Member Article

Rural businesses given chance to flourish

Set up as one of five pilot schemes across England, the North East Rural Growth Network (RGN) covers parts of County Durham, Gateshead and Northumberland, giving businesses access to funding to buy in support to help with everything from planning to marketing. Perspective chats to Rural Enterprise Development Officer Emily Edwards to get the low down on how local businesses can gain access to funding through the RGN.

Hello Emily!

What do you do, as a Rural Enterprise Development Officer (REDO) with Derwentside Enterprise Agency?

My job is to work with people in rural areas who are creating and running businesses in anything from tourism and farm diversification to high-tech and artisan enterprises; I help them to find solutions to anything that might be holding them back – whether that’s accessing the right training or advice, securing finance or recruiting staff, or simply getting their message across to the right people so they’ll secure more customers to increase their profits. I act as the ‘connector’ to put them in touch with the right people and services, and sometimes can organise for the support they need to be funded too.

So what classifies a business as being a ’rural business’?

For the purpose of my work, rural areas have been designated by the Government, according to a variety of factors, such as low population density in an area that’s located outside of cities and towns. The rural areas of County Durham are pretty extensive. In North Durham alone we work with rural entrepreneurs from Coxhoe right across to Edmundbyers, and this includes businesses located in villages, suburbs, business parks and industrial estates, and even some locations around the main urban centres (like Perspective in Consett). If you’re not sure if your business is located in a rural area just get in touch and we’ll check it for you really quickly – all we need is your postcode.

So, what type of support can businesses access if they’re in a rural area?

Support for businesses in rural areas is provided through the Rural Growth Network Business Support Programme which will run until March 2015. People who haven’t set up yet can access free start-up advice and help with knowing who to speak to about what, in particular the services specifically for start-up businesses in the local area. That can save a lot of time, and provide access to free workshops too in useful areas such as social media and bookkeeping. People who are already in business can also access free help to identify areas for development, and be put in touch with people who can help. Businesses that trade with other businesses (as opposed to selling to the general public) can also access free master class workshops and funding of up to 100% of the cost of business consultancy to help them to move forward in their business – that’s the fund that Perspective used to enable the business to work on its marketing and communications. We’re also able to connect business owners with capital and revenue funding for business growth projects of up to £15,000, and an increasing number of local places across rural areas where they can locate their business.

What help can businesses access if they’re not in a rural area?

Whether you are a rural business or not, Derwentside Enterprise Agency can help you with a range of business support activities – from mentoring, coaching, training, office space, networking or access to finance and funding.

What’s the best piece of advice you could give small businesses?

“Work for yourself, but not by yourself!”

Here at Perspective we can highly recommend the Rural Growth Network after securing over £700 of funding to pay 100% towards some help with our communications and marketing.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Fran Williams .