NEWS
A slice of Yorkshire
The work done by Yorkshire in Business, the Scarborough-based enterprise
agency which has helped establish and support hundreds of businesses since
its creation in 1985, was recognised at the end of last year when it received the
Customer Engagement Award 2016 from the National Enterprise Network. After the
presentation, SME Magazine caught up with Jenn Crowther, its head of operations,
to learn more about what was behind the agency’s success.
Jenn, tell us about Yorkshire in Business.
What does it do?
We were set up to help establish and support businesses
in the north east. We have a range of business advisers all
who have run their own business at some point. I have
worked here for 13 years and absolutely love it. We were
previously known as Yorkshire Coast Enterprise but
have re-branded to become Yorkshire in Business which
will help us attract a wider clientele and modernise our
approach to the community.
What did it mean to win your award at the NEN
conference? What set you apart?
I wrote a programme to support local businesswomen in
enterprise – called Totally Local Women. The programme
was really close to my heart as it was based on my own
experiences as a woman in business and it was a proud
moment to receive recognition of this at the NEN awards.
GOOD TO SEE
THE BIGGER
PICTURE
Alex Till, chief executive
of Menta, the Suffolk
enterprise agency, was
keen to highlight the
positive impact of the
conference. He said:
“It’s very easy for CEOs
to become engrossed
in the own business
or organisation and
not look at the bigger
picture. It was great to
hear such informative
and challenging
speakers and to have the
opportunity to speak
with people from across
the country.”
What are the main challenges you
So what is Totally Local Women
find businesses face?
and how did you come up with the
Businesses face challenges from all
idea?
areas. In Scarborough, we have to
I know from personal experience
deal with having no customers (and
that being a woman in business
to the east as we only have the sea!
today can be extremely tough. A lot
I know it sounds strange but that
of women have to look after children
reduces your potential customer
as well as a home and a business so,
base). We are then faced with high
levels of deprivation, low wages
without support, it can be a difficult
and seasonal trends. Many of the
balancing act. I became involved with
businesses I work with must make all
Totally Locally Scarborough which
Jenn Crowther, Head of Operations,
their earnings for the year in April
was promoting smaller independent
Yorkshire in Business
to September which is why the town
businesses. I combined this with my
centre markets I organise are so vital as they can give
own experiences in our family-owned bridal shop, and
that business the boost needed to get through the winter
came up with a programme to support women to start
season. They are also faced with businesses coming
and grow their businesses.
and going. Because employment is so insecure many
I wrote to the RBS women in enterprise funding and
people give self-employment a go but they haven’t really
applied for a grant to support 30 women, and predicted
thought it through and fail, which has the unintended
that 10 would start their own business. The main idea
consequence of having a negative impact on cash flow to
was to get the businesswomen together so they could
other businesses.
support each other and build relationships that would
support their business goals. It was very much aimed at
What do you hope to achieve over the next
start-ups but the response was fantastic. We managed
five or so years?
to work with 70 women, of which 30 were existing
We want to continue establishing new businesses, help
businesses, and 30 new businesses were created. I really
the high street and create more and more success stories.
didn’t imagine it would be so successful.
We will be celebrating business success ourselves by
Have you an example you can share with us?
Lynne Moore, a lovely lady, is so passionate about her
business. She set up Food for Thought Eating Disorder
counselling as she identified the gap in the market after
struggling to combat the same addiction herself. We were
proud to work with her to get her idea off the ground. We
are someone she can call and lean on, run her problems
past and she can brainstorm new ideas with us.
6
Talk us through your average week
No one week is the same. I get to work with businesses
in their workplace, see them grow and develop and
then have the privilege of seeing them receive awards in
recognition of their hard work. I keep in contact with all
the businesses I work with; social media is a fabulous tool
to support them. One week I am on the Small Business
Saturday Bus Tour, supporting businesses in Helmsley
and Boroughbridge and developing new business ideas,
the next I am organising the Totally Locally Market for
Saturday. This involves meeting up with the businesses
wanting to start trading in the town and discussing how
to make the most of this opportunity.
Most evenings are spent engaging with the businesses
on social media, promoting the businesses I work with
on the Totally Locally Scarborough Facebook page. I get
lots of feedback thanking me which makes us feel part of
a team and not alone.
holding our first Yorkshire in Business awards and
we will continue working in the community to bring
businesses together.
We will be developing our services to focus on a
specialist programme to support getting ex-offenders into
enterprise and aim to develop new businesses run by ex-
offenders which will provide work experience for inmates
on release. This programme will give inmates a purpose
and will aim to have a positive impact on re-offending rates.
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