Member Article

Backing British Businesses – Think Micro Not Macro

As a nation we appear to be obsessed by the macro. The headlines are dominated by big business and the branch of economics concerned with large-scale factors, such as Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and national productivity. 5.7m individual businesses are even lumped together into a single sector called SMEs and treated generically.

This obsession drowns out the micro, obscuring the reality of what is happening at the level of individual firms up and down the country. As a business, Newable supports over 20,000 businesses working at the heart of the economy and each one is unique. We see and work with amazing, inspiring, world class British entrepreneurs and companies. Nothing gives us a greater thrill than being able to help them thrive through the provision of funding, expert advice or business premises.

From cutting edge, technology-focused firms to traditional masters of the craft which are scaling up, there are a wealth of standout businesses that are helping to drive our economy.

At the former end, one such firm is The Electrospinning Company, which Newable has supported since its establishment in 2010 as a spin-out from the UK Science and Technology Research Council (STFC). Based on the growing Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, near Oxford, the company has developed the expertise required to design, develop and manufacture materials for use in regenerative medicine which seeks to replace or repair damaged or diseased cells or tissues or to simulate the body’s own repair mechanisms. The company creates electrospun scaffolds, which are being used to help regenerate bone tissue and human cornea, in tendon surgery and wound care. They then degrade or are reabsorbed naturally once the patient has healed.

Slightly closer to home in the capital, Newable has also been supporting a family-run bespoke joinery business called Falkus, helping it to connect to and win contracts from major construction companies. Established in 1957 and based in Shoreditch, 62 years later the business continues its unrelenting commitment to traditional joinery craftsmanship. Falkus work across a wide range of bespoke joinery from softwood to intricate fine polished hardwoods, with each design executed with elegance. Their broad approach means they work across a range of sectors and are constantly developing and improving new methods and techniques allowing them to remain agile and to evolve with modern joinery trends.

The aforementioned companies like this are the reason why we have recently launched our Backing British Businesses series, to shine a light on the heroes of British industry that contribute to UK plc. We hope, in some small way, we can help re-frame the big picture and bring into focus a different, richer perspective on business in the UK, which can only be a good thing for all involved.

Chris Manson, CEO, Newable.

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