Aycliffe Today Business Aycliffe Today Business Issue 38 | Page 7

/NEWS
The magazine for Aycliffe Business Park | 7
/ADVICE
TIME FOR A FRESH START?
As 2019 gets off to a start we’re
finding that businesses seem freshly
reinvigorated.
Pictured (left to right) is the new Aycliffe Business Park Community
board, Sarah Slaven, Lisa Fleming, James Goodliffe, Rachel Townsend
Green, Lee Harris, Kerina Clark, Stephen Gosnay, Pamela Petty, Ben
Healey, Sharon Hutchinson and Martin Walker.
Four new members boost Aycliffe
Business Park board
T
he Aycliffe Business Park Community
information related to their business.
(ABPC) has been boosted with the
“We’ve already achieved a great deal,
appointment of four new members –
but we believe ABPC is yet to fulfil its full
taking it back up to full strength.
potential, and we’re excited about the
The original 11 board members were
opportunity to make further progress with
appointed when ABPC was first incorporated
the help of the four new board members.”
in the summer of 2016.
Lisa is a qualified transport manager and
But as some members left the organisation has worked within logistics and transport
due to other commitments, ABPC started
management for the past 14 years.
a recruitment campaign towards the end of
“I am passionate about engaging,
2018.
strengthening the relationships and driving
The board of directors is now back up to
the business park forward to work together
11, with the arrival of Lisa Fleming, Stephen
and connect with each other, which in return
Gosnay, Sharon Hutchinson and Ben Healey.
will support business growth within the
Lisa is managing director of Aycliffe-based
business park,” she said.
recruitment agency Driver Hire Darlington,
Stephen is key account manager for family-
Stephen is key account manager at Newton
run printing firm Newton Press, which has
Press, Sharon is operations director of law
been based in Aycliffe since it was formed in
firm Endeavour Partnership and Ben is a
1963. He joined the firm in 2017.
partner in law firm
Endeavour Partnership
“Our key mission
Greystone Legal.
operations director
They join seven
and Newtonian Sharon
statement is to
existing members
is based at the firm’s
develop, sustain and
Kerina Clark (Xcel
Aycliffe offices, at the Xcel
Centre managing
Centre.
support a vibrant and
director), Pamela Petty
Solicitor Ben worked
diverse business park
(Entreprenising owner),
for a Northumberland law
community“
Rachel Townsend Green
firm before setting up
(Thrive Marketing
Greystone Legal with Paul
director), Sarah Slaven (Business Durham
Humble in June 2017.
County Council operations director), Lee
ABPC aims to support and aid economic
Harris (Mitchell Gordon partner), James
development and economic activity on
Goodliffe (Formula Plastics managing
Aycliffe Business Park, and to promote
director) and Martin Walker (Mantis Media
and support the ABP through events and
managing director).
marketing materials, both in print and online.
Chair Kerina said: “We’re delighted to
It aims to do this by signposting ABPC
have appointed four people who have
members to support, provision and
demonstrated a clear desire to build on the
information for their business needs while
work already achieved over the last few
communicating and sharing skills, best
years.
practice and facilitating knowledge transfer
“Our key mission statement is to develop,
within the ABPC.
sustain and support a vibrant and diverse
Spread across 400 hectares, Aycliffe
business park community to contribute to
Business Park is home to more than
an environment where businesses can grow
500 diverse and progressive companies,
and develop and to support businesses
employing around 10,000 people.
with opportunities to promote and gain
To find out more about ABPC and future events, go to www.aycliffebusinesspark.co.uk
Common amongst them though is
the challenge of progressing their
future vision – putting ideas on paper
and plans into action – while caught
up in the day-to-day management,
time-consuming tasks, and inevitable
problems of a business.
Our approach at Commercial Expert,
working with clients, often sees us act
in a financial advisory capacity, and as
such we’ve compiled our top tips to
help businesses act on their ideas.
1. Consider what’s important and
achievable here and now
Yes, businesses require long-term plans
for success, but these plans are likely
to fail if they aren’t based on organic
growth and a phased approach that
sees you make confident strides (rather
than unsteady leaps) forward.
2. Concentrate on your business, not
the business world
To allow you to really focus on your
plans, you need to forget the world to
some degree. There are uncertainties
in the marketplace and a lot could be
thrown at businesses this year, but
knowing what you want will see you
through this.
3. Seek advice not answers
This applies to all aspects of a business
but particularly finance. Many turn to
banks who will give yes or no answers
but not advice. If you’re considering
a borrowing solution, brokers with
independent access to lenders will tell
you if it’s right for you - and if not they
will be able to assist, offering advice
along with examples of similar clients,
to enable you to find funding that’s a
good fit for your aspirations.
Everybody wants something. We’re
excited to set many businesses on the
right financial path for their ‘something’
(which often creates a product/
service that fulfils somebody else’s
‘something’) – most certainly making
2019 a time of opportunity.
Mike Coates,
Managing director, Commercial Expert