FEATURE
Like Avengers assembled – Like Us trio Shak Asghar with Lynn Rutherford ( left ) and Tracey Watson .
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PICTURES : TOM BANKS
YOU ’ LL LIKE US
Introducing next big thing in business support
A
new Tees Valley business support agency aims to “ revolutionise ” the sector and pave the way for businesses and entrepreneurs of the future .
The brainchild of three industry experts – CEO Shak Asghar , COO Tracey Watson and CCO Lynn Rutherford – Like Us is a symbol of collaboration , innovation and a deeprooted understanding of both the public and private sectors .
You might know Shak from his work with Nudl – an award-winning specialist in the UK ’ s business support landscape . Nudl ’ s expertise in fostering business growth , securing pivotal finance and embracing modernday innovation has set the bar high , while Shak ’ s Coconut Agency has crafted bespoke digital solutions for businesses that , he says , proves the sky isn ’ t the limit in the world of business .
Shak has teamed up with Tracey and Lynn , each boasting a long history in entrepreneurship and business support , most recently helping Tees Valley businesses to continue trading through Brexit and delivering DIT ’ s Digital Transformation and Free Trade Agreement support programmes .
Winners of business awards for innovation and female entrepreneurship , they understand what it takes to create a successful business , and how important it is for businesses to have access to the hands-on practical support that Like Us will provide .
Pooling their collective expertise , Shak , Tracey and Lynn have a shared vision , with Shak likening their partnership to assembling a team of Avengers .
“ Our mission was clear – to gather the best minds , each an expert in their field , to reshape the UK ’ s business support narrative ,” says Shak .
Their dedication stems from a shared journey . They ’ ve been in the shoes of the very businesses they aim to help . “ We ’ ve experienced the challenges , braved the storms and now we ’ re here to ensure others have a smoother sail , via the programmes that we ’ ll be delivering ” says Shak .
As Like Us CEO , Shak is geared up to steer the ship : “ We are driving change - designing and executing initiatives on behalf of authorities and government departments nationally . We believe there ’ s a fresher , more effective approach , and it ’ s businesses that will reap the rewards .”
132 | Tees Business