Types of Membership

Today is #MicroBizMattersDay a day when hundreds of thousands of micro business owners – perhaps as many as 1 million – will be giving 8 minutes (or more) #IGave8 of their time to help other micro business owners somewhere in the world. The three main areas of focus for #IGave8 minutes of action to help other micro enterprise owners are #Customers; #Cashflow and #Confidence and so we thought we’d put a few of our thoughts on these topics on paper for you to consider! #Customers Customers are absolutely key to the survival and success of any business, without them there is no business – remember that! You can have the best product in the world, the cheapest, the best value, the most exclusive or the most popular – but if no-one is buying it then you have nothing! Remember that people buy people and so even if your product is the one they are almost certain to buy, if you don’t come across as the person they want to buy it from – you’ll lose the sale! Who are your customers – when you’re planning your business it’s very easy to base all your decisions on what your family and […]

Today marks the start of #NENandProud – a shareable online campaign to raise awareness of the true impact our network makes across England. As the membership body for the enterprise support sector, we have always been hugely proud to represent the organisations that offer business support services to pre start, start-ups and established small businesses. In the 2014-15 year alone, our network of NEN Members across England helped 144,123 people access advice, support and training. For the first time, we’re really shouting about their success and our immense pride – with the creation of bespoke infographics which highlight some of the powerful numbers behind the work our members do. As the go to place for enterprise support services, our individual members across England achieve excellent results each year. Collectively, those numbers become even more powerful and we look forward to sharing details in this exciting campaign. You can help us spread the message far and wide. Get behind the campaign – see all of the numbers in full and share the details yourself by following @NatEntNet and the #NENandProud hashtag on Twitter daily from Monday 25th to Friday 29th January. You can follow the campaign on the National Enterprise Network […]

The founder of The Cambridge Satchel Company Julie Deane OBE has today published her independent review of self-employment in the UK. Commissioned by the Prime Minister last year, the review assesses what additional support can be provided to the increasing number of self-employed people across the country, better understand their motivations and reveal the challenges they face. The review makes a number of recommendations for the Government to consider and outlines the need of the private sector to recognise the increasing economic potential of the self-employed. National Enterprise Network commented as follows:- “We very much welcome the recommendations made in Julie Deane’s review; we were delighted to be consulted as part of the process and are very pleased to see some elements of our discussion are included in the report.  In particular our belief that all of those who embark on self-employment are important and Government needs to do more to make sure their value to the economy is more fully felt, they are often inadvertently undermined by Government policies but they are taking risks like any other business owner and are contributing positively, that should be better recognised. We were also pleased to see reference to the changing nature […]

The Department for Business, Innovation & Skills (BIS) recently published the results of research it has conducted in order to better understand self-employment – you can see the research results here. Whilst there is nothing in the research which will come as any great surprise to National Enterprise Network members, there are some interesting conclusions to draw from the respondents in terms of their likelihood to employ people (only about 10%), particularly when compared with the extent to which they collaborate with others on shared projects (about 60%). We’ve been saying for some time that there are greater proportions of those clients coming to our members who have no intention of growing their businesses through taking on staff, that’s not to say they don’t want to grow, to take on larger projects or get involved in bigger contracts and therefore make more money and have bigger businesses – but they don’t want to do it by becoming an employer! They got into their own business because they want to be in control of their own destiny, to put their skills and experiences into use for themselves and/or in response to other lifestyle choices, caring responsibilities etc – they don’t feel they […]

Judith Frame from the Competition and Markets Authority writes this blog on competition law compliance. I recently listened to a brilliant podcast called ‘Start-up’. Unsurprisingly, it’s about a guy who’s starting his own business.  What is surprising – at least to someone who isn’t in the middle of starting a company from scratch – is the sheer scale of what he had to do. Coming up with a great idea was just the beginning; turning that idea into a business meant an awful lot more: organising finance, making a product, hiring staff, finding premises, negotiating contracts, doing plans, managing crises – not to mention living on a shoe string until revenue started coming in. But one thing that made it easier for this start-up was the fact that other businesses weren’t stopping him from ‘starting up’. This may sound obvious. But behind the scenes, the invisible hand of competition law ensured that he benefited from a level playing field. Start-ups might be stopped – by competitors Sometimes start-ups can be sabotaged when bigger, established businesses don’t like a new competitor’s cheaper prices, better products or innovative, more efficient business models. They try to find ways of blocking them from advertising […]

We were delighted to hear that one of our members, North Somerset Enterprise Agency (NSEA), kicked off 2016 with a great start. In January 11 new business start-ups were launched in ventures ranging from a pizza delivery service to a mobile barber and an agricultural contractor to an online magazine, with all receiving local and personal business support to help their owners achieve their ambitions. The number of new businesses launched in January is slightly higher than the same period last year when eight new businesses started out, six of whom (75%) are still successfully trading 12 months on. It is also slightly higher than three years ago when 10 new businesses launched, six of whom (60%) are still trading. Throughout 2015 NSEA helped between 24 and 28 businesses per quarter start-out, with a total of 106 NSEA-supported new businesses launched in total, creating 121 jobs in North Somerset. It also offered one-to-one advice to 1093 businesses and ran 75 training courses, covering everything from financial planning to intellectual property and export. NSEA has also seen success with feedback from businesses that it has worked with historically. Of the 87 businesses that it helped to launch in 2012 – three […]

National enterprise campaign StartUp Britain, run by the Centre for Entrepreneurs, is hitting the road again this summer to provide inspiration and support to thousands of aspiring entrepreneurs. Now in its fifth year, the StartUp Britain bus tour, powered by NatWest, will visit a record 30 towns and cities over six weeks. The StartUp Tour is part of an ongoing partnership between StartUp Britain and NatWest that takes a beautiful 1966 Routemaster bus, owned by the bank, across the country to promote entrepreneurship. Parking in high-footfall town squares and offering free, impartial advice, the bus tour celebrates entrepreneurial communities across Britain and inspires individuals to turn their business ideas into action. The StartUp Tour will have a distinctly local flavour this year, with energetic entrepreneurs recruited in each town to get on board and give advice. They will be joined by local ‘experts’ including accountants, lawyers and professional business advisors. Also on-board will be representatives of national partners including the Intellectual Property Office, the National Enterprise Network and the British Library Business & IP Centre Network. Check the destinations and get more information Entrepreneurs: Volunteer to give advice on-board in your town/city Accountants / lawyers: Join as a local sponsor Centre for Entrepreneurs […]

By Lorence Nye, IPSE Economic Advisor IPSE’s Freelancer Confidence Index is drawn from a quarterly survey of freelancers which assesses the recent performance of their businesses, as well as their outlook for the performance of their businesses and the economy in the three and 12 months following. The main index figures are calculated using an average of the 12 month forecast from freelancers. As 0 is neutral, any number higher than this indicates a positive outlook from freelancers while negative numbers show that freelancers believe conditions will worsen. In this article we look at those surveyed who started their business less than two years ago. Business confidence remains strong, while confidence in the economy weakens Although these relatively new freelancers reported a slight decline in confidence towards their business performance in Q1 2016, they remained decidedly optimistic about their businesses’ prospects over the next 12 months. This sentiment of confidence has followed a similar path to that seen among more experienced freelancers, but interestingly, those that have been freelancing for two years or less have consistently reported higher business confidence than their more experienced counterparts. The confidence of new-to-market freelancers and more experienced freelancers is driven by the same three […]

We are delighted to announce that National Enterprise Network has been shortlisted in the 2016 Trade Association Forum Best Practice Awards. We submitted applications to highlight the success of our 2015 Annual Conference and the impact of our January 2016 #NENandProud campaign – and both projects have been put forward to the shortlisting stage. The National Enterprise Network 2015 annual conference is to be judged in the Conference of the Year category. Our #NENandProud campaign is up for two categories – Digital Campaign of the Year and Social Media Award. The awards programme is formally supported by the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills and recognises, rewards and promotes best practice amongst Trade Associations in the UK. Now in their fourteenth year, this prestigious awards programme offers TAF members a chance to showcase their hard work and achievements from the previous 12 to 18 months. We joined the association in June 2015 and you can look back at the announcement here. We are so pleased to have got this far. We have never applied for any awards before so really are delighted with this recognition. Fingers and toes are now all firmly crossed for an actual win. Receiving a Best […]

National Enterprise Network CEO and well known enterprise champion Dawn Whiteley has been awarded an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List, for her services to business support and enterprise. Dawn was confirmed as a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, alongside other 2016 Birthday Honours recipients. The Chief Executive of National Enterprise Network has worked tirelessly in the support of pre start and start-up businesses for nearly 25 years. National Enterprise Network is the membership body that represents the enterprise support sector across England – enterprise support organisations providing independent and impartial advice, training and mentoring to new and emerging businesses. Dawn joined the organisation in April 2011 from Business Link Yorkshire, where she was Head of Enterprise, with 16 years before that spent at West Yorkshire Enterprise Agency (WYEA). Dawn started working in the enterprise sector in 1992 and has never looked back – dedicating her professional life to supporting pre starts and start-up businesses locally, regionally and now nationally across England. Speaking about her MBE, Dawn said: “I am completely and utterly delighted to be recognised for the part I have played over the last 25 years – and am truly humbled too. […]

A cohort of small business representative groups have joined forces to offer a consistent line of support to Britain’s smallest firms and the self-employed following the EU referendum. The nine organisations agreed in a meeting on Tuesday 28th June to coordinate their efforts in the interests of offering positive reassurance to small businesses. The representatives from the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), Enterprise Nation, National Enterprise Network, Open to Export, The Association of Independent Professionals and the Self Employed (IPSE), The Entrepreneurs Network (TEN), the Institute of Chartered Accountants, England and Wales (ICAEW), British Library Business and IP Centre, and Coadec, will work together to offer ideas around what businesses should be doing now to shore up their firms for the future. Emma Jones, founder of small business support group Enterprise Nation, said: “It’s more important now than ever before for entrepreneurs to maintain optimism and look forwards, not backwards.  The worst thing we can do is talk ourselves into a recession when formal negotiations leading to exit will take at least two years.” “Inevitably there will be new opportunities – and there are things businesses can do to protect themselves from changes that might affect them in short term and in the […]

Navigating new waters – the future for business and business support post Brexit.   As and when we leave the European Union, it will undoubtedly cause a massive impact to our sector and for the businesses we support. Together, we need to understand how business and business support will operate in a post EU environment. The 2016 Conference is committed to presenting the very latest news and views in our dedicated day-long event. Held at the RBS Conference Centre in central London on Friday 18th November.   This year’s conference will offer a tailored agenda shaped directly by how negotiations are progressing. What are the risks for businesses and our sector and what are the rewards?   We will look in detail at exactly how the enterprise support sector might be affected, and as a network determine how we can best steer ourselves through the changes ahead. We plan to shape the agenda to reflect how negotiations progress; working very closely with all stakeholders to prepare cutting edge conference content, with up to the minute contributions from appropriate contributors. With that in mind exact programme details are not yet as a stage that they can be announced, but as the dust […]

    Gearing up for main event on 3rd December 2016 We are proud to be supporting Small Business Saturday this year. Here we share with you a few ideas for how you can maximise these opportunities. Supporting Small Business Saturday As you no doubt already know, Small Business Saturday is an annual grassroots, non-commercial campaign, which highlights small business success and encourages consumers to ‘shop local’ and support small businesses in their communities. While the day itself takes place on the first Saturday in December each year, the campaign aims to have a lasting impact on small businesses. We are proud to once again be supporting the campaign. The overall aim of the campaign resonates with us and the work that you do. Therefore we wanted to share with you a few ideas of ways that you can make the most of this opportunity, which is putting the spotlight firmly on small businesses and the help and support that can be provided by enterprise organisations. Get involved in the campaign The beauty of this campaign is that if you can’t commit to doing something on the day itself, you can still get involved and share some of the buzz created by […]

Over the past five years, the UK has become one of the best places in the world to start and grow a business. The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor puts the UK at number one in Europe and number four globally. This has been enabled by the low costs of start-up entry, accessible technology, a flexible economy and a positive attitude towards self-starters and entrepreneurship; from the media, large corporates, and government. As organisations representing small businesses of all shapes and sizes, reflecting the new world of work, from every region, we are committed to ensuring the UK retains its leading global entrepreneurship position. Together, we represent over a million small businesses and self-employed individuals and recognise that there are key factors that have enabled them to flourish. We want to know that those negotiating Britain’s future can ensure these conditions remain in place, as Brexit deals are negotiated and a new government makes its mark. To achieve that, we feel work and commitment is required around: Flexible workforce We call on the government to provide clear and unequivocal reaffirmation of the long-term residence rights of EU citizens currently working in the UK. We also call for the Government to commit to […]

We are delighted to see a number of organisations within NEN membership in the running for this round of the RBS Skills & Opportunities fund. Over 800 not-for-profit organisations across the UK and Ireland applied and a shortlist of 95 projects was announced last week, divided into seven regions.   Each organisation on the shortlist is proposing to set up or extend a project that will give people in disadvantaged communities the skills and opportunities to help themselves succeed in life – whether that’s by gaining a qualification, getting into work or by starting a business. RBS is calling on the country to help decide which ones should go on to receive grants of up to £35,000 from a total pot of £1.25m this December. You can vote for one project in each region, and you have until midday on Friday 4 November to decide. Congratulations to those within NEN membership who have been recognised and who are asking for your votes. We highlight the organisations in NEN membership that are in the running here. North: NE-BIC Funding will help people make a ‘Start!’, a project designed to improve the prospects of residents from deprived Sunderland wards by helping them start […]

Long serving enterprise support leader Graham Marley has been announced as the new National Enterprise Network Chairman – to lead the Board and its development of key strategic activities for the membership body that represents enterprise support organisations. Graham was officially confirmed as the new Chairman at National Enterprise Network’s Annual General Meeting on Friday 18th November. As Chief Executive of the Let’s Do Business Group (LDBG), Graham has served at the agency for 15 years – having previously worked as a Senior Business Manager with NatWest. LDBG provide business support, finance, exhibitions and accredited training across Sussex (and the wider South East). The agency also delivers the Inward Investment service for East Sussex, the county’s Growth Hub service, provides Town Centre Management services in Hastings and includes the Hastings Area Chamber of Commerce. Graham joined the NEN Board in 2012, serving as Deputy Chair since 2014 and he is also an ambassador for Sussex Cricket. Speaking of his new role as NEN Chairman, Graham Marley said: “I’m proud to have worked in the enterprise support sector for 15 years. I know from my time running Let’s Do Business Group how essential National Enterprise Network is – to demonstrate the […]

Today National Enterprise Network has released its annual membership impact figures, clearly demonstrating the real value its members are having within the enterprise support sector. The data, relating to activity undertaken by NEN members between April 2015 and March 2016, reflects economical challenges being faced by members, but continues to tell a strong story of growth within the enterprise sector. At its flagship annual conference last week NEN launched a new online campaign. #TeamNEN features a short video which focuses on using this new data to demonstrate the power and strength found within the NEN membership network. Over 80,000 clients supported by NEN members During this survey period, 80,631 clients across England accessed advice, support and training from NEN members. The membership continues to offer excellent geographical coverage, with the whole of the English population able to access support from an NEN member. Furthermore, clients accessing an NEN member tap into a depth of experience that comes from a combined 1,757 years of trading. 364 non-executive directors support the member organisations, a clear demonstration of the integrity and impartiality that makes up the structure of businesses being run by NEN members. A strong focus on the end client The end […]

National Enterprise Network CEO and well known enterprise champion Dawn Whiteley was invited to an exclusive investiture ceremony at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday 29th November to be presented with her MBE by His Royal Highness Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge. Dawn was confirmed as a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List in June 2016, in recognition of her services to business support and enterprise. The Chief Executive of National Enterprise Network has worked tirelessly in the support of pre start and start-up businesses and of the enterprise support organisations who help them for nearly 25 years. National Enterprise Network is the membership body that represents the enterprise support sector across England – enterprise support organisations providing independent and impartial advice, training and mentoring to new and emerging businesses. Dawn joined the organisation in April 2011 from Business Link Yorkshire, where she was Head of Enterprise, with 16 years before that spent at West Yorkshire Enterprise Agency (WYEA). Dawn started working in the enterprise sector in 1992 and has never looked back – dedicating her professional life to supporting pre starts and start-up businesses locally, regionally and now nationally across […]

Temperatures may have been in the low digits over the weekend but Saturday saw the UK’s small businesses community benefit from the warmth of the British public who were out in force to support Small Business Saturday. An estimated £717 million was spent with small businesses across the UK, up 15% on Small Business Saturday 2015, with over half (57%) of those aware of the day saying they spent more than usual. Over 80% of all local authorities covering the country actively supported the campaign on the day in a variety of ways, from staging or supporting small business events to offering free parking. Positive consumer sentiment and support to small businesses was echoed through social media. Over 130,000 tweets were sent on the day itself reaching more than 140 million people, with Small Business Saturday UK trending at number one in the UK and at number 5 globally. A huge thank you for supporting Small Business Saturday this year and helping make such a difference to small businesses across the UK.

At the end of November last year, Graham Marley attended the 3rd annual State of Small Business Britain Conference, hosted by the Enterprise Research Centre at The Shard in London. The conference was attended by over 100 delegates and was co-hosted with the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Programme. The day featured presentations from a mix of academic and policy speakers. New research from the ERC was presented along with topical panel discussions involving speakers from business and local and national policy organisations. Graham Marley attended the conference and in this blog he shares some of his key takeaways from the conference. Professor Mark Hart, Deputy Director of ERC chaired a lively panel discussion reflecting on local growth, with panellists Susanna Lawson (OneFile Ltd), James Phipps (Nesta), Lee Hopley (EEF), and Sarah Middleton (Black Country Consortium Ltd) offering perspectives from the worlds of small business and national and local policy. There were several stimulating questions from the audience which set the tone for a day full of interesting discussion and observation. Professor Hart suggested that in terms of supporting growth, the government should not support start-ups, arguing that you get roughly the same number of start-ups with or without government […]

NEN member, North Somerset Enterprise Agency (NSEA), are celebrating a double success for one of their clients, based at The Hive, their business centre. Green Frog Connect (GFC), an Independent Connections Provider (ICP) was recently named one of Britain’s fastest growing firms in the Sunday Times Virgin Fast Track 100 league table. They have also won contracts to build 275MW of new gas fired power stations throughout the UK. GFC was ranked 18th in the prestigious Sunday Times list, released each December, which charts companies with the fastest-growing sales over their latest three years. It has grown its turnover from £1.4 million in 2013/14 to £20.5 million in 2015/16. The company specialises in designing and building high-voltage connections to the national electricity grid and building gas-fired power stations which provide reserve power and, in line with the Government’s policy within the Capacity Market, help ensure that, in the event of blackouts, consumers can continue to access reliable electricity supplies at affordable prices. GFC also assists with electricity connections for all renewable energy projects, whether wind farm, solar park, energy from waste or anaerobic digestion. Green Frog Connect was founded in 2012 by Richard Shearer from North Somerset and Tom Drake from Sheffield, who […]

National Enterprise Network (NEN) has today announced a corporate partnership agreement with Chip & PIN Solutions, the UK’s leading provider of Card Payment Machines, EPOS Solutions, Merchant Services, E-commerce Packages and Business Cash Advances. The agreement will see Chip & PIN Solutions offering card payment services to NEN members and their clients. Chip & PIN Solutions have a wealth of experience in the SME market. Providing card payments services to thousands of businesses across the UK, from sole traders such as market traders, SMEs across a broad range of industries, to large blue-chip companies with multi-million pound turnovers such as The AA, Virgin Trains, Domino’s Pizza, Weight Watchers and Liverpool Football Club. Chip & PIN Solutions are passionate about supporting the SME market and saw NEN’s unique position in the market as offering the ability to further engage and connect with this sector. Their card payment solutions can provide start-ups and small businesses an affordable and efficient means of taking cashless payments and remaining competitive by offering their customers payment flexibility. Their experience within this market has shown that the ability to accept card payments can dramatically increase sales, and improve business efficiency such as improving cash flow and reducing administrative […]

One of our core principles is to connect our members with people and projects for greater success.  Throughout the year, there are many occasions when we are able to offer connection opportunities to our members. But perhaps one of the most important, is our flagship annual conference. At our 2016 conference, 60% of our delegates cited ‘networking’ as one of their main reasons for attending the conference. It’s clear that this event has value both from an information dissemination point of view, but also as an opportunity for our members to network with their with peers, and other industry stakeholders. So we were delighted when Allen Pluck, Chief Executive of Portobello Business Centre, told us about a connection he’d made with the editor of SME Magazine at our conference last November. After meeting at the conference, Allen was interviewed for the magazine and the story has been featured in a online blog, looking at how his agency is helping SMEs and start-ups in West London. The in-depth interview shares Allen’s thoughts on the challenges facing business start-ups in London, it talks about some of Portobello Business Centre’s biggest success stories and looks to what the future might hold for the business development and enterprise agency. It’s […]

What is it?  UnLtd, the foundation for social entrepreneurs and the law firm Bates Wells Braithwaite are designing an online tool that entrepreneurs running limited companies can use to create company articles and governance that reflect their purpose and NEN are delighted to be partnering on the project.  The aim is to make it easy for social entrepreneurs and mission-led businesses to declare and commit to a purpose beyond profit. The tool will cater for start-ups as well as more established businesses, and for businesses that have a primary social purpose as well as those who wish to create social impact alongside commercial goals. The project is a direct response to the recommendations of last year’s Mission-Led Business Review. What is the problem it’s trying to solve?  Evidence suggests that 1 in 4 people starting a business want to make it social in some way. The vast majority of businesses use the standard company articles and very few make the most of the flexibility of UK company law to define a purpose beyond profit. Ways of doing this are not always clear and few entrepreneurs are able to access legal help. What will this look like? How will it be […]

We share a blog from our partner Enterprise Nation who are holding a small business debate this week, read on for more information and to book your place! “In calling a snap General Election, Theresa May caught many off guard and has instigated a rapid rumble of activity from the major parties in pulling plans and manifestos together.  In the midst of this, we want to ensure small businesses get a decent view on what each party offers, as well as ensuring the small business voice is heard. For both reasons, we are hosting the General Election small business debate on 18 May and all small firms are invited. Hosted with spokespeople from all the major political parties on Thursday 18 May at ICAEW Great Hall in London, the debate commences at 6.30pm with a digital poll on your voting intentions, runs for an hour, and ends with another vote to see if the panelists have swayed your vote. The debate is a two-way conversation. It offers opportunity for the parties to outline their policies for small business, and offers you opportunity to ask your questions of the parties. When you register for a free ticket, you can include your question. Whichever […]

NEN Member, Erewash Partnership have recently launched a new, free programme of help for would-be entrepreneurs based in Derbyshire. The starter workshops and mentoring support is being delivered on behalf of East Midlands Chamber as part of a county-wide initiative that is funded by Derbyshire County and Derby City Councils and Derby and Derbyshire Economic Partnership. Experienced professionals will lead the workshops which will cover a range of subjects including understanding your market and how to reach it, business planning, bookkeeping, and starting with social media. The Partnership has an excellent record of helping people start businesses, nurturing them while they develop and continuing to give advice and help once established. Now in its 23rd year of supporting enterprise, the Partnership has signed a new three-year service level agreement with Erewash Borough Council to help regenerate the area’s economy. In the last three years, it helped 275 businesses set up in Erewash and Amber Valley. To do that it delivered over 1,600 advisory sessions. It also helped more than 500 established businesses. Regeneration projects managed by the Partnership have brought more than 32,000 sq ft of disused commercial space back into use, including its own prominent headquarters in Long Eaton […]

1 in 3 believe a cyber-attack on their business is a matter of ‘when’ not ‘if’ Nearly 1 in 5 (18%) of businesses say the threat of cybercrime keeps them awake at night While the threat of cybercrime is at the forefront of SME owners’ minds, ‘cyber recovery’ is not, according to a new study, The Business of Cyber Recovery, by PolicyBee. Click on the image on the right to view a full-size version of the infographic showing highlights from the research. Five hundred UK SMEs were asked about their preparedness for cybercrime and its aftermath: one in three believe that a cyber-attack on their business is a matter of ‘when’ not ‘if’, and quarter believe an attack is ‘likely’. However: 74% have not put any budget aside to deal with the aftermath. 43% will react if and when a cyber-attack happens and have absolutely no plans in place. Just 14% of all SMEs have a detailed plan which covers all bases and crucially have tested that plan. Sarah Adams, cyber insurance expert, who commissioned the study for PolicyBee, said: “Large corporates will all have a ‘what if’ plan in place that has been stress tested via a crisis simulation […]

We all know good and well that the way we work has changed over the years – with employers and employees alike being much more aware of their obligations and opportunities. Whilst in many cases these opportunities have been positive, for some they have been less so, so it’s no surprise that we have a new report looking at modern working practices. Published on 11th July 2017, the report was produced by former Tony Blair policy adviser and current CEO of the RSA, Matthew Taylor. The report was commissioned shortly after Theresa May became Prime Minister in 2016.   In the latest Small Business Taskforce meeting, which I attended on Thursday 27th July, the report was certainly a talking point. Generally, the consensus since launch is that the report findings could have been more controversial – however, Taylor was clear in light of the current political landscape he wanted the report findings and recommendations to be easily achievable without considerable legislation and to gain some government consensus. This wasn’t designed to be pie in the sky thinking, but to offer a genuine opportunity for realistic awareness and potential change.   What did I think? Well it is good to see […]

We’re delighted to send our congratulations to #TeamNEN member, Business West Chambers of Commerce. They were one of five chambers that walked away as World Chambers Competition champions, winning the Best Job Creation and Business Development project, which aims to maximise international trade as a means of benefitting business in South West England. They beat stiff competition in their category from Colombia, Turkey, Philippines and Iran. Organised by the ICC World Chambers Federation, this year’s World Chambers Competition was held in Sydney. The only awards programme of its kind, the biennial Competition originally received 53 applications from chambers, representing 27 countries. Recognising chambers for their forward-looking approaches to solve some of today’s global challenges, 18 finalists competed across four diverse categories, each presenting their ground-breaking initiatives to an international judging panel, and many of the 1,000 delegates attending the biennial Congress. James Monk, Commercial Director of Business West said: “We are delighted to win this award as recognition of achieving almost ½ billion pounds worth of additional export sales and creating nearly 4000 new jobs. The launch of our International Trade Centre was instrumental in helping Business West to achieve a 40% increase in our website traffic, 250% more potential first […]

Close to a hundred local businesses gathered at Wivenhoe House, Colchester on Wednesday 18 October to celebrate the work of the NEN member Colchester Business Enterprise Agency (Colbea) for 2016-17. Guests included the Mayor and Mayoress of Colchester, Councillor Gerard Oxford and his wife Councillor Beverley Oxford, alongside sponsors, supporters, tenants and those businesses Colbea has supported in recent years. Among these was guest speaker Jenny Parrett from Woofs’n’Wiggles, who started her business in 2015 as one of the first delegates on Colbea’s ‘Small Steps, Big Changes’ programme. Today Jenny is an award-winning business owner, as her day care centre for dogs – Colchester’s first – flourishes in the town. Over the 2016-17 period, Colbea delivered 1,289 business support services to local businesses, including business advice, mentoring and training and assisted in the creation of more than 70 new businesses. Ashleigh Seymour-Rutherford, Chief Executive, welcomed guests to the event and thanked Colbea’s staff, sponsors, and patrons, saying: “We are delighted that you could join us to celebrate a year of many achievements. It is thanks to your ongoing support that we are able to support and enable local businesses right from pre-start stage, and advise them through their business growth.” […]

NEN Member, Nwes, were celebrating again after receiving another accolade for the recently constructed King’s Lynn Innovation Centre (KLIC). The 2017 regional Constructing Excellence award for ‘Client of the Year’ was presented to Strategic Director, John Balch, at the Norfolk Constructing Excellence Club AGM held at the Assembly Rooms in Norwich. As a regional award winner, Nwes was a finalist for the Constructing Excellence National Awards, the winners of which were announced at a ceremony in London on 17th November. Constructing Excellence has a clear vision for the industry to deliver excellence through collaboration, with the firm belief that industry improvement will be driven by all sectors sharing, learning, working together and driving innovation to deliver a better built environment. The organisation is funded and governed nationally by corporate membership from leading edge clients, contractors, consultants, manufacturers and others committed to improving the industry’s performance. They strive to maintain and support the highest levels of innovation, best practice and productivity, and represent the leading construction businesses and industry professionals across the country. Nwes was nominated for the award by Feilden & Mawson, architects for the prestigious development of KLIC, and the honour was yet further recognition for Nwes’ flagship innovation and […]

As you know my almost seven years with National Enterprise Network came to an end today, I started as Interim CEO in April 2011 with an intention to serve a six month contract, and look what happened! It’s fair to say that not having been sure whether I would take to a role with a national profile and a national commitment – I have loved every minute of it (well almost)! I’ve worked in the enterprise support sector for almost 26 years; I joined an enterprise agency in April 1992 as an office administrator and worked my way to being General Manager of, what was then, one of the largest enterprise agencies in the country – from that I went on to work for sub-regional and regional Business Links and then here to NEN. I knew many of you already then, I knew the great jobs you do to support clients from all sorts of backgrounds, to start and run businesses of all shapes and sizes; I knew this because I’d done so much of it myself and found it to be some of the most rewarding work, I think, you could ever do!  I knew I was enthusiastic and passionate […]

2016-2017 was a challenging year for NEN and many of our members, with few unaffected by the political and economic changes which characterised this time. However, today NEN has launched a campaign which aims to highlight some of the very positive and visible signs of hope coming out of the enterprise sector during this same period. #EnterpriseImpact uses data collected from our membership during 2016-17 to tell a strong story of: High demand for enterprise support services, in spite of a challenging economy An excellent survival outlook for new and small businesses, who receive support from #TeamNEN An economy that is being boosted by clients supported by #TeamNEN Key data presented in our campaign infographic reveals: 1. 80,555 clients (50% pre-start, 50% established businesses) were helped by #TeamNEN during 2016/2017 80,000 were helped in 2015/2017 clearly showing that demand remains high year on year. 2. #TeamNEN provide completely inclusive client support – during 2016/2017 50% were female, 19% came from an ethnic background, 19% were based in rural areas, 21% were aged 16-29, 55% were aged 30-49 and 24% were aged 50+. Because our membership is based in geographically diverse locations throughout England, they are supporting a very broad spectrum […]