Enterprising Eastern Perthshire Ltd

Enterprise Development & Support
in the Community
Growing the Local Economy
February 2015
GrowBiz
(Enterprising Eastern Perthshire Ltd)
What we do:
• Community-based enterprise support for
anyone who wants to develop an idea or start
a business (or social enterprise)
• Flexible enterprise advice, guidance and
connections
• Services are free and confidential
• ‘Bottom-up’ approach
2
GrowBiz:
How we do it:
• 1 – 1 meetings with enterprise professional
• Programme of peer support group meetings
• GrowBiz XChange & Mentoring
• Creative Care and Women’s Enterprise projects
3
Outcomes
• In 7 years of operation, worked with > 600 clients
• Helped to create/support 350+ new or expanded
businesses in rural Perthshire
• Cost per job c£1200
• 70% clients are women
• GrowBiz XChange – initial 40 members
4
Impact
In addition to business benefits (e.g. access
to idea development, business planning,
marketing, finance, HR advice etc)
• Increased community & social capital
• Increased self-esteem and self-belief
• Increased confidence
• Increase in contribution to local GVA?
(difficult to calculate)
5
GrowBiz businesses look like
this.......
and this.................
and these...............
and many more.......................
Creative Care Project
Photography workshops
Crafts
Herbal walks, talks and
complementary therapies
10
Cooking
and care
Moving and downsizing
for older people
What do we need to do to create a
more diversified rural economy?
- Access to flexible enterprise support
- Micro-finance
- Enable more connectivity – and crossfertilisation of sectors
- Respect for ideas and dreams
- Take initial ‘small’ ideas seriously – they
could grow into the big ideas of the future
11
Concluding Thought
Capture the energy and
aspirations of individuals to
improve their lives - and
those of their communities and results will
follow.............
12
Contact: Jackie Brierton
Coordinator@growbiz.co.uk
www.growbiz.co.uk
@grow_biz