit at 14 King St was secured through discussions between the City Centre Manager and the landlord, receptive to a peppercorn rent over a 4 month term in support of the project, as the property had become vacant, but was in good internal condition and appropriate size. A King Street presence had also been an aspiration of the Start Up Street project. Business rates for the unit were a significant barrier to city centre space utilisation. Consequently business rates were paid from the budget allocated to the CityLab by Stirling Council.
As a user-led pilot project, flexibility of the space was paramount to ensure easy adaptation for varying events and uses and to build trust and confidence between facilitators and participants. An informal setting was favoured over defining a rigid space, but a clear view into the property was maintained at all times to demonstrate animation of the space within. The basic tools required for working were organised with support from partners and free wi-fi and simple IT equipment were installed. Individual working spaces and a meeting area were provided. Large desk group spaces were created to encourage co-working and increased interaction between participants. Learning Points •
A flexible, ‘messy,’ space lends itself to adaptations led by the participants and accommodates a variety of space configurations.
It was clear that discussions and negotiations for use of space worked more effectively by:
•
High street presence provides an opportunity for participants to trial products, with public involvement, in an adaptable space.
•
Accessing the landlord direct, rather than dealing through commercial property agents.
•
IT provision is a key need for participants and facilitators, and digital connectivity is vital to city centre regeneration projects.
•
Having an immediate need and clearly understood use rather than a space requirement for an unknown future use.
•
Identifying and building connections with other organisation to share/access additional resources and equipment, such as a projector were useful.
•
A public agency providing the necessary covenant and facilitating the legal framework for property occupation and leasing requirements of property owners.
Learning Points
9
Events + Space Scheduling
Spreading the Word
The CityLab space was open for individuals and organisations to programme events and workshops during CityLab hours and by arrangement during evening and weekends. Uptake for the free event space was consistent and regular throughout the 4 months. Use of the CityLab varied from one-off space use to regular twice weekly access. A networked calendar was utilised to keep participants up to date with scheduled events and day-to-day happenings.
With the space secured, the most effective marketing was to open the doors. Even during the CityLab set up stage, interested passers-by were eager to engage. The property was repainted and badged as CityLab, with information clearly displayed. In the first week alone, sixteen participants had engaged beyond an initial enquiry and had received a ‘one-to-one’ meeting with the CityLab team. Simultaneously, a website (www.stirlingcitylab.com) was created to act as an information sharing resource, a specific facebook page was initiated and the Start Up Street Stirling Twitter adopted #CityLab. The City Centre Initiative Management twitter also promoted the project. Press releases were submitted to local news outlets and bulletins including the Stirling Business Panel weekly ebulletin that is provided to 800 registered businesses in the Stirling area. A database of people engaged with the project was maintained and individuals contacted at key junctures and events throughout the process.
Learning Points •
Free, flexible event space with basic facilities is in high demand by potential business operators with minimal capital for idea development.
•
Once participants were integrated within the CityLab community, they respected the logistics of maintaining the space and required minimal management.
•
One off space-users occasionally neglected space-user duties and a robust management approach is required.
•
A balanced approach to the awareness of specific formal requirements is needed from the CityLab team. This should avoid making the space use too restricted, but cautious of formalities like criminal record disclosure checks for working with young people and awareness of events licencing and governing insurance policies.
Learning Points •
A community of active participants came together through working within the space. This proved more effective than online marketing for the localised community around the city centre.
•
The links to the Made in Stirling project provided a `ready mixed` audience for CityLab events, workshops and activities.
•
A visually attractive and high quality frontage, created interest and confidence in the project and was key in spreading the word through participants and networks. It was important to have this represented as close to the start of the occupation of the building as possible to avoid confusion over the identity of the space. 10
HIGH DEGREE OF PRE-PIPELINE BUSINESS/PARTICIPANTS
PARTICIPANTS VARIED ACROSS DIVERSE SECTORS
NO. OF OFF STREET ENQUIRIES FOR THE FIRST 5 WEEKS
Participant Requirements
Off the street Enquiries
CityLab participants varied from young to old, individuals to organisations, experienced business people to first time entrepreneurs, physical businesses to online services, local to international market focused, and participants who required substantial support to those who accessed specific resources.
Enquiries from passers-by were a key element of the CityLab. The service offered an informal setting to discuss potential ideas. Appointments were not required, but were available if participants requested. Once greeted and offered a brief explanation of the CityLab context and ethos, the CityLab team encouraged the enquirer to lead the conversation about their idea. This was an important interaction maintaining the participant’s ownership of their idea.
Learning Points •
Across the board, people looking to develop their ideas need
•
A pro-active sounding board to discuss markets
•
Signposts to available resources, public assets, funding opportunities, vacant property lists, and relevant expertise
• •
Learning Points •
Initial discussions were informal and participant led, with no time limit from the CityLab team. This allowed for substantial and open discussion that strengthened the team/participant relationships.
A network of like-minded people to trigger ideas and cross fertilisation
•
Encouragement and a safe and supportive environment to develop their ideas and build confidence in them
Notes made by the CityLab team were always made on paper, so that the participants felt they had as much personal focus as possible.
•
Guiding questions were prepared before one to one meetings which really helped to capture the full picture of the projects but it was important not to stick too rigidly to these in a way that limited expression or intimidated people
•
Though there were high volumes of drop-ins, potential participants were evident from their eagerness and understanding of what the service could offer them. The CityLab team allowed enquirers to formulate their own level of integration with the project.
•
The majority of enquirers and participants are what would be deemed `prepipeline` entrepreneurs. 11
Outcomes + Impacts
“I liked the informal manner in which you could drop by and discuss your thoughts with the staff. Although it is a professional operation, you still feel that you can be yourself. The team were very helpful in providing me with advice, and worked closely with me on brainstorming sessions. This enabled me to take confident steps towards finalising my business strategy. I also found that the Lab gave me somewhere to work from without distractions, and it was useful to meet and engage with the other participants.� (Andrew Macbeth, CityLab Participant, Diamond Home Support)
12
The overall value of publicly engaged projects, across personal to public spectrums can be hard to quantify and capture in full. The following pages therefore share examples of some of the more tangible aspects to evaluating the projects outcomes and impacts on participants (such as records of their journey and achievements of milestones). Some examples of the 46 participants are included here. For further examples please refer to Appendix C.
Individual participants outcomes The outcomes for the individual participants were diverse, ranging from development of new cognitive perspectives and skills on a personal level, to practical progress based on time spent in the CityLab working individually, as a group or at an event. Each participant began his or her journey at the CityLab with a ‘one-to-one’ meeting with the CityLab team. At this meeting, ideas were gauged verbally and informally in an approach that became integral to the formation of a supportive relationship between participants and the CityLab team. Participants were always treated as individuals by the CityLab team who offered encouragement and belief in the potential of ideas. This way of working was a valuable tool in empowering those involved to realise the potential of their idea and to foster milestones for the Four month duration of the project. The following are some key examples of participants development over the Four months: Geoff Geoff received one-to-one support from the team who guided him on contract and legal advice, whilst connecting him to relevant specialists that assisted him in securing a major contract in Africa for his Global crisis management company. He attended numerous events and delivered a presentation to a group of marketing graduates from The University of Stirling who in return gave them advice on his branding. Doing Creative ‘Doing Creative’ were developing art workshops. Using the CityLab space allowed them to move their project forward by running a trial workshop. From this they gained the knowledge to evaluate the success of their workshop delivery, as well as key learning points for the future. Crucially, the space was available to them free, which removed the pressure on them to deliver the workshops. In turn this allowed
more of their time and energy to be concentrated on workshop content. Andrew Mc Andrew had recently moved from Stirling to Glasgow in order to develop his career path. He was a key player in developing the CityLab’s ‘Co-working Wednesdays’ and engaged with a group of lens based media enthusiasts across Stirling. He gained invaluable direction from many participants who regularly used the workspace. Euan Soundcase, Euan’s business that fabricates music equipment housed within vintage suitcases, had previously gained support through successful sales at Made in Stirling. Euan attended many of the branding and marketing workshops and developed links with national sound and equipment contacts through the team. He was referred to the Cultural Enterprise Office for further training and funding. Fred Fred had been following his plan to be a language translator for business. Through sharing his frustrations at the progress of this idea with the CityLab team he felt he had reached a significant conclusion - that the translation work was fulfilling a desire to follow in his father’s footsteps, rather than creating his own ambitions. Interaction with the CityLab realised his own business idea; to focus on where his own passions lay, in African cooking. He is now looking at this potential by collaborating on a restaurant opportunity. Andrew Mac Andrew came to the CityLab when his cleaning business was almost ready to ‘go live’. The cost of hiring professional temporary space to hold credible staff interviews was holding him back. He was able to make the final push by using free meeting space in the CityLab for recruitment and he is now trading.
13
STIRLING CITYLAB
stories
STIRLING FRINGE FESTIVAL
“When I first walked in the door of the CityLab back in January, I had little more than a vague idea of running an arts festival in Stirling. By the end of April, I had formed a Community Interest Company complete with a board of directors, organising committee and three members of staff, secured funding from Stirling City Council; organised branding, established links with Stirling-based businesses and programmed the entire 4 day festival. “That would have been tremendously more difficult if I was still using my spare room as a base. The CityLab not only provided an ideal city centre office to base myself, but gave invaluable advice, introduced me to some extremely helpful outside agencies and provided a great The bigger picture: sounding board for my ideas.” (Barry) A YEAR ROUND EVENTS
LEADING UP TO THE STIRLING FRINGE 2014
byBarry, barry organisermcdonald of the Stirling Fringe, far exceeded the target milestones he set out for the 3 months of his CityLab use because of the accessibility of space for working at no cost. He regularly used the facilities as office space which allowed him to focus on his plans and interact with others in a way that the isolation of working at home had hindered. It also allowed him the opportunity to bounce his ideas off others which gave him the confidence to follow through them through.
06/02/2013 Branding
28/01/2013 Snook service design workshop 22/01/2013 one to one meeting
06/02/2013 Organise a commitee board
18/02/2013 Meeting with SVE to set up a CIC
12-15/09/2012 FIRST STIRLING FRINGE FESTIVAL
Feb 2013 Stirling Council Tourism Development Grant 06/03/2013 Incorporation as a CIC 06/03/2013 Meetings with volunteers in the Citylab
27/03/2013 Applying to Weir Trust
20/04/2013 Lottery award Creative Scotland & Other funding DEADLINES
06/03/2013 Meetings with First port in the Citylab 14
STIRLING CITYLAB
stories
DIAM fashion clothing by arsalan Khalili
Arsalan Khalili is another great example of the fantastic local talent that is currently emerging in Stirling. At just 16 years old, he is CityLab’s youngest entrepreneur. Internship in a fashon design context
His collection, Diam Clothing, specialises in designing clothes with hand made leather designs, and its Instagram range has attracted interest from buyers world-wide. CityLab has so far advised Arsalan on how to develop a strategic plan that will help him further market his product, and make the contacts that he needs within the manufacturing industry. The CityLab team developed a photoshoot of his fashion line and initiated the creation of his website and future online shop for his produce. Arsalan was introduced to the Cultural Enterprise Office for creative business support, The Prince’s Trust for advice, the Fashion Foundry, a Glasgow fashion house and a London based international fashion designer for internships and trade experience.
“For me, Diam Clothing was always a hobby, but due to its growing success I would like to take the business forward while I am still in education. The advice I would have for other young entrepreneurs would be to always go for quality, and give every attention to detail with their product or idea.” “CityLab have been very helpful in many ways such as organising photo shoots, advising me on VAT issues, and making contact with potential suppliers.” (Arsalan)
21/01/2013 one to one meeting
JAN - FEB Production of a range of his designs
04/03/2013 Fashion photoshoot
06/03/2013 Editing, Selection/ Refinement of the images
Meeting CEO Office
Website Creation
Online shop
08/04/2013 Brand and online presence
15
STIRLING CITYLAB
stories
BROKE SPOKE cycle cafe by nick morris
Nick Morris was one of the first to register at CityLab, and has developed his idea with the support of the CityLab team and other participants through near-daily use of the space and network. Nick and his business partner Elaine are now seeking permanent Stirling premises from which to offer budding cyclists, local people and visitors, a city centre bike repair and storage facility, along with good food and an opportunity to meet with like minded people in a relaxed setting. Nick received support and guidance in setting up his legal structure as a CIC and was encouraged to form links with First Port and the ‘O2 Think Big Fund’, who both granted him seed funding. He was introduced to STEP, SVE, Forth Enviro. Link and ran a hugely successful pilot event in the CityLab as a soft launch to test the cycle/ cafe potential in Stirling. Following the event, he reported that its impact was not only fundamental to the promotion of his business but that he was overwhelmed by his ability to successfully deliver the event, despite sleepless nights worrying that
23/01/2013 one to one meeting
24/01/2013 Lab opening
15/02/2013 Visiting Velocity Cafe in Inverness
28/01/2013 Snook service design workshop
Found Elaine: BUSINESS PARTNER
20/02/2013 Branding and name discussion
26/02/2013 Iain Scott workshop
02/03/2013 Application to O2 Big Think
“My initial contact was at the craft fair in the Albert Halls. The intervention of CityLab at this point was crucial as they took me seriously. Without that support the concept would have been a vanity. My initial interview some weeks later with CityLab was very frank. I laid out my current situation (no money; but energy and passion). We jointly explored if there was a path forward and outlined a process leading towards achieving a viable company. The development process within Stirling CityLab, including the seminars with some very interesting entrepreneurs from a variety of sectors helped refine the business idea and order some of my initial concepts. The team at Stirling CityLab was unfailingly welcoming and enthusiastic, helping me see obstacles as merely problems to be overcome. Without this direct intervention any one of these might have seen me abandon the idea at a formative stage.”
12/02/2013 Meeting in Glasgow: Siempre cafe & Norman from Freewheelworth
05/032013 Peter Hounam workshop
11/02/2013 Brainstorming meeting among CityLab participants interested in local food 13/03/2013 Steve Turner Workshop
Business plan meeting
18/03/2013 Business club presentation
20/04/2013 Cycle Cafe Trial Pop Event
16
Collective outcomes +
impacts
Examples of Collective Outcomes
One of the most common requests for use of the CityLab was for networking space. Participants wanted a way to find out who else was in Stirling with shared interests and explore how to interact and engage with them. There was a strong desire for collaboration and communication rather than an ‘each man for himself’ attitude.
Participants with interests in food related projects had a series of discussions which led to a new business partnership between two participants whose individual ideas are really strengthened by their combined efforts.
In the majority of cases the initial introductions between participants were made by the CityLab team through the identification and awareness of common links between ideas and/or people. The participants then maintained many of these contacts independent of the CityLab team.
One strong example of people’s interest in peer to peer monitoring and support was the organisation of ‘co-working Wednesdays’, by participant Andrew. For two months in the CityLab small groups of people with similar and different business ideas used the space collectively to work around one table.
In a similar way all of the delivered programmes and events in the CityLab began with an invitation to all participants to introduce their ideas to one another. Time was always made at the end of events for further conversation. Continued dialogue among participants was an important way of fostering co-working relationships which allowed for shared inspiration, practical tips and highlighted the fact that people were not alone in their challenges when setting up a business.
It later became apparent that this concept of shared working space was felt by several to have the potential to operate as a model for the running of the CityLab by businesses themselves.
The other model delivered by the CityLab team for the promotion of group working was organisation of small ‘round table’ events in the Lab. These focused directly on pooling together participants with shared interests. Using the ‘round table’ philosophy the aim was to encourage open dialogue and space for new ideas. Two examples of these included a lens based media discussion and a meeting of minds between participants with an interest in local food and tourism.
Two young musicians with different skills but a shared interest in music tuition met for the first time in the CityLab. They explored the potential of working together and although they decided that this didn’t suit entirely at that given time, they aim to keep in touch.
More than once, one participant helped another to write an application or identify an appropriate funding stream. Participants also gave one another supportive criticism on aspects such as their websites and were helpful in coaching one another about tools like social media. 17
Impact on the wider Stirling Community There have been a number of events, including the CityLab launch evening and the pop up ‘fair trade’ shop run by Forth Valley College, which have opened the doors to a wide public audience. It is estimated that 2,472 people have been into the space and engaged with the concept of the CityLab in some capacity. The number of people passing and who came into the Lab through curiosity ranged from between 5 – 10 people per day and many benefitted from the space briefly for printing cvs and leaving or collecting flyers. Juliet Hounam and Alan McMaster Both Juliet and Alan are individuals developing their own professional practices and have contributed valuably as an extension of the core CityLab team, through their involvement with PR and video production to promote and capture the project. It was a useful learning experience for them and it will help to promote their work to a wider audience in Stirling through the CityLab exposure. The roles took the form of semi volunteer positions, with relatively low remuneration. The pair became extremely significant to the success and promotion of the project. Made in Stirling As a related project of Start Up Street Stirling, there has always been a close connection between Made in Stirling and Stirling CityLab. The running of CityLab as a second open and active space on King Street has helped to increase the visibility of the Start-up Street umbrella and the connection between both units has opened up increased contacts for many of the participants.
Forth Valley College
Forth Valley College has really benefitted from access to the CityLab space and its team by giving opportunities to students, such as holding art exhibitions and a 2 week pop up Fair Trade shop. Stirling on Stage This local amateur dramatics group has been able to use the Stirling City lab space to rehearse 2 or 3 times a week, working towards its next production. Somewhereto_ Somewhereto_ is a UK wide initiative supporting young people to access underused public spaces to do things they are passionate about. The CityLab space is an example of this kind of space and has supported many projects for somewhereto_. Through this the awareness of the somewhereto_ project in Stirling has increased and will open up future opportunities for young people here too. somewhereto_ has in turn provided increased opportunities for the CityLab participants who are under the age of 25, for example helping them to access funding through the 02 Think Big Fund. The somewhereto_ delivery approach is also increasingly interested in the support of enterprising activities and the legacy of CityLab has been shared with the UK wide delivery partners of the project. Dunblane Primary Simultaneously supporting the development of one of CityLab’s participants Kirsty, who engaged with the CityLab during the pilot of her project, The Connextions Foundation, the CityLab team was able to deliver a presentation to pupils she was working with at Dunblane Primary School. The talk was able to communicate some of the inspiring stories of participants at CityLab as inspiration to the children. 18
‘I felt confident when in the venue of the Stirling City Lab’ ‘This is a good space, I’m really happy CityLab could help because there is lots of room for customers coming in to look at stuff and if they are looking there is also space to talk to them. It is also great to have the window space because people outside can see what is happening and then they might want to come in.’ (students from the Forth Valley College department of Access and Progression)
Long term Impact of CityLab Future Plans for a Sustainable CityLab Towards the end of CityLab there was a growing concern among the participants about the future of the space and the project. Many of the participants had begun to take an invested interest in the longer term potential of a shared working space like CityLab. They were interested in taking on a space to function as a continuation of the CityLab principal, acting as a point of contact and support for Stirling’s new enterprising ideas and as a sustainable approach to launching some of their new businesses/ideas. In particular participants whose projects had a strong community interest connection or status were beginning to see the value in connecting with one another on a longer term scale in order to utilise a city centre space in a more economically sustainable way. The success of CityLab to empower new projects and individuals through a connected approach led a collective of participants to lobby Stirling Council for a longer-term collaborative solution. (See Appendix A) The possibility of the continuation of CityLab is being explored through further support from the CityLab team. Civic Ownership and Economy One significant shift took place for some of the participants in their perspective on Stirling city centre and their power to influence its furture. Participants felt that they had more pride in their high street and felt that they were taking steps towards actively enlivening it. The on street presence that the CityLab provided also helped to connect participants directly with Stirling Council and promoted positive working relationships between the two. People felt that the project had made the Council feel more accessible and that they were all working in the same direction towards the future of the city centre.
Impact on an International Level Start Up Street and CityLab were presented as their initial concepts at Lodz Design Festival, Poland in November 2012. A request was made from Bristol University for further information about CityLab and its implimentation and by The Building Heritage at Risk Northern Ireland to feature CityLab as a case study in their ‘meanwhile to meaningful’ research. There was interest from East Dumbartonshire Council and North Lanarkshire Council and a meeting held to discuss the process of Start Up Street. Stirling Council was also approached by the Portuguese National Rural Network (a LEADER group) after a recommendation that it visit Stirling to see first hand the Start Up Street Project. The group had a particular interest in engaging with the creative industries. It was especially interested in the CityLab’s work in engaging with emerging businesses in the city centre setting, and in exploring concept and ethos behind the Made-in Stirling Shop where small creative business could come together and work cooperatively with a stronger platform than if they worked in isolation. Individuals within the group were keen to use the model to apply to their own work in a more rural setting.
19
The Partners
“CityLab has been a revolution in helping our presence grow in Scotland. It has provided advice on the best way to recruit quality people in order for our business to grow, as well as guidance on legal issues and our marketing strategy. We would highly recommend it to any new business or entrepreneur who is wishing to succeed. Excellent service.� (Geoffrey Williams, CityLab Participant, 3Gci Global Solutions)
20
Project Partners Start Up Street Start Up Street is a new way of producing a meaningful change in Stirling, taking all the good stuff that already exists in Stirling and connecting it together in a new way. The project began through conversations in early 2011, recognising that King Street’s appearence could be improved. If start up business could replace the vacant properties vibrancy could be injected into King Street. A project was developed over the summer to pull together ideas and a process that could mobilise a community and build a service to make Start Up Street work. Stirling Council Integration with local development and the strategic direction of the city centre is key to the project. With particular reference to `diversifying` the Stirling offer, empowering local groups and encouraging city centre regeneration through new uses. Consequently and as an indicator of Start Up Street, the city centre management function championed the project proposal. In addition, Stirling has major events occurring in 2014. Economic research has shown a lack of bed spaces is a major issue to generate local economic benefit from these event, and also provide a new paradigm for the area beyond 2014. STEP STEP offers a variety of business training for new businesses, existing businesses or people who are just interested in a topic. STEP start up support is delivered as part of a Business Gateway service and is free to participants. Other training courses cover a variety of topics with a current focus on Social Media and latest IT trends.
The University of Stirling Stirling University aims to be at the forefront of research and learning that helps to improve lives. Working with academic, commercial, public, private and voluntary sector partners, Stirling is one of the UK’s leading research universities in the fields of health and wellbeing, the environment and people, culture and society, enterprise the economy, and sport. SUIP Stirling University Innovation Park provides high quality accommodation offering the ideal solution for innovative research and development companies and organisations or new start-ups. Excellent conference and administrative facilities add a bespoke support service. It operates with an ethos opening the door for tenants to a dynamic, collaborative community that extends beyond the campus and The University of Stirling to other universities and external companies. A framework for sharing ideas, knowledge and encouraging innovative connections is a defining feature of the Park’s operation. Stirling Voluntary Enterprise SVE is based in the city of Stirling, and supports the third sector throughout the Stirling Council area. SVE provide support for voluntary organisations, social enterprises and volunteers in various areas including funding advice, organisational structure, volunteer management, charity law compliance and representation on Community Planning Partnerships. 21
Outcomes for Stirling Council Clear communication of a proposal, aims and evidence of the value/need of CityLab to Stirling Council was fundamental to the City Centre Initiative Manager for securing the project funding. Progress towards these objectives is stated below, and outcomes from a Stirling Council perspective are explained.
Stimulation of a sense of place Outcome: The project was enthusiastically received by Stirling residents and participants, with a recognition that location of the project provided a new sense of place for King Street due to the range of additional activities.
Utilisation of vacant city centre space Outcome: Through agreement with the property owner, and in support of the project a significantly reduced rental was provided for `CityLab` to occupy 14 King Street from November 2012 to end of April 2013.
Provision of opportunities for young entrepreneurs to “do business” in the city centre Outcome: The business development, and `prepipeline` informality was welcomed by a wide age range. `One to one` interviews were held with 37 people. 10 (under 25), 29 (aged 25-50), 6 (over 50). The sectorial business ideas that were developed throughout the project included; IT, business support, food and drink, art and design, music, community and education.
Animation of Stirling’s city centre streets and vacant premises Outcome: A range of activities and events took place that animated the space over the 4 months of the project, with participants utilising the space for business development and to `trial` business concepts. Development of a robust management process for activities and events within the project Outcome: A robust management process was put in place and all activities documented. This will be contained within the `CityLab` project report.
Encouragement of local support agencies and organisations to sustain the needs of city centre business entrepreneurs, and to facilitate those requirements Outcome: a range of partners have been involved in the project, and have supported the needs of participants including: Stirling Volunteer Enterprise, STEP, SUIP, Forth Valley College
Increase of footfall in key city centre streets Outcome: City centre footfall in King Street, anecdotally increased due to the activity and events held in the `CityLab`. Revenues generated to other businesses are not known.
Diversifying the city centre’s offer for city centre users Outcome: The range of `pop up` businesses that trailed concepts in the city centre, and the events that took place, including a `Fairtrade` event, diversified the Stirling offer.
22
Outcomes for CityLab’s partners Start Up Street The CityLab with its presence on King Street has helped to promote the image and awareness of the Start Up Street project and its wider aims and goals. The Start Up Street project and CityLab have been connected through social media presence (websites, twitter, facebook) and this has widened and strengthened the audience for both. The CityLab’s open door has helped to spread the word about Start Up Street, through conversation with the passing public. Stirling Voluntary enterprise and STEP The partnership between Stirling Voluntary Enterprise and STEP with the CityLab firstly diversified the support and programs offered at the CityLab (for example STEP assisted with loan of furniture and IT equipment and SVE held a workshop for participants interested in becoming community enterprises.) Secondly the CityLab acted as a high street presence for these organisations and a means for participants and the general public to find out more about how these organisations could support them. The CityLab participants, where appropriate to their ideas, were referred to these partner organisations for future development. The University of Stirling and Stirling University Innovation Park The University was able to connect with the CityLab as an extension of some of its teaching and development. For example the Stirling University Business Club was able to engage with real life studies of business through an event with the CityLab participants.
23
Calendar and events
The following Calendar shows the events and specific space uses that took place in the CityLab between January 2013 - April 2013. The names are those of participants or people who delivered workshops. In addition to these recorded, many of the participants used the lab in a drop-in capacity.
24
JANUARY 2013
JANUARY 2013
25
FEBRUARY 2013
26
MARCH 2013
27
APRIL 2013
28
‘CityLab’ is a Stirling Council-funded collaborative project delivered by icecream architecture.
29
Appendices
30
Appendix A Copy of Participant Request for CityLab Continuation Dear Councillor Neil Benny,
On behalf of the participants of Stirling CityLab, may we first thank Stirling Council and the Stirling City Centre Management team for their support with this excellent venture. We have greatly appreciated the support, advice and assistance that has been offered. Stirling CityLab has facilitated the progression of new enterprise ideas in the Stirling area and has demonstrated the viability and potential of such a support facility. Stirling CityLab has helped 19 pre-start-up businesses, 12 start-up businesses and 12 businesses that are already trading. We feel that this process could be continued. New business ideas would be given their initial support and direction by a co-operative of the existing participants of the CityLab. We are equally concerned with the decline of Stirling city centre and the need to increase employment opportunities in the area. We wish to create a forward-looking and vibrant environment in the city centre by fostering new and existing businesses, and providing a space for creatively engaging new enterpise centred projects including that aimed at youth. Our proposal is that we would continue to use the premises at 14 King Street, if available but operate it as a co-operative of new and existing businesses. We would seek to staff this by using the people in those new businesses initially taking on a management role. We would need funding to cover the rent, rates and utilities bills for period that would allow a self suffiecient operating model to be developed. The co-operative would seek to provide a sounding board and advice to new business ideas, sharing both our mistakes and the lessons we have learned along the way. We would act as a portal to the existing new business support but located on the High Street.
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11.
Continuation of a successful project that has added value to new and existing businesses. Attraction of new businesses to the Stirling area. High street gateway to existing new business facilitators such as STEP. City centre regeneration and the avoidance of another vacant city centre unit. Extension of activities into “hot-desking� for existing businesses especially those businesses being operated from home. A venue for use of creative and business projects inclusive of those seeking to engage youth with the support of the Somewhereto initiative. A centre for local businesses to talk to one another. Increased vibrancy of the city centre and footfall in the city centre, this would be of considerable use to the freelance community. It could be used for event promotion eg. The Stirling Fringe. It would be accessible to young people with new ideas encouraging their steps into businesses. Support civic pride and increased community involvement in Stirling City Centre
We are fully aware of the resource constraints on local authorities but feel there is considerable synergy between our desire to create viable businesses and your wish to see city centre regeneration. The support already received has energised an immediate community of 45 registered participants and from testimonials of these particpants there has also been a much wider reach to school children, students of both ForthValley College and The University of Stirling and the Creative Stirling community. We would ask to meet up with you as soon as possible so that we can investigate possibilities.
The benefits for Stirling would be: Yours sincerely Nick Morris & Elaine Hill on behalf of the participants of Stirling CityLab
31
Appendix B Delivery Requirements
CityLab team Delivery Hours
Associate team Delivery Hours
The core CityLab team roles were delivered by icecream architecture and consisted of 2 project managers and 2 project assistants.
Juiliet Hounam (press and PR); 22 days
A breakdown of hours for the delivery of this pilot project, by the CityLab team is as follows:
Dan Nunan (website production); 8 days
Development of the proposal, securing space and approaching partners; 4 days x 2 team members = 8 days The set up and preparation of the space; 4 days x 3 CityLab team members = 12 days
Alan McMaster (Video production); 8 days
Total Volunteers time (Excluding partner contributions) 38 days x 7.5 hours = 285 hours
Running of the CityLab space: 74 days x 2.5 CityLab team members = 185 days (The CityLab was open from 9.30am – 5pm Monday to Friday, with between 2 – 4 members of the CityLab team present on each day between 17th Jan – 29th April 2013) De-install and report/evaluation writing: 7 days x 2 CityLab team members = 14 days Total Delivery Hours of CityLab team: 219 Days x 7.5 hours = 1,642.5 hours
Total Delivery Hours of CityLab team + Associates: 1,642.5 + 285 = 1,927.5 Hours 32
Appendix C Stirling CityLab Stories
33
STIRLING CITYLAB
stories “ Home support, cleaning, home help, ironing: this is the local branch, to cover where the government cut back on care... ” Andrew Macbeth has made huge progress starting as a sole trader and becoming a franchaising offering cleaning and home help for local people within Stirling, Perthshire and Falkirk.
DIAMOND home support by andrew macBeth
“ With interviews for staff just around the corner everything is in motion to launch the business. "
Client base growing
T-Shirt production
First client and staff matches
Flyering and promoting a client base Appointment of staff 05/02/2013 Review and portfolio creation 23/01/2013 one to one meeting
31/01/2013 - 01/02/2013 8 Staff interviews in the Lab 30/01/2013 Feedback and three months plan
34
STIRLING CITYLAB
stories
CMTV CRISIS MANAGEMENT crisis management tv channel by geoffrey williams 3Ci Global Solutions is managed by a team of internationally recognized FYQFSUT GSPN DSJTJT TFDVSJUZ mSF BOE SFTDVF HPWFSONFOU BOE CVTJOFTT management backgrounds. The company has an excellent reputation GPS NBOBHJOH BMM BTQFDUT PG DSJTJT TFDVSJUZ mSF BOE EJTBTUFS TJUVBUJPOT both in the UK, USA, the Middle East and India. Under his leadership the company DPOTJTUFOUMZ QSPWJEFT ARVBMJUZ IJHI FOE UPUBM SJTL NJUJHBUJPO TFSWJDFT UP OVNFSPVT DPSQPSBUJPOT CVTJOFTTFT HPWFSONFOUBM PSHBOJTBUJPOT BOE /(0 T 5IF DPNQSFIFOTJWF TFSWJDFT PGGFSFE SBOHF GSPN USBOTWFSTFMZ B XJEF TQFDUSVN of expert consultancy across all spheres of both social and business communities. 5IFJS MBUFTU WFOUVSF JT MBVODIJOH UIF XPSMET mSTU $3*4*4 ."/"(&.&/5 5&-&7*4*0/ $IBOOFM JOUFSOFU QSPUPDPM BDDFTTFE UJUMFE $.57 to help businesses and families be better prepared to face threats of today and the future.
18/02/2013 04/02/2013 Testimonial one to one made in Citylab meeting
18/02/2013 Showed his new marketing video in the lab
20/02/2013 Completed film clip with Alan
19/03/2013 13/03/2013 Business club Attended presentation Steve Turner workshop
35
STIRLING CITYLAB
stories
DOING CREATIVE by caroline jamieson & gillian patlen
Based in Central Scotland, Doing Creative provides specialist art and design experiences for all ages and abilities through inspirational workshops. Educational. Creative. Fun. We are Doing‌
24/01/2013 one to one
26/01/2013 Decided to use CityLab to launch the first event
06/02/2013 Meeting to set up a trial workshop
06/02/2013 Meeting to set up a trial workshop
18/02/2013 Doing creative branding completed
28/02/2013 Doing creative pilot in CityLab
04/04/2013 Art extravaganza workshop
36
STIRLING CITYLAB
stories
CONNEXTIONS education resources by kirsty mitchell The Connextions Foundation CIC presents “Be The Change!� An exciting online, multi media, motivational initiative and academic resource. The interdisciplinary educational content combines motivational initiative with aspirational role models. It has been approved by schools and complements all learning outcomes set by Education Scotland, Curriculum for Excellence and the Excellence Group on the Expressive Arts.
15/02/2013 Meeting at the CityLab to start a series of workshop
19/03/2013 Interview with The Herald
19/03/2013 Business club presentation
20/01/2013 one to one
37
STIRLING CITYLAB
stories
STIRLING DRUM TUITION by sam waller Sam wants to deliver drum workshops in Stirling city centre
27/02/2013 Workshop Iain Scott 25/02/2013 Began his O2 think big funding application
06/02/2013 One to one
15/02/2013 Sam meets Chris to share ideas in the lab
38
STIRLING CITYLAB
stories
THE HAMMOND’S CONSULTANCY by fred hammond
Branching of ideas considering potential of setting up an African restaurant in Stirling
The Hammond’s Consultancy is a team of professionals working to help you manage the language barriers you and your clients face in the delivery of services. We provide interpretation and translation services. We offer high quality services at competitive rates and excellent customer service. Fred has been attending the lab regularly to work 26/02/2013 Iain Scott workshop
28/01/2013 Snook service design workshop
04/02/2013 Opportunities in Stirling discussion
12/02/2013 Designed a promotional poster
22/01/2013 One to one
39
STIRLING CITYLAB
stories
SHOWCASE GLASS by jon piccolo
05/03/2013 3HWHU +RXQDP路V WDON 22/02/2012 Attended SVE session 28/01/2013 Snook service design workshop 29/01/2013 One to one
40
STIRLING CITYLAB
stories
FAIRTRADE MARKET by forth valley college with the support of somewhereto_ “ Students from Forth Valley College are now hosting Fair Trade stalls located at the CityLab premises on King Street. Elaine Cuthill, a lecturer at the college said that the market is a great opportunity to raise awareness during Fair Trade Fortnight. It also gives students at the college valuable experience of organising and manning stalls, as well as assisting and educating DVTUPNFST BCPVU UIF CFOFmUT PG 'BJS 5SBEF QSPEVDF 5IF 'BJS 5SBEF FUIPT JT POF UIBU $JUZ-BC JT LFFO UP TVQQPSU and we wish Forth Valley College every success in their awareness campaign. �
KS E E W 2
ST 5 3
S T EN D U SK
ILL
EN M P O EL V E SD
T
41
STIRLING CITYLAB
stories
PICTURE THE POSSIBLE by janie meikle bland Picture the Possible is a youth and community development enterprise. Using photography as a medium, we work with groups and individuals teaching new skills and creating opportunities to inspire and to succeed. Our programmes enhance personal development and contribute to the wider communities we work in.
One to One 25.01.13
Introduced to Kristy Mitchell 30.01.13
Group of students in the CityLab 20.02.13
Preparing an exhibition 06.03.13
42
STIRLING CITYLAB
stories
SOUNDCASE by ewan meikle
The Soundcases are handmade unique boomboxes and consist of a suitcase, TFDPOE IBOE 4QFBLFST B CBUUFSZ B NJOJ )Jm BNQMJmFS B DIBSHFS BOE B KBDL DBCMF 1SJPS UP JOWPMWFNFOU JO $JUZ-BC &XBO IBT CFFO FOHBHFE UISPVHI TFMMJOH IJT XPSL BU 4UBSU 6Q 4USFFU 1SPKFDU .BEF JO 4UJSMJOH
25/01/2013 One to one
28/01/2013 Snook service design workshop
06/02/2013 Introduced to Rory Watson from ¶:H HQMR\ VRXQG·
13/03/2013 Attended Steven Turner marketing workshop
21/03/2013 Flea market in the CityLab
43
STIRLING CITYLAB
stories
STIRLING ON STAGE “ Stirling On Stage is a society with a passion for all things drama. The mission is to bring people who love all sides of theatre together. Whether you love acting, set-building, make-up, costume or the technical side of things, we'll have a use and an opportunity for you. “ Stirling on Stage used CityLab as a meeting and rehearsal space.
11/03/2013 Rehearsal
25/03/2013 Rehearsal
04/04/2013 Rehearsal
08/04/2013 Rehearsal
11/04/2013 Rehearsal
14/04/2013 Rehearsal
44
Appendix D Written content for CityLab by Juliet Hounam
CityLab Launch: Invitation An exciting new initiative to boost jobs and enterprise, will be launched tomorrow evening in Stirling city centre. This is a warm invitation to you and your colleagues to attend. Full details of the City Business Lab will be announced, along with an opportunity to discuss the project with the people involved. Bodies such as Stirling Council and Creative Scotland are funding the project, which has already sparked a huge amount of interest from a wide range of local people. The launch is from 17:30 till 18:30 and will be held at the old Shoe Zone, at 14 King Street, Stirling, FK8 1AY. Please do not hesitate to contact me should you need additional information. Kind regards Juliet Hounam 07765 891 938
CityLab Launch: Press Release An exciting new initiative to boost jobs and enterprise, has been launched in Stirling’s city centre. In a bid to promote creative activity and revive the local economy, a number of organisations have teamed up in order to provide an advice and mentoring service to Stirling entrepreneurs. Glasgow based urban development firm, icecream architecture, is overseeing the scheme, which has already seen interest from a wide range of local people since it opened its doors on Monday the 21st of January. The CityLab is located in the city centre at 14 King Street. It is part of a larger strategy called Start Up Street Stirling, which is being funded by bodies such as Stirling Council and Business Gateway. Project manager, Sarah Frood, said “Stirling has wonderful potential, despite having recently seen the decline that is so typical of modern British high streets. It is also the perfect size for new enterprise and networking. There is a huge student community on its door-step, and thousands of tourists visit the historical sites. There is heaps of local creative talent, and we need to utilise this so as to make the centre an attractive destination for all these potential visitors.� Like many high streets, Stirling has seen many businesses vacate or go bust over 45
recent times, and several shop fronts lie empty. However, there has been a recent drive to fill these premises and Stirling Council is supportive of new initiatives that have seen new events and pop up shops make use of these buildings. Andy Kennedy, City Centre Initiative Manager for Stirling Council, said ‘thanks to a few local landlords offering their premises at a peppercorn rate, Stirling is seeing a growing diversity of shops on its high streets’. Most notably, the shops Made In Stirling have made use of this opportunity, and use retail spaces to display the best work by local artists, photographers, designers and artisans.
discussion about the possibilities surrounding the production and exhibition of photographic art in Stirling. The sessions are open to everyone. Please contact Dan at contact@citylab.com for further information.
Stirling CityLab sees its first success story with Andrew MacBeth’s Diamond Home Support
Kennedy added, “Our aim is not only to see new enterprise. We also want to create sustainable businesses with a diversity of uses, that grow in response to the changing role of town centres. Too many shops are opening then closing, and this problem has been severely highlighted by the recent recession.” The CityLab itself is located in the old Shoe Zone premises. It has been fitted out with wifi and a creative space for people to come and work on their ideas, which participants are encouraged to share and develop together. As well as offering an advice and mentorship service, CityLab can also provide the connections and social networking that businesses need to get started and develop.
Andrew has already started recruiting for his new business, and interviews have already been hosted at the CityLab conference facilities.
Sarah Frood said “We are happy to support anyone who comes through our doors, there is no specific criteria, and we are willing to discuss any initiative.” The CityLab will be open until May, from Monday to Friday, and is located at 14 King Street, Stirling, FK8 1AY. Those interested are encouraged to drop in or ring Sarah on 07513 074 991 to arrange an appointment. Additional information can also be found here: http://us2.campaign-archive2.com /?u=0513d2ab212a8622ab2f8c5ee&id=172907ba64
He said, “I liked the informal manner in which you could drop by and discuss your thoughts with the staff. Although it is a professional operation, you still feel that you can be yourself. “The team were very helpful in providing me with advice, and worked closely with me on brainstorming sessions. This enabled me to take confident steps towards finalising my business strategy. I also found that the Lab gave me somewhere to work from without distractions, and it was useful to meet and engage with the other participants.”
Round Table Sessions at CityLab
Stirling’s singles to get Creative at CityLab
Stirling CityLab will be hosting ‘round table’ sessions for those who are interested in photography, video or lens based media.
Caroline Jamieson and Gillian Datlen will be hosting a series of art workshops for Stirling’s single people, with the first free ‘taster’ session to be held on the Thursday the 28th of February at CityLab.
CityLab recognises the potential in bringing people and communities together through the development of shared ideas and creative endeavours. The round table sessions will be provide an opportunity to engage in proactive
The home support service will initially employ up to six people, which will offer domestic services to areas such as Stirling, Falkirk, Perth and Kinross. It aims to provide a full range of home assistance services once trading is in full swing. Andrew was first introduced to the CityLab while at the development stage of his business plan.
Both Gillian and Caroline have degrees in the arts and teaching, as well as being 46
specialised in areas such as sculpture and graphic design. Over the course of the six weeks program, members will be engaging in a range of activities such as print making, collage and 3D art work. Caroline and Gillian both came up with the idea while discussing how to put their experience and qualifications to use in the community. Caroline said, “Our workshops will be a great opportunity for open-minded, creative people to get together. The emphasis will be on the social, fun side of the activities rather than the technical side, so everyone is welcome to attend regardless of their artistic skills.” The first Doing Creative session will be held next Thursday from 7pm - 9pm. Anyone who is interested in these events should email Gillian and Caroline on doingcreative@gmail.com, or follow them on twitter and facebook: @doingcreative , /doingcreative.
Over the last twenty years, Iain Scott has coached over a thousand start-up entrepreneurs, many of whom are now successful business people. He has also worked with a diverse range of businesses, colleges, charities and hospitals who are keen to unchain the potential of their organisation. Formerly a history teacher that went on to create a successful business, he supplied outlets such as Harrods Food Hall and other select supermarkets, with high quality food products. However, he soon realised that this was never going to be his passion, and threw it all in to combine his teaching skills and business acumen in order to teach others how to be enterprising. When it comes to business, his emphasis is on passion over money and maintains that without the passion, an idea just won’t work. Another CityLab entrepreneur, Nick Morris, said of the workshop, “Iain’s methods were extremely motivational and I found his message very positive. People in my situation often get bogged down with all the unknowns of business, which can stop them from taking the direct action they need to take in order to progress and turn their ideas into reality. Iain put the complicated process into perspective, and showed us that we just need to get on with it. One thing he highlighted was that the business you think you’re going to start sill not be the same as what it turns out as. This is very useful advice for an entrepreneur, as it makes you aware of how adaptable to change you need to be.”
Without Passion There is No Business CityLab hosted a successful albeit controversial event this week, with Iain Scott of Cognitive Business Therapy leading a workshop session that pushed entrepreneurs’ ideas to their limit and beyond. Iain employed a variety of unusual coaching techniques in order to help the participants unlock their ‘enterprise potential’. CityLab entrepreneur, Sam Waller of Stirling Drum Tuition, said that the workshop was incredibly useful in motivating him into being proactive with his business plan. Sam said, “I found that Iain Scott was very provocative in challenging our ideas and motives, I felt that this was exactly what I needed in getting my plans to move forward and make headway.” “He gave us invaluable advice, such as that it is important to make our mistakes early on in the process so that they cost the minimal amount. He also highlighted how essential it is to get into the mindset of your customers and to do your research until you understand exactly what your clients will want from you.” Sam added, “Iain did not hold back at all, and tested us thoroughly in every aspect of our ideas and approach to business.”
Young Talent Goes Global With Clothing Range Arsalan Khalili is another great example of the fantastic local talent that is currently emerging in Stirling. At just 15 years old, he is CityLab’s youngest entrepreneur. His collection, Diam Clothing, specialises in designing clothes with hand made leather designs, and its instagram range has attracted interest from buyers worldwide. CityLab have so far advised Arsalan on how to develop a strategic plan that will help him further market his product, and make the contacts that he needs within the manufacturing industry. He is now planning a photo shoot and will soon have a website up and running. Despite the growing success of his original designs, Arsalan would still like to pursue a career in architecture, and is currently sitting his exams. He said, “For me, Diam Clothing was always a hobby, but due to its growing success I would like to take the business forward while I am still in education. The advice I would have for other young entrepreneurs would be to always go for quality, and give every 47
attention to detail with their product or idea. Always keep it simple, don’t steal other people’s ideas and never miss school.” He added, “CityLab have been very helpful in many ways such as organising photo shoots, advising me on VAT issues, and making contact with potential suppliers.”
How about a cafe with a difference? Local entrepreneur, Nick Morris, would like to bring a new and exciting way to grab a coffee and cake whilst out and about in Stirling. Nick is looking to offer budding cyclists a city centre repair and storage facility, along with good food and an opportunity to meet with like minded people. Nick said, “Essentially we will be providing the tools and stands for people to maintain their own bikes in a warm, dry cafe environment. This will come with good cake, soup and coffee and a smile. “Additionally we would provide secure dry parking facilities for bike riders within the cafe. We will have a relaxed atmosphere with games and books. You do not even have to bring your bike! I would envision this to be a community enterprise.”
CityLab Event: Monday 25th Feb A Lens Based Media ‘Round Table’ will be held from 18:00 - 19:00. We shall be hosting the sessions for those who are interested in photography, film or any style of lens based media. Stirling CityLab recognises the potential in bringing people and communities together through the development of shared ideas and creative endeavours. The round table sessions will be provide an opportunity to engage in proactive discussion about the possibilities surrounding lens based media in Stirling. Social Enterprise Workshop: Friday 22nd February CityLab will be hosting a discussion based workshop next Friday at 14:30 - 15:30, led by Alasdair Tollemache from the Stirling Voluntary Enterprise (SVE). The open workshop will be a great opportunity to discuss any community rooted
projects or ideas. SVE is based in the city of Stirling, and supports the third sector throughout the Stirling Council area. It provides support for voluntary organisations, social enterprises and volunteers in many areas including funding advice, organisational structure, volunteer management, charity law compliance and representation on community planning partnerships.
Pivot Dublin Blog The former primary function of Britain’s high streets is now widely recognised as obsolete. Essentially this is due to the global financial crisis and the growing demand for convenience in way of out town of retail centres and online shopping, and there is a tendency for local authorities to operate using this outdated model of what high streets should offer. With this comes not only a continued decline in local economy, but also the civic purpose and co-operation that is characteristic of vibrant communities. Town and city centres must now offer a diversity of uses that can also grow in response to their changing role. The sustainability of these uses is also key in helping high streets and their communities continue to flourish. Stirling city centre is currently hosting a pilot scheme that is exploring new ways in which to tackle this issue. CityLab serves primarily as a support and network medium for conceptual and existing small businesses, however, it is also exploring other ways in which local people might work together towards improving the civic and social economy. The hope is that this will ultimately help to foster a culture of self belief and co-operation, and participants are encouraged to experiment and engage with innovative ideas and concepts that might go on to improve the civic and social economy. Urban development firm, icecream architecture, is currently overseeing such a scheme with Stirling CityLab, which is based in Stirling city centre. It serves primarily as a support and network medium for conceptual enterprise, and as an intermediary for existing businesses to access further assistance in taking their ventures forward. However, it is also exploring new ways in which such a scheme can go toward fostering a culture of self belief within society, in order to help encourage positive, innovative thought and co-operation. 48
How to Start Three Businesses In One Peter Hounam, managing director of the award winning Highland Chocolatier, will be speaking at CityLab on Tuesday the 5th of March at 18:00. Based in Grandtully, Perthshire, The Highland Chocolatier comprises of a cafe, gift shop and an artisan chocolate visitors centre. The specially designed chocolate kitchen has recently tripled in size, thanks to growing demand from countries such as Japan, United Arab Emerits and Michelin starred establishments from around the U.K. Established in October 2006, it quickly built a reputation for product excellence, and as one of Scotland’s most exciting new start-ups businesses. Peter will be discussing the highs and lows of starting three businesses in one, the merits and difficulties of purveying a quality product, and why running your own business can be of the most satisfying and interesting ways to make a living.
Fair trade stalls will be coming to CityLab from Monday the 25th of February till the 11th of March. Come in and browse the ethical goodies that will be on offer at CityLab.
Fair Trade Market Launch Students from Forth Valley College are now hosting Fair Trade stalls located at the CityLab premises on King Street. Elaine Cuthill, a lecturer at Forth Valley College said “the market is a great opportunity to raise awareness during Fair Trade Fortnight. It also gives students at the college valuable experience of organising and manning stalls, as well as assisting and educating customers about the benefits of Fair Trade produce”. The Fair Trade ethos is one that CityLab is keen to support, and it wishes Forth Valley College every success in their awareness campaign.
Crisis Management Company to Provide Services To Scotland Geoffrey Williams of 3Ci Global Solutions Ltd, has now firmly established his consultancy in Scotland thanks to help from CityLab. 3Ci Global Solutions (UK Ltd) is a public safety, security, fire and crisis and disaster management firm based in Stirling, with interests located throughout the US and the Middle East. Geoffrey gained specialist expertise and experience in this area during his 30 years of operational service with the Central Scotland Fire and Rescue Service. He recently retired from his position as Chief Fire Officer in order to launch 3Ci. He said, “CityLab has been a revolution in helping our presence grow in Scotland. It has provided advice on the best way to recruit quality people in order for our business to grow, as well as guidance on legal issues and our marketing strategy. We would highly recommend them to any new business or entrepreneur who is wishing to succeed. Excellent service.”
CityLab to Host Fair Trade Market
CityLab Sales Workshop: Audio Recording Steven Turner hosted a workshop at CityLab last week. Hear some of what he had to say during the session in this recording: Steven Turner Sales Workshop
Stirling: On the Fringe of New Beginnings The City of Stirling is to play host to a brand new arts festival this autumn. Organised by CityLab entrepreneur, Barry McDonald, Stirling Fringe Festival will bring a full range of performing arts to the city. Run by local creatives, the aim of the festival is to engage the local community with the rapidly growing creative sector as well as attracting new visitors. This first year, the Stirling Fringe will run from September 12-15, 2013 with expansion plans for future years. In addition to approximately 30 indoor performances, the festival is looking to promote outdoor creative events. Possibilities range from art installations to street performances and walking tours. The creative theme for this first year is ‘Stirling: New Beginnings’, to celebrate the new festival and new use of the city’s outdoor space. The Stirling Fringe invites anyone interested to submit proposals for outdoor works. These will not be ticketed so full funding would need to be sought from elsewhere. However, Stirling Fringe will freely market the outdoor events and work with proposers to arrange logistics, such as applying for any necessary permissions 49
from Stirling Council. Organiser Barry McDonald is a former stand-up comedian who now runs Stirlingbased PR consultancy, Tartan Penguin Media. Barry said: “I spend a lot of each summer in Edinburgh working for clients at the Fringe and I’ve always felt that a little of that atmosphere and diversity of performances could work in Stirling. There is such a burgeoning cultural scene in Stirling and I think a small Fringe festival of its own would add to that. “There is an open invitation to performers from all strands of the performing arts to stage shows. I particularly want to encourage performers and venues to stage less conventional shows in unusual venues. I’d love to capture a small amount of the original Edinburgh Festival Fringe essence.” The Stirling Fringe is working closely with several local arts organisations, including the newly formed Creative Stirling CIC, to deliver a successful festival. Programming is under way for the inaugural event and several independent venues have already agreed to stage performances. The final programme of events will be unveiled next spring. Any performer, organisation or venue wishing to take part should contact Barry at info@stirlingfringe.com or for further information go to www.stirlingfringe.com
The Pitfalls and Highlights of Starting Three Businesses In One: Business man Peter Hounam came to offer advice, in the form of his own story, to participants at CityLab. Here are some of the highlights of the session. Peter Hounam is Managing Director of the successful award winning chocolate business The Highland Chocolatier which also incorporates a cafe and gift shop on its Grantully premises. His current focus is on expansion, and after recently opening a shop in Aberdeen he is now looking into another retail space in St Andrews. The business now supplies high end establishments world wide, including Harvey Nicols in Edinburgh, Gleneagles Hotel as well as outlets in Japan and United Arab Emirates. Peter is no stranger to rough or unfamiliar terrain. A former Sunday Times chief investigative reporter, he exposed Israel’s secret nuclear weapons programme in 1986 and has ruffled countless feathers during his occupation as a Fleet Street hack. However, when he embarked on his journey as a business man he had to overcome
obstacles and stumbling blocks that would rival those of his journalistic career. The idea for the his business can be traced back to 2005, when Peter and his family bought a house with an integrated antiques shop and old stables. He decided then that the layout of our premises would be perfect as a retail, manufacturing and catering outlet. One of the first things Peter did was to build a car-park, as the premises rests alongside a busy main road with no parking. Here is what Peter had to say; “Its important to note, that at the beginning not a single one of us had ever made chocolates, been in retail or run a coffee house. We were learning everything from scratch - records, figures, dealing with the banks and authorities. This all can be very daunting, but also tremendous fun if you’re of the right temperament. “At the first stages of development, everything is a calculated gamble which is aided by the business plan. Ultimately you are trying to convince somebody that you have the right knowledge and a unique idea that is different from anybody else’s, for example, news agents are no longer the life blood of society despite their former status. That said however, it does not mean that your idea has to be a complete revolution, it could just be better than what is already on offer. “When you are starting out, bear in mind that you will get help from other competitors and suppliers - generally you will find that others are laid back and accommodating. However, it is important to understand that the type of business you end up with will be completely different to the one you outline in your original business plan. You must show how you will evolve and understand that in year one you will not make much money. Also, remember that there are hundreds of thousands of businesses in the U.K. that never make a profit, however, they are viable for their owners to make a decent living wage. However, in order to grow you will have to take on more people and not just employ yourself.” Peter also highlighted how vital good location is to a business, “Location is incredibly important - you have to draw people in. If you have your eye on a premises for your business, spend a week sitting outside before you take it. For example, we have been offered a retail spot in a Leeds shopping centre, however, as good as the footfall was we just knew that the type of people going past would not be right for our high-end product as the space was opposite Topshop. “It is also not necessarily a disadvantage to be in competition - for example antiques shops that cluster together in one location can mean that the street or area becomes an antiques destination in its own right. 50
Before choosing your location you must also find out what the Council is planning for the area. For example how many office spaces are being planned in Stirling? What does this mean for lunch time trade if you are setting up a cafe?” As a journalist, Peter is clearly no stranger to how press releases and publicity can be most effective. On this area he advised, “Initially small businesses will have access to a small amount of free publicity, however, after the initial excitement dies down a business needs to think of ways to get free advertising by sending out press releases of their latest news. Obviously word of mouth is also very important, so you need make every customer count.” He went on to claim that the biggest nuisance during the process, was the planning permission procedure. “With planning permissions, unbelievably a Council’s instinct is always to say no, so do not believe what the planners say to start with. For example, you do not need planning permission to move a garage - however, they contested our plans to move the garage on the basis that it would become a chocolate kitchen. Nevertheless, I put my foot down because I knew that regardless of what the garage would become, I was still allowed to move it while it was still in the form of a garage. This all worked out for us, and goes to show how just by thinking imaginatively you can get your own way.”
CityLab Event: Business Club Brainstorming Session CityLab will be hosting a brainstorming event this evening from 18:30 – 19:30. Stirling University’s Business Club and the Stirling CityLab are getting acquainted! This evening’s session aims to capture marketing, business and finance advice and procedures from the post-graduate and under-graduate members of the Club, as well as to develop real live case studies through the CityLab participants. Everyone is welcome to come along and include their own take on how small-medium businesses can perform. The Business Club website is: http://www.su-bc.org/ and Facebook group page is:http://www.facebook.com/groups/140450321865/
CityLab Event: Pop Up Bicycle Cafe The Broken
Spoke CityLab participants Nick Morris and Elaine Hill will be holding a pilot of their bicycle cafe, The Broken Spoke, on Saturday the 20th of April from 10am - 16:30 at CityLab, 14 King Street. Nick Morris was one of the first to register at CityLab, and has developed his idea with the support of the CityLab team and other participants. Nick and his business partner Elaine are now looking for a permanent Stirling premises from which to offer budding cyclists, local people and visitors a city centre bike repair and storage facility, along with good food and an opportunity to meet with like minded people in a relaxed setting. Nick said, “Essentially we will be providing the tools and stands for people to maintain their own bikes in a warm, dry cafe environment. This will come with good cake, soup and coffee and, of course, a smile. Additionally we would provide secure dry parking facilities for bike riders within the cafe, and will have a relaxed atmosphere with games and books.”
Stirling’s Successful Enterprise Pilot Scheme to Close Stirling CityLab will be closing its King Street doors for the last time next week, with the closing ceremony being held this Saturday the 20th of April from 5pm till 8:30pm. Primarily CityLab served as pre-pipe-line business support for individuals with an idea for local enterprise, but it also provided assistance for small established businesses as well as hosting a wide range of activities since opening. CityLab was part of a wider ongoing scheme called Start Up Street Stirling, which aims to boost local economy. Funding has been provided by bodies such as Business Gateway the Stirling Council. Since opening in January this year, CityLab has seen huge success and has attracted interest from a broad demographic of talented local people. It has registered over 45 participants during its time, the youngest being just 15 years old. Sarah Frood and Desmond Bernie of Glasgow urban development firm icecream architecture oversaw the 4 month scheme. It saw a huge range of different ideas for local enterprise including a fashion design label by 15 year old Arsalan Khalily and the launch of a TV channel by crisis management company 3Ci Global Solutions Ltd. 51
Of the closure project manager Sarah Frood said, “The CityLab has been a very exciting journey and although the pilot version is coming to a close undoubtedly the energy and experiences for everyone involved will continue. We hope to see the energy harnessed to create great new things for Stirling.”
CityLab’s closing ceremony will follow a pilot run of Nick Morris’s and Elaine Hill’s cafe, The Broken Spoke, which will be held from 10am - 4:30pm on Saturday the 20th of April.
While the King Street premises is closing down, due to the success of the project there is ongoing discussion with Stirling Council of it continuing in a different location. However, in the mean time the participants will be able to maintain contact with the CityLab team and will be introduced to the other support networks in the area. Sarah Frood said, “CityLab is not disappearing. it just won’t have a space for a while. As a team we have had the privilege of being able to meet so many inspirational people. It has become apparent that the openness and flexibility of the space and the team has allowed talent to come forward and grow. It has been important that we stay well connected and supported by the existing business support teams.” Start Up Street Stirling and icecream architecture have also been discussing how similar schemes might benefit other towns and cities. Sarah Frood said, “The process if CityLab and the testing of this has allowed us to start thinking of ways that other towns can learn from the entire process of Start Up Street that has been gathering momentum over a couple of years. There is a lot to learn yet and the process is always evolving with the opportunities and challenges that develop over time.” CityLab staff have also organised and facilitated events to help motivate and engage participants. These include motivational speakers, photo shoots, drama rehearsals, recruitment interviews, pop art exhibitions, recruitment interviews, pop up cafes and markets, weekly co-working sessions, trial workshops with the public and film production. Stirling Fringe director Barry McDonald is one of the participants who made daily use of the facility. “I think it’s a real shame that CityLab is closing. I have found it a useful alternative to working from home, and it has been great to have support of the team and to share ideas. Added to all the help I’ve received, the fact that it’s a warm space with tea making facilities where I can work undisrupted has been a big help. Thankfully I am now at a stage with my business to be able to look into finding office space for myself in the future, but I will be sad not to have the input that I had from the other participants at CityLab.” Barry’s enterprise has developed successfully since he registered at CityLab, and having secured funding he now has a dedicated team of volunteers working for him Other participants Nick Morris and Elaine Hill of bicycle cafe The Broken Spoke said, “We liked the energising atmosphere and the interface with other likeminded entrepreneurs. We are absolutely gutted that the space won’t be here any more as we have found CityLab a massive help in the development of our enterprise.” 52
Creative Industries Support List: List of all the creative industries support networks in and around Stirling. Creative Stirling Creative Stirling is a Community Interest Company based in the Old Town Jail in the City’s historic quarter. It is a not-for-profit, volunteer organisation keen on developing a creative hub, with space and facilities to support the creative and cultural industries, as well as the broader community. They host music and other cultural events in our outdoor yard space and in other spaces around the city. Contact: Creative Stirling Tel: 01786 475654 http://www.creativestirling.org/
Creative Scotland Investment Programmes Creative Scotland invests in the arts, screen and creative industries through a series of investment programmes which allow artists, practitioners and organisations to apply for financial support to develop talent, create new work, support widening access and participation and develop the cultural economy. Contact: Creative Scotland Tel: 0845 603 6000 Email: enquiries@creativescotland.com www.creativescotland.com/investment
initiatives. Contact: Scottish Enterprise 0845 607 8787/0141 228 2000 enquiries@scotent.co.uk www.scottish-enterprise.com The Cultural Enterprise Office The Cultural Enterprise Office is a business support service for people wanting to work, or already working, in the arts and creative industries. The service is free and is aimed at helping you develop the skills to plan, finance, manage and sustain a business. Contact: The Cultural Enterprise Office Tel: 0844 544 990 Email: info@culturalenterpriseoffice.co.uk The University of Stirling The University of Stirling has a Film & Media Studies department. Contact: University of Stirling Tel: 01786 468 520 Email: stirling.media@stir.ac.uk www.fmj.stir.as.uk
Forth Valley College Forth Valley College delivers creative industries courses, from access to degree level, in sound production, art & design and communications & media. Contact: Forth Valley College Tel: 0845 634 4444 Email: bizweb@forthvalley.ac.uk
http://business.forthvalley.ac.uk/courses
Scottish Enterprise The role of Scottish Enterprise is to maximise the economic potential of all the creative industries. To ensure that Scottish companies take advantage of the opportunities within this massive global market, Scottish Enterprise focuses on providing company growth support via account management, schemes and 53
Appendix E Reference material
Evidence of out comes and impacts to the wider general public; Through word of mouth, social media (Twitter, face book, websites) flyer distribution and local press. Examples of these are as follow; •
Locally the CityLab was featured in the Stirling Observer ‘New CityLab Scheme is just the job!’ (01.02.2013)
•
The Twitter (@startupstreetstirling) following of Start Up Street has increased from 240 people (Jan 2013) to 593 (April 2013.)
•
The facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/StirlingCityLab) has 81 likes and frequent visitors.
•
The website for CityLab (http://stirlingcitylab.com/) has been frequently updated.
•
The CityLab received national press coverage through a feature in The Herald ‘Imagination is the key to transforming High Streets’ (21.03.2013)
•
A blog post was written about icecream architecture and Stirling CityLab on Pivot Dublin http://www.pivotdublin.com/index.php/blog/entry/icecream_ architecture
•
icecream architecture gave a presentation focusing on Stirling CityLab at the ‘vacant to vibrant’ conference in Derry, Northern Ireland, as part of the UK City of Culture programme.
•
icecream architecture spoke at the Glasgow Institutes of Architects AGM about Stirling CityLab and Start Up Street.
54
Left: The Herald ‘Imagination is the key to transforming High Streets’ (21.03.2013) Above: Stirling Observer ‘New CityLab Scheme is just the job!’ (01.02.2013)
55