The Business Exchange Swindon & Wiltshire April/May Edition 2015 | Page 20

OUTSET SWINDON

Since its beginnings in January 2013, Outset Swindon has helped
around 1,500 clients across the borough. The business start-up
service is part of Swindon Borough Council’s strategy to combat
unemployment in the town by encouraging residents to consider
self-employment as an option. Outset offers an invaluable
service for people who are interested in becoming their own
boss or have just started a new business, with a flexible, vocational programme that includes
information sessions, business start-up workshops, one-to-one mentoring, access to finance
and networking events. The service is fully-funded by Swindon Borough Council and the
European Regional Development Fund, allowing Outset to provide its services free of charge.
We profile three businesses that have been helped by the service.
TheVisualDrop
Since September, 2013 graffiti artists
Ed Russell and James Habgood have
run TheVisualDrop – a graphic design
company with attitude.
The business was originally launched whilst they both had
other jobs but once a few major contracts dropped they took
it on full-time and Outset Swindon proved invaluable.
Ed said: “We knew that just being “graffiti artists” we
wouldn’t have been taken as seriously especially in this town,
so we came up with a name that was simple and to the point,
describing what we do and what we wanted to do. We are
professional airbrush artists as well as graffiti artists so we
can execute any idea from large murals to fine detail bespoke
airbrush work.”
Ed and James knew each other through skateboarding
when they were young, before starting to graffiti paint
together. Between them they have graphic design and
illustration qualifications from GNVQs to BAs.
“As we are graffiti artists we were suddenly making a
great living from what we loved. From the legal side of things,
switching from our old occupations to this, we needed
advice on a whole range of things from invoicing people and
promoting ourselves further, to insurance regulations and selfassessment tax. Outset provided this.
“Aside from the advice, they always are prompt on
personal meetings, have friendly advisors too and they always
include us in business fairs and promotional days. They are
also trying to get us more local contracts, which is ideal.”
With just over a year’s experience of running their business

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THE BUSINESS EXCHANGE 2015

under their belt, they have worked for a number of big
contractors. Rush Skate Park in the Cotswolds held host to
their first project, which is one of the biggest indoor murals
in Europe. They have worked for Monster energy drinks,
revamped Bournemouth’s laser quest venue and painted a
mural at Eat Wild restaurant in Cirencester.
Ed said: “The next step is really to keep doing what we
are doing but hopefully transforming local businesses rather
than companies outside our home town. We have some great
projects coming up already but due to client confidentiality
we can’t really go into it until the jobs are completed. “
www.thevisualdrop.com