NORTH NORFOLK PATHFINDER
BUSINESS ADVICE PROJECT
Presentation to Pathfinder Conference
22 March 2011
Ian Groves
THE PATHFINDER AREA
BUSINESS ADVICE PROJECT
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Available to all businesses in coastal communities,
Stalham and Happing Partnership area
Up to £1,550 of free business advice
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Consultation with Business Link East
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£450 voucher to offset against specialist advice
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Business planning
Follow-on projects
BUSINESSES SIGNED UP
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185 meetings attended between June and
December 2010
99 businesses signed up in total
– 75% from coastal area
All communities between Sheringham and
Waxham and inland
RESULTS SO FAR
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Specialist advice being provided in a variety of
areas
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– Marketing and planning most popular
Many have requested business planning
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Bigger issues also raised
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Very positive feedback...
ISSUES OUTSIDE PATHFINDER
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Sea defences
Coast road
Community projects
Bus services
Signage
Local area marketing
LESSONS LEARNED
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High levels of entrepreneurship and
cooperation
Many businesses can be assisted with
issues
Flexibility in response
A welcome boost to local businesses...
Business Planning, Strategy
and Advice
Andrew Wilson
NWES
• BIS registered Enterprise Agency
• N Norfolk for 10 years
• 9 delivery staff
• Support track record
• 9500 support sessions
NWES Delivery
• Build on partners work
• Business planning
• Strategy based
• Risk identification
• Market & PR positioning
• Financial projections
• Client driven
Project Changes
• Strategy / Advice
• Relationship duration
• Extension
• NWES produced
Client Barriers
• Access to Finance
• Client perception?
• Business viability concerns
• Security
• Solutions
•
•
•
•
Business Plan
Enterprise Finance Guarantee Scheme (EFG)
Joint meetings with banks
CDFI fund
Client Barriers
• Planning permission
• Perception?
• Solutions
• Named planning contact
• Business Plan
Client Barriers
• Rollback land costs
• No saleable asset for contribution
• Infrastructure
• Solutions
• Business Plan
• CDFI Loan
• Grants
Client Barriers
• Unviable businesses
• Not erosion linked
• Client unaware
• Solutions
• Strategy discussions
• Client decision
• Business Plan
Client barriers
• Business acumen
• No monitoring
• No planning
• Solutions
• Establish systems
• Professionals engaged by vouchers
• Ongoing support
What next?
• 33 referrals so far
• 30 still active
• More NWES driven
• Project Toolkit
Summary
• Business Planning, Strategy and Advice
• Intensive relationship
• Evidence of success
• Work in progress