Shipston Business Centre
In December 2005, the Shipston Business Centre was launched to support new businesses. The centre officially opened in January 2006 with 6 new clients. Over the next year, the centre went on to support a total of 30 businesses through to registration.
Throughout 2007, the project has continued to support local people with business ideas, and has recently been awarded further funding to continue offering support until March 2008. Our funders include Shipston Town Council, Warwickshire County Council Regeneration Projects, Warwickshire Access to Services Partnership and Stratford District Council, through it's Stour Area Committee.
As the project has been funded by partners who have an interest in promoting economic sustainability for the area, this service is free to all businesses at the point of use. Our funders have decided to invest in this scheme to promote local economic growth and to provide local opportunities for residents of Shipston and Stour Valley. The centre is open to everyone, no matter how big or small and whatever the business. Examples of businesses that have benefited from the scheme so far include gardening; hair dressing, life coaching and web based sales business.
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The programme continues to be managed by Coventry University Enterprises who have a track record of supporting nearly 300 business start ups in the last 2½ years through their vision works programme.
The programme is free to join and will offer new and established businesses support in the following areas from our Shipston satellite office
- 1-2-1 Business start up advice for new business
- Direct computer link to the Coventry University Enterprises
- Advice on business planning and marketing
- support through the business registration process
- access to a network of specialised business support for niche business
- a business diagnostic assessment for established businesses
- contact with local business people
Background
In 2000, an independent group of businesses and residents formed the Shipston on Stour Regeneration Association, now known as Stour Power. This group works in partnership with local authorities and the community to carry out regeneration activities in Shipston and Stour Valley. In 2003, The group carried out an assessment of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the area which formed an action plan. This document (The Healthcheck and Action Plan), was published early in 2004.
The Healthcheck and Action Plan recognised the importance of supporting businesses and the local economy. The local economy is known to be diverse, with a large number of home workers and commuters but there are concerns locally about the high price of land, reliance on a few large employers and the general lack of opportunities for employment in the area. This combination of ingredients has fuelled concerns that without a strong local economy Shipston is in danger of becoming a dormitory town. One of Stour Power's objectives therefore is to support projects which will attract quality new businesses to the area which will benefit the local economy. The business start-up programme is an example of such a project.
The business start-up project has arisen from recommendations of the Business Incubation Feasibility Study (Irwin & Jackson 2004). This study was originally going to focus on the need for workspace in Stour Valley but was extended to wider South Warwickshire at the suggestion of Advantage West Midlands. The recommendations for Stour Valley included the launch of a pilot business start up programme to support new and growing businesses. A pilot programme was recommended as it provides an opportunity to test demand for such a facility, providing vital information which could inform a longer term project for the area.
The pilot programme commenced in January 2006 and has been based at the Stratford-on-Avon District Council Area Office on Telegraph Street in Shipston-on-Stour . It is essential that the marketing of this programme continues to reach potential customers in Stour Valley to ensure the maximum number of people can benefit from the scheme.
Over the next 6 months, the project team will begin to investigate the ways in which this project could become sustainable to secure it's future.
For more information about activities and initiatives in Shipston on Stour, please contact the Stour Area Coordinator on 01789 260637 or by email at sbc@stratford-dc.gov.uk or by fax on 01789 260607.
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