Think Enterprise Quarter 2 2021

TE THINK ENTERPRISE QUARTER. 2 — 2021

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A WELCOME TO NEW CENTRES & ACADEMIES THE KICKSTART SCHEME

MEET OUR NEW IN HOUSE KICKSTARTERS MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH

TOP TIPS FOR YOUR MENTAL HEALTH COVID-19

SUPPORT FOR TOWN CENTRE BUSINESSES

THINK ENTERPRISE Quarter 2 — 2021 Vol. 34

CONTACT US 53 Coniscliffe Road Darlington DL3 7EH 0845 467 4928 newsletter@ioee.uk ioee.uk

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SARAH TROUTEN, IOEE CHIEF EXECUTIVE Welcome to our first edition of 2021 Think Enterprise,

It’s fantastic to welcome two new academies

just where has this year gone to, I feel like the weeks

Sheffield Hallum University and CVP Group, featured

have flown by in a blur of zoom calls and dog walks

on pages 8 and 10. We were delighted to re-approve

so it’s really nice to see shops, bars and all our lovely

Worcester University as one of our esteemed

small businesses reopening again and dare I say the

Centres of Excellence and also approve SME Centre

feeling of normality returning... It’s been a busy start

of Excellence as our very first private sector Centre of

to the year and a particular hightlight was our recent

Excellence, you can read all about the organisations

work with Darlington businesses, were we provided

and their exciting plans on pages 12 and 14. We

support to local town centre businesses from a range

are very much looking forward to working with

of sectors all sharing the same positive outlook and

our new centres and academies particularly in the

desire to return to business as usual serving the local

coming months to ensure small businesses can

community - read about this fantastic programme on

access quality support to ensure they start, survive

page (24). We also became a goverment approved

and thrive. If you’d like to explore the opportunities

Kickstart Gateway provider, which means we can

around becoming an IOEE Academy to deliver IOEE

apply on your behalf to take on fully funded 16-24

or SFEDI qualifications or gain recognition for your

years to work in your business 25 hours per week.

own programme please do get in touch, we’d love to

We have taken on kickstart employees ourselves and

speak to you.

they are just fantastic, in fact you can read two articles within the publication on pages 16 and 20 written by

Our work with Lloyds Banking Group providing

one of our brilliant Kickstarters, Emma Jones and the

support to small and micro businesses affected by

design and layout was the creative work of Matthew

covid continues and this month we spoke to one of the

Perry, so a big thank you to them for their hard work

small businesses supported through the programme

and contributions. The project provides vital work

Sian Humphreys owner of DogsholidaysUK, read all

experience for young people just starting out in their

about the programme on page 18 and if you haven’t

career whilst also providing free talent and resource

already booked your staycation why not look up

for small businesses, it’s a superb programme and I

DogsholidaysUK and support a small business!

wholeheartedly hope the support is extended past

So finally I’d like to wish you a wonderful bank holiday

the current end date of December 2021 to allow

weekend and hope you enjoy this edition of Think

more young people and small businesses to benefit.

Enterprise with some sunshine heading your way :-) Sarah x

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08 10 12 14 16 CVP Group Joins IOEE

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Sheffield Hallam Univesity Interview

University of Worcester

SME Centre of Excellence

Meet Ou In House Kicksta

6 18 20 22 24

ur New e IOEE arters

Free Mentor Support For Small Businesses

Top Tips for Mental Health Awareness Month

The Rise of Student Enterprise

Lockdown Support for Town Centre Businesses

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Say goodbye to mediocre enterprise.

Say hello to iOEE. Find out more at ioee.uk/become-a-member/

® INSTITUTE OF ENTERPRISE AND ENTREPRENEURS

Joining us this month as a new IOEE Academy is independent training organisation CVP Group!

Director and founder of CVP Group Adam Ariff spoke to us about his company and what becoming an IOEE academy means to him. Before founding the company Adam tried his hat in many different trades and collected a vast range of skills which would ultimately lead him to the world of enterprise. Starting his YouTube channel to give tips on how to build your fitness and build your enterprise knowledge at the same time, Adam then went on to become a level two certified instructor and set up his own company. The CVP Group is an enterprise hub and supports people in all stages of their careers. Including; those moving into employment, employers improving their existing skill set and those wanting to progress through their careers through apprenticeships. In addition to this, CVP Group also has their own enterprise academy which guides people through the lifespan of their business ideas, starting with a conceptual business plan right through to physically executing it and having a tangible business.

The CVP Group’s course handbook covers anything and everything to do with enterprise. Starting from the ground floor with entry level programmes all the way up to director and senior management posts that take you on a two-year program to achieve your level five management diploma. In addition to this, the CVP Group also offers commercial enterprise courses, in which you gain access to their 12-week programme and all their lifetime resources.

Prior to the pandemic, CVP Group was greatly involved in a number of practical projects and sector-based work programs.

One company in particular that they made

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a great impact on was Wincanton Logistics, over the course of their involvement with the company they secured 20% higher achievement into jobs as a result of the pre-employment courses they offer.

However, once COVID-19 all of their on-site programmes had to be put on hold. Yet, due to the environmentally conscious initiative embedded into the company, physical paperwork was already on a minimal scale and most resources were accessible online.

Although the pandemic meant that the CVP Group were restricted in their practical delivery of consultancy and educational programmes, they saw the positive impact their company could have on the current climate and thus readjusted their focus to help guide those affected by COVID-19 into apprenticeships. Now, as restrictions lift and their learners are slowly allowed back onsites, the CVP Group remain focused on how their apprenticeships can make a positive impact for those in tough situations.

So why was it a goal of the CVP Group to become an IOEE Academy? When speaking to Adam about his decision to join our enterprise network of academies one of the main driving factors was his pre-existing relationship with our sister company SFEDI Awards and our reputation in the enterprise sector. Adam had been involved with SFEDI for a number of years through his consulting work in further education, and one of his clients had previously gone through the SFEDI Enterprise programme. From this, Adam came across the IOEE… “I recognise that there’s more enterprise products on the market now. But I think the membership packages, mentoring and

training that’s offered through the Institute, you give an accredited programme and that membership that you get access to, just compliments our ethics and I suppose what we’re trying to achieve as an organisation. So, I think being able to put the rubber stamp, on our programme, that it’s been approved

by IOEE that just gels nicely together.”

Moving forward with IOEE, Adam and his company hope to support people in achieving higher skills, access better employment opportunities and carve their own niche through their own businesses. As a result of the fragility of employment in today’s society, there is a rise in entrepreneurial spirit as more and more people want to earn extra money on the side of their jobs. Through using our highly recognised accreditation which maps programs against the national enterprise standard, Adam’s ambition is to help these aspiring entrepreneurs carve their own pathways to employment.

We are so excited to help the Adam and the CVP Group spread the entrepreneurial spirit and assist them on their mission to aid those wanting to start new businesses and expand their workplace ambitions.

If you’d like to join our network of academies and find out how we can help you achieve your enterprising goals go to: http://centres.ioee.uk If you’d like to find out more about Adam Ariff and the CVP Group, find him on LinkedIn or go to their website at https://cvpgroup.co.uk To check out his academy go to: www.257academy.com

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Sheffield Hallam IOEE Accreditation

With one of the top business schools in the country, Sheffield Hallam’s entrepreneurial ideologies are set on real world experience with endless support for student start-ups. If that wasn’t enough, their new goal is to spread the enterprising spirit University wide with the help of IOEE. We spoke to Asif Majid, the Course Leader and Senior Lecturer in Strategic Management and Enterprise. After working in the engineering industry for thirteen years Asif fell into teaching by chance after taking a Business Development role at Bradford University. Since then, he received huge amounts of positive feedback for his teaching and in 2014 started at Sheffield Hallam University as a senior lecturer. In the duration of his years at the university, Asif became the course leader for the BA Business Enterprise and Management program, it was in this role that he first came across the IOEE. After conversations with our Chief Executive Sarah Trouten and visits to some of our other academies, Sheffield Hallam officially began the journey to becoming an IOEE academy. Since joining we have now mapped their enterprise modules against the national enterprise standards and in doing so, provided it with the external validation needed to demonstrate how innovative their course really is. Furthermore, with their new IOEE membership, students now have access to all our online resources to aid their enterprising studies.

When asked why it was important for Sheffield Hallam to become an IOEE academy, Asif stated that it was important for the business school to demonstrate that they are committed to enterprise and entrepreneurship and to have something to ThinkEnterprise Enterprise 10 | | Think

externally validate the course against national standards. Sheffield Hallam’s commitment to enterprise is obvious, particularly as they aim to spread the entrepreneurship spirit university wide with the option for students in any courses take business elective modules. Passion for enterprise is at the heart of all learning at the university, with a multitude of practical and creative activities for students to get real business experience. One activity in particular involved students setting up their own pop up shop to sell a product they had created. Asif recalled one group who created a drinks kit, complete with cards and glasses, that had sold five before the event had even started and sold out during the short 2 hours the event ran for. It is this kind of practical entrepreneurship that the business school aims to inspire.

Students at the university are also taking the enterprising reins into their own hands with the Enterprise Society which is open to all students from all courses. For years the society has put on their own Dragons Den which involved students pitching their ideas for a cash prize.

This year’s winner, George Gibson a first year BA (Hons) Business and Enterprise Management student, came up with an idea centred around the importance of mental health and how businesses could use an assortment of quotes to reduce anxiety, inspire a positive mindset and improve mental health, a cause which is particularly important following the repercussions of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Although the pandemic has stopped us all from going into work or universities, it has not stopped the Sheffield Hallam Business School from setting

up events for their students. Since the pandemic hit, students have still been able to engage with outside businesses in a practical setting to gain real world business insight. Guest speakers from companies have been able to present business problems to the students and feedback on the solutions the groups came up with. Asif Majid stated that although the school haven’t been able to put on nearly as many activities as they usually would, the students have adapted well to the current situation and are finding the positives in their new work environment. Such as learning valuable digital skills and recognising the importance of social media for business in an increasingly online society.

The future for Sheffield Hallam’s enterprising learning looks increasingly bright with the building of a new business school which has been designed for the enterprise agenda. Structured specifically to inspire collaboration between business owners, entrepreneurs, students and academics.

Furthermore, with the Business School and

the president of the student union committed to the objective of rolling out enterprising education university wide there is no doubt that the university as a whole are passionate about enterprise and teaching students the confidence to pursue their dreams that they might not have thought possible when joining in first year. We here at IOEE are extremely excited to move forward in our partnership with the university and look forward to seeing what creative enterprising ideas they pursue in the future.

IOEE is dedicated to enterprise education and providing both students and staff with the resources and mentorship that they need to thrive in the entrepreneurial mission. IOEE Academy status not only provides students and staff with these resources but externally validates your existing enterprise program against national standards and links you with the other universities in our network. If you’d like to join our enterprising network of academies, contact us at support@ioee.uk . We hope to see you soon!

The 2020 - 2021 Enterprise Society From left, President Thomas Robertson, Vice President Tom Ridgard, Marketing Officer Hajra Naeem and Voluntary Member Lewis Wilkinson

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UNIVERSITY OF WORC

WELCOME BACK TO THE UNIVERSITY OF WORCESTER , WHO HAVE R E C E N T LY S U C C E S S F U L R E A P P R O V E D AS AN IOEE CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE!

We spoke to Dr Karen Bill who currently works in the Marketing and Enterprise Department in the Business School at the University and has an extensive background in enterprise and entrepreneurship and recognised nationally for her contribution to enterprise by being awarded a Fellow from the National Centre for Entrepreneurship in Education (NCEE), an Honorary Fellow from Enterprise Educators UK (EEUK) and a Fellow from IOEE. Having previously worked as a senior lecturer in Sports Management, Karen stated that the catalyst which began her enterprising journey came in 2006 with her promotion to Principal Lecturer of Enterprise and External Relations in the Sport and Exercise Science Department. It was with

this promotion that Karen enrolled on to the very first International Entrepreneur Educators program which centres around learning different pedagogy and teaching techniques best suited for the enterprising mission. But her enterprising CV does not stop there; Karen then went on to become Associate Dean in Enterprise and Research at Wolverhampton University, in 2016 became Chair of Enterprise Educators UK for a year and finally qualified as an Entrepreneurial Mindset Practitioner. Her extensive history in enterprise not only fully qualifies her to provide students with the best possible enterprising education but has also qualified her to be an enterprising guest speaker in China and even judge the National Enterprise Educator

Awards. It is clear from speaking with Karen Bill that her passion lies in enterprising education and remaining at the forefront of all enterprise innovation, both of which are reflected in the Universities enterprise curriculum.

At the university students are able to take on a number of practical enterprising opportunities such as internships with huge companies such as Bosch and enterprising placements.

One student in particular started her own lingerie business called ‘Penny and a pearl’ whilst completing her enterprising placement year at the university and went on to be crowned the winner of the WINN ‘make it happen challenge’. WINN is a Worcestershire Innovation

CESTER

Programme formed by Worcestershire County Council and the Worcestershire LEP (local enterprise partnership) with whom the Business school work very closely.

Students are given further help in developing their own enterprising passions with the university’s new ‘Enrich’ program. Since its launch last year, the programme has been virtual thus far but will move to be a physical programme following the culmination of the covid pandemic. The program consists of around seven sessions in which students generate their own business ideas and work through what they need to make it successful.

The Business School also offers chartered management degree apprenticeships and university diplomas in leadership management, working with large companies such as Hitachi.

Karen leads undergraduate apprenticeships and these awards in the business school.

All these opportunities allow

students to get real practical experience in the business and enterprise world. Since the pandemic hit, the university has adapted extremely well without any real problems or issues. Moving forward Karen hopes to learn from the good practice they adopted during this time and looking at possibly introducing a blended mix of learning dependent on what best fits the needs and experience of the students.

One of the main reasons Karen highlights as to why the University wanted to reinstate their Centre of Excellence status was because of the positive impact it had on student experience. With IOEE, students join our online community and gain access to all our online resources. Of these resources Karen stated that the Department was particularly excited about the mentoring service that IOEE provides for students. With their membership students benefit from our ‘member to

member’ online mentoring service, this program connects students to enterprising professionals who share their skills, experiences, and top tips for enterprise. In addition to this our online community of entrepreneurs gives students the opportunity to network with likeminded people and professionals in the industry.

From speaking with Karen Bill it is clear to see that the University of Worcester take their enterprising education very seriously and keep student experience at the forefront of everything they do. We’re so pleased you’re staying with us for another three years!

If you’d find out how you can gain Centre of Excellence approval go to our website at http://centres.ioee.uk We hope to see you soon!

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SME Centre of Excellence A big welcome to the SME Centre of Excellence, our first private sector centre of excellence!

It was this kind of entrepreneurial spirit that The SME Centre of Excellence is the leading SME led him to support hundreds of new start-ups support hub which aims to use their programs and eventually establish the SME Centre of to provide businesses with the right tools they Excellence in 2016. However, Ammar’s passion for need to survive and thrive in enterprise. Since enterprise education is not just limited to SME’s. joining us as our most recently approved IOEE In 2013 he founded his own charity dedicated Centre of Excellence we spoke to Chief Executive to introducing it into primary schools. The Ammar Mirza CBE to discuss his enterprising charity brings local business owners journey and why he decided to join the into schools to teach students IOEE community.

“Even when about the business life cycle.

I was studying, I The schools then set up real recognised that enterprise It seems that there is no better small businesses, with children and entrepreneurship man for the enterprising interviewing for positions in provided the most mission than Ammar Mirza. the company, from which they significant opportunity for Starting his first job at aged 10 are judged to see which are the us as individuals to realise and never stopping since, the most profitable, with the winner our ambitions and desire for entrepreneurship came earning some prise money and aspirations” to him early on. Ammar stated that ongoing support from Ammar and his team. Like Ammar we are extremely passionate about enterprise education and the power it holds, it is such an amazing tool for entrepreneurs of all ages to achieve their goals and aspirations.

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The SME Centre of Excellence supports businesses with all the core business disciplines they need, whether it be financial support, market validation, business model creation or marketing. Additionally, the importance of innovation in business remains a core belief throughout their teaching. It was because of these core innovative beliefs that they were able to adapt quickly to the changes the corona virus brought. From speaking with Ammar Mirza, it is clear that the principles of innovation and digital transformation are embedded throughout the programmes. As a result of this the company were able to take their delivery of learning online very successfully and have supported hundreds of SME’s who were struggling over the last 12 months. Now Ammar and his team are looking at the future of their business and how they can effectively use digital education in a meaningful way. With the huge success of their online programs, Ammar has suggested that in the future they may take a blended approach to learning. Although we all love to interact face to face, it may not be feasible for everyone, and the SME Centre of Excellence recognises the importance of tailored learning for businesses.

So why was becoming an IOEE Centre of Excellence so important for the SME Centre of Excellence?

Ammar Mirza answers this by stating three key factors. The first was to give a clear recognition of the value of their programs and offer the course participants the currency that they need to thrive in the enterprise industry. Secondly, Ammar wishes to further develop their offer and increase what his company can do to support SME’s. Finally, a key factor was to cultivate a partnership with IOEE, so both companies can assist SME’s in the understanding of emerging threats, trends, opportunities, and work with them to develop business support programmes.

What is apparent is that the SME Centre of Excellence is completely dedicated to the support of small business enterprise. Especially in the aftermath of the pandemic, it is important to recognise that SME’s and entrepreneurs are, as Ammar states, “at the heart of our recovery”. We are extremely excited to begin our partnership and collaborate in teaching entrepreneurship to support businesses and the people in them in an impactful way.

If you’d like to join our enterprising network of centres and academies go to our website today! http://centres.ioee.uk

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® INSTITUTE OF ENTERPRISE AND ENTREPRENEURS

Meet our new in house Kickstarters!

It’s been a busy few months here at IOEE with 2 new team members joining us and 3 more at our sister company SFEDI. Coming from a range of backgrounds our new kickstarters cover all things social media, marketing, design and inhouse projects. To give you a proper introduction to our new members we will be starting a ‘Kickstarter of the Week’ segment on our social medias, to showcase who they are and why they joined the Kickstart scheme. To follow along, find us on LinkedIn and Twitter @theIOEE. This year has been particularly hard for graduates to find jobs in general, not even in the fields they are interested in. However, with the introduction of the government funded Kickstart scheme graduates nationwide have been given the opportunity to gain work placements in a multitude of industries. That’s why we are so proud to not only have our own kickstarters joining us, but to also announce that IOEE is a national gateway provider for the scheme.

We’ll be supporting small businesses to recruit fully funded young people into job placements and helping them each step of the way.

The Kickstart scheme was introduced in the midst of the covid pandemic to provide funding for employers to create jobs for those on Universal Credit aged 16 to 24 years old. The

funding provides employees with 100% of the National Minimum Wage for 25 hours per week over a total of 6 months. Experience is the most valuable currency in the job seeking world these days, and these 6 months can make immeasurable difference for young job seekers.

On top of this, the scheme also provides funding to support the new employees to develop useful skills which will help them move into sustained employment after their 6 months is completed.

Harry Pullan, a Junior Social Media and Marketing Executive for SFEDI, joined our team in March of this year. Harry stated that the scheme has been really beneficial as it has allowed him to ease back into employment, gain more experience and meet new people. Matthew Perry our new Graphic Designer says that “the kickstart scheme has boosted my confidence significantly and provided me with some excellent experience and training”. Even myself, as I write this article, I think about how the kickstart scheme has helped me. I started on the kickstart scheme for IOEE in March and I would’ve never believed I’d be contributing to a major publication in a matter of 2 months. I’ve always wanted to get into a creative career, however since graduating with a history degree I thought it would be out of my reach. Yet, the kickstart

scheme has not only allowed me to get work, but it’s given me the opportunity to get work experience in a field I would love to pursue as a long-term career.

If you have a business and want to create quality opportunities for young people, come join us on the kickstart scheme. Employers can get involved with the program and spread the employee start dates up until the 31st of December 2021. So if you have a business and want to get involved apply on our website at:http://ioee.uk/kickstart/

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Free Mentor Support for Small Businesses during COVID-19 We have been able to help so many small businesses and hope to help lots more. One business owner who has joined our mentor programme is Sian Humphreys from Dogs Holidays UK. Sian’s ever-growing businesses was actually started during the pandemic in November 2020 after struggling to plan a holiday with her dog Ralph. After much difficulty trying to find accommodation that would accept dogs and then the subsequent complications of finding dog friendly beaches and pubs, Sian saw an opening in the market for a company which handled this all for you. Since starting her company in November, Sian has now got a huge following of over 5800 people on her social medias and a new website which is reeling in the clicks. From talking with Sian, she stated that over the course of her career she has been offered a plethora of mentors from different companies, but a lot of them seemed uninterested or not suited to her needs.

Upon joining the IOEE mentor programme, Sian was paired with one of our Lloyds mentors Suraj Sridhar. Suraj has been associated with IOEE for roughly a year now and in this short period of time has already helped three businesses during the pandemic.

In response to the unbelievably difficult time small businesses have been facing during the COVID-19 pandemic, we here at IOEE in collaboration with UK Finance and Lloyds Banking Group, have created a free mentor support service. We understand how hard it’s been and how hard it is to plan the future of your business when life is so uncertain at the moment.

So, with our mentor program you will be assigned your own personal trained mentor and be able to decide on a schedule that works best for the both of you. In addition to this, by joining the programme you will also be able to join our virtual network and have access to lots of our online resources including out COVID-19 Toolkit.

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When asked why he decided to get involved in the program, Suraj stated that, “I have always wanted to use my knowledge and experience to help businesses and people directly. Although I currently do this in my role, this opportunity

has allowed me to constructively influence the strategy and performance of a different segment (smaller enterprises) on a much closer level.

Given that COVID-19 has adversely impacted businesses of all sizes, the chance to help during a time of need really resonated with me.”

It’s truly inspiring to see someone so committed and genuinely excited to help others with their business. Suraj expressed how he was looking forward to seeing how his advice could meaningfully impact businesses and see how his suggestions came to life.

Suraj and Sian both expressed how much they’ve enjoyed their sessions together, although there has only been four so far, they have used this time to create an extremely beneficial mentormentee relationship. Sian stated, “In the grand scheme of things, we’ve only had a few conversations, but those have been enjoyable, they have been meaningful, and they have made a difference”

Through spending time learning about each other’s background and why they were in the program meant that their conversations could be tailored to the needs of Sian’s business. It can be so unbelievably useful to have someone to talk about any problems or questions you might be having in your business. Even just to have a friendly face to chat to or someone to bounce ideas off can make all the difference. You can never have enough help when running a business and Sian now says that she considers Suraj to be one of her main confidants when it comes to making big business decisions.

If you are a small business owner and think you could benefit from some extra support go to our website at http://ioee.uk/free-mentor-support/ and sign up today, we’d love to have you!

For extra information on Sian’s business find her online at @dogholidaysuk (Instagram and Twitter) or at: https://dogholidaysuk.co.uk

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Mental Health Awareness Month: Top Tips

May is mental health awareness month and what a more important time to raise awareness than afte you’ve been working from home or socially distancing at work, the year of uncertainty has been tough forefront of business now more than ever, the important question is how should companies adapt to m

Tip One: Enjoy the Outdoors With a year of staring at people through screens, being able to see people face to face is a welcome change. Whether it’s doing your weekly catch up on a walk or spending your lunch hour on a picnic, meeting with your co-workers outdoors can support your business and their mental health at the same time.

Tip Three: Take Breaks Allow yourself and your employees to take breaks from work, spend some time in the outdoors, get moving or even just sit have a coffee and a chat. Getting a break from your screen or the pressures of work can make all the difference in an overwhelming work environment.

Tip Five: Get Support If you run your own small business and have been struggling over the course of the pandemic, we here at IOEE run small business support groups.

We aim to create a community of small business owners who can encourage and help one and other through this difficult time.

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To join our support groups or get more information about ho

er a year of lockdowns and pandemic stress. Whether h for us all. Mental health should be brought to the make sure their employees well-being is put first?

ow we can support your business, contact us at: info@ioee.uk

Tip Two: Create Supportive Work Environment A healthy work environment is a supportive one, it is so important to create a safe space for team members to discuss freely about how they are feeling. Creating a supportive network of co-workers is important to combat the stigma of discussing mental health and fosters a more supportive and positive work environment.

Tip Four: Educate and Spread Awareness Investing time to educate your workers about the importance of protecting your mental health and how to do so in the workplace is essential to foster a mentally healthy workplace. By celebrating awareness days and holding workshops, employees become more aware of how to maintain their mental health and how to seek help.

If you’d like to learn more about how you can spread mental health awareness in your business and educate your employees, our sister company SFEDI Awards offers many courses centred on how to improve and maintain your mental health in a business environment. https://sfediawards.co.uk/

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The Rise of Student Enterprise

Are students the new pioneers of online enterprise?

After the year marker of fluctuating national lockdowns and covid hysteria, it is important to reflect on some positives that have come out of this dreadful pandemic. This year has caused employment rates to skyrocket, making it even harder on recent graduates to leave University with a stable job on the horizon, never mind one in their actual field of study. However, many students and graduates have taken matters into their own hands and using their time to start up small businesses.

From house-run bakery’s to jewellery stores, students everywhere are taking to social media to promote their start-ups.

Though lockdown posed a multitude of problems for students, contact hours reduced to zero and little access to materials meant that student life was turned upside down. Yet, with all this free time many students saw this as an opportunity to pursue their passions and start up their own small businesses.

Social media has proved to be more important than ever, with viral enterprise determining the success of businesses, one post can make

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all the difference. The video sharing app TikTok in particular is taking small businesses to new heights. By tracking recent trends in TikToks, small businesses are able to create relevant content which promotes their product in a creative way. Sometimes even the simplest of videos can generate the most engagement.

One extreme example of viral student success can be seen in the candle brand @ hoadyscandles. After posting a video on TikTok of him making a candle with a hidden message in for his girlfriend, Rob Hoad received an immense amount of positive responses with over 8.3 million views and 1.8 million likes. As a result, Hoad saw a gap in the market and began his business in November 2020. Only 4 months later Hoad now has his own brand of candles (Hoadys Candles), with 10.8 thousand followers on Instagram and 168.3 thousand followers on TikTok- a combined social media reach of over 179.1 thousand people. What began as a cute surprise for his girlfriend turned into a fully working and successful business over the course of 4 months, all because of that one viral video.

With social media changing the entire structure of how businesses are run it is important to keep on top of the ever-changing landscape of enterprise and to encourage the younger generation to take their first steps to becoming entrepreneurs.

Our academies specialise in nurturing students’ entrepreneurs, teaching them how to run a business and set them up with all the knowledge they need to become a successful business owner. Our qualifications are quality assured and are used in some of the biggest universities and colleges across the UK.

Whether you’re looking to learn or want to deliver the best enterprise programmes, the IOEE are here to support you.

To find out more information about our courses and qualifications and how you can begin your enterprising journey go to our website at:- http://ioee.uk

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Lockdown Support for Town Centre Businesses As we come out of a tough year of lockdowns and pandemic stress it is important to recognise the hard work of everyone who has struggled during this time. At IOEE we recognise how difficult this year has been particularly on SME’s and small businesses. Yet, now it finally feels as though things are starting to get back to normal, with highstreets reopening, its these small businesses that are going to rebuild our economy, one step at a time.

Recognising this, we wanted to make sure that small businesses struggling through the pandemic were getting the support they needed in a time where they felt seemingly abandoned. That’s why in February we began our online support group meetings for small businesses with support from the European Regional Development Fund and Darlington Borough Council.

These fortnightly zoom sessions were created to encourage business owners to talk openly about any problems or questions they may have regarding how to cope during lockdown and any plans for their future reopening. Led by our own Ruth Lowbridge MBE, the peerto-peer networking sessions formed a community of business owners who supported one and other by sharing any helpful experiences, tips and advice. Each session would tackle a different topic that affected most of the businesses and use this as the centre of their discussion.

Topics covered included finance and cash flow, changes in the town centre, and the effects of the EU on small businesses. To gain outside expertise, guest speakers from different sectors would also join to offer their advice such as Peter Gibson MP. In addition to the group sessions, one-to-one support was also offered to all the businesses which offered a more tailored approach to their queries.

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A vast variety of businesses from all over Darlington joined the sessions and offered their support, including those from the beauty industry, hospitality, and clothing.

We spoke to Amber Kotrri from House of Zana, a luxury sustainable women’s fashion brand and independent clothes manufacturer, who attended these sessions. Amber has since expanded her business onto Grange Road and Teesside Airport in the form of concepts stores to support local independent brands.

“I joined the program as I was excited to have the opportunity to be mentored by Ruth and to meet other local businesses.

Covid was really tough, and it was incredible having such a support network during the lockdown and the weekly calls really kept my spirit up.

I learnt a lot on the call about business growth and what to do and not to do which has been fundamental in the decisions I have made recently for my business. I have also collaborated with some of the other local businesses that I met on the call who I hadn’t ever met before joining the program. I feel privileged to have been a part of the program and am very grateful for the opportunity.”

Another participant in the programme was Taryn Waite, CEO of Luke Anthony’s Training Group, a barbering academy that runs courses across the UK. Taryn joined the group and thoroughly enjoyed her time there, stating that that it created a lovely community of businesses during a time that made them all feel isolated.

“Ruth always made sure that we left on a positive note, it was so easy to get stuck in the doom and gloom of the situation we were all in”

When asked h had helped T in both group Ruth had help ways with he enterprise ne Ruth, Taryn n the governme has some ne Tuesday.

It’s so amazi businesses co one and other in the unsta created. Altho get busier, th and still offers to-one guidan in a post-lockd

Our main goa was to give a confidence to happy to say that joined ar If you didn’t business sup we are offeri for businesse Finance and more informa

http://ioee.uk

how in particular the program Taryn, she responded that p sessions and one-to-one, ped in an endless number of er extensive knowledge and etwork. Since speaking with now has taken advantage of ent’s Kickstart Scheme and ew employees starting this

ing to see so many local ome together and support r, it makes all the difference able climate COVID-19 had ough things are starting to he programme is on-going s the small businesses onence and networking sessions down world.

al when starting this group all the small businesses the o reopen and we are so that 100% of the attendees re all still open and thriving. manage to join our online pport group, here at IOEE ing free mentoring support es in collaboration with UK Lloyds Banking Group. For ation check out our website:-

k/free-mentor-support/

Think Enterprise | 25

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