Member Article

91 jobs created thanks to Redcar Enterprise Team

A team promoting enterprise and fuelling business growth across Redcar and Cleveland is celebrating the creation of 91 jobs in just ten months.

Since April 2013 Redcar Enterprise Team has helped 68 businesses to launch and worked with companies to create 91 jobs across a range of sectors.

Among the companies to grow its team is Sweet Art Patisserie run by David and Sue Wrigley.

The company, based in Marske, has a retail outlet and supplies desserts to hotels and restaurants across the North East including Middlesbrough Football Club and York Racecourse.

In 2013 Sweet Art Patisserie more than doubled the number of staff employed – growing from three to seven.

Dave said: “Before starting the business in 2011 Sue and I had worked all over the country in the hotel and restaurant trade, we know the industry inside and out.

“But running our own business brought different challenges and the Enterprise Team has helped us get a better grasp on our finances which is allowing us to plan for the future and achieve our goals.”

Another business to benefit from Enterprise Team help is Ruby Lilly’s, a flower shop, also in Marske.

Suzie Stokes and her partner Joseph Rayner, launched the company in July 2013 after Suzie was made redundant.

The 31-year-old named the shop after her daughters Ruby, seven, and Lilly, three.

Suzie said: “It’s been a big change for the family, we’ve moved from Saltburn to live above the shop while we establish the business, but it’s great that we are working for ourselves now and we can shape our own future.

“Before opening the shop I completed the pre-start workshops with The Enterprise Team and since then I’ve had help to develop a business plan and I’m working with the team’s finance expert who’s giving me advice about book-keeping and various grants that are available.”

The Enterprise Team also provides at least 12 hours of free support and advice to businesses across the borough – a programme that’s been dubbed the Dynamic Dozen.

Around 50 businesses have benefited from the Dynamic Dozen in recent months with many more part way through the programme.

In addition to the new businesses, newly-created jobs, and Dynamic Dozen companies, the Enterprise Team has also helped almost 500 individuals to access expert business advice, enabling many to overcome problems in their bid to start their own companies.

That advice included help to identify premises, marketing, accounting and accessing financial help.

Enterprise Team business coaches guided those individuals through a series of workshops and many are now in the process of registering self-employed or launching a company.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Graham Vincent .