In
January of this year, myself and three others launched a new
business- a Community Interest Company called
Echo Network Productions CIC. (I'll post about that soon).
I
wanted to make some radio covering the ground we'd been over since
starting up, and share some of the best ideas, resources and projects
we'd found happening in our area which support emerging small and
medium enterprises, and the people working hard to make them happen.
Last
Saturday,
I broadcast
a programme on Soundart Radio 102.5fm which took
its inspiration from that journey.
listen here
I
tied this investigation into
the local Small Medium Enterprises scene into a upcoming event: the Transition is
Town
Totnes Local Entrepreneur Forum next Thursday in the Totnes Civic
Hall. It looks to be inspiring day long event- a great opportunity to
meet and talk about business in a wider (local and global) context,
to make contacts, network and devise ways of addressing local
business issues.
The
current economic down turn continues to have ill effects. Public
services are becoming more and more restricted, shops close regularly
and retail and business properties -private and council owned-
can stand empty for years. Just this month Axminster Carpets based in
East Devon went into administration, and among many others associated
with that company, around 95 people in the Buckfastleigh yarn
spinning factory were made redundant.
I
knew my radio show can't offer answers to these woes, but it does sign-post
some different approaches to work, some resources which can help, and
some great schemes that are being put into practise to give
businesses and working people a hand up to challenge circumstances
which can feel overwhelming.
The
idea of being happy at work is one thing, and struggling to pay rent
and put food on the table another. If
the current system of business models is beginning to flounder, new
ideas and approaches are required. Our area is rich in these :-)
I
asked Jay Tompt, who is leading the Transition Town
Totnes Reconomy Project,
and will be presenting ideas on creating community wealth at
Thursday's forum, how he saw
Totnes in the current economic situation.
I
spoke to Larch Maxey who runs the Network of Wellbeing in Totnes, about where he sees well being and economy meeting.
I
chatted with the South West course leaders, Dirk Rohwedder and Shenna
Leaf, from the School Of Social Entrepreneurs.
I
interviewed Celia Monahan about the Totnes Workhub,
I
caught up with the Totnes Arts Hub initiative, Roy form Roybern
Brothers News Agents, and a friendly Economics and Anthropology MA
student from the Netherlands who is interning in Totnes.....
The
Transform
Final Report: a work/life study commissioned by the Devon County
Council does not
use the words 'ressession / adaption / critical / new' in the same
sentence but it does suggest -
Technology,
transport costs and quality of life factors are fundamentally
changing the way we work. Growing
numbers of people are pursuing a different approach to work – an
approach that provides more freedom, greater choice and potentially
greater benefits for communities, the environment and for economic
performance.
Studying'
business can seem a misnomer- when often the first and most pressing
point is simply working hard to make your livelihood. It seems though, that an
exciting amount of investment (in the widest sense- money, time, enthusiasm, hope), both internationally with Lloyds
TSB and Big
Lottery
partnering the SSE, and very locally, with TTT getting stuck in through their Reconomy Project,
is being spent on new approaches to getting things done: reassessing
how we work, what we work at, and our works' effect on society as
part of a bigger picture. In
society, and with our economy, understanding needs, or how those
needs came to be, seems to be a essential part of working towards
solutions.
Closer to home is the Totnes Work Hub, a multi desk resource based on Totnes Industrial Estate, just a quick 10 minutes walk from the train station and the town centre. Totnes Work Hub is one of the Devon-wide workhub network initiated by Devon County Council. DCC envisaged, as part of their strategic plan 2012:
“A
high quality network of managed workspace that supports the diverse
needs of Devon businesses to ensure a thriving and resilient
economy.”
I
went to meet with the manager Celia Monaghan,
who makes stunning coffee, to ask about the Workhub.
Workhubs
such as the Totnes one are responding to a definite need:
FACT (SHDC 2011)
- Devon has a population of approximately 750,000, 58% of which are
of working
age. There are about 67,000 (14%) self employed people in Devon,
which is pretty high in comparison to the South West (11%) and UK as
a whole (9%). There are around 38,400 home based businesses (HBB) in
Devon and a further 46,500 employees also work from home. This
results in a total of around 85,000 people – representing a very
significant 20%
of the working age population – working from home. Self employment
tends to be higher in rural areas because of to the types of sectors
and employment opportunities present....... This can, on the one
hand, represent a strong culture of entrepreneurship and enterprise.
On the other, high levels of self-employment can be an indicator of
economic stress and represent a lack of other employment
opportunities.
The
workhub runs a hot desking area, and advice sessions for small and
micro businesses and free classes with business experts.
I
went to a well attended (and free!) finance class and a business-planning class
last month, and definitely came away feeling better skilled and more
confident. Not sure if those skills will stick but, hopefully, BIP's good advices have sunk in... (and I was very impressed with the other attendees-
some really cool and important projects and businesses are starting up
round abouts). The workhub is housed in the old Auto Trader builder -which was empty
for years- but now home to a housing association, a day care centre, the workhub and many small associated businesses.
Checking
out info about this years event held once again in Totnes' Civic Hall, I read:
The
annual REconomy
Project Local Entrepreneur Forum is
a catalyst for a new kind of economy in the Totnes and District area.
It’s designed to bring entrepreneurs, investors, and other change
makers into the same room to learn from each other, form new
relationships, and hopefully, to begin working together on new
enterprises that will increase well being in our community. What kind
of enterprises? Social, sustainable, regenerative, resilient – new
companies that create meaningful livelihoods and contribute to the
community in positive ways.
Using
a local event as a platform to promote and develop very local new
businesses and new business ideas really makes sense.
Jay told me about this years' pitchers at the 'Green Dragons Den' (based
on the hit TV prog- but here with a definite community twist): 6
local businesses are pitching to a panel of business advisers, and the audience, and seeking mentorship,
partners, investors and good publicity.
The
Totnes Arts Hub is one of those.They wish to start, essentially, another work hub-
but one centred around supporting and providing for the areas' arts and crafts professionals. Like the Totnes Workhub being a
incubator for desk-type
businesses, they are envisaging a place supporting workshop spaces
so that new or already established small, arts and crafts businesses
could grow and flourish.
Access
to space and resources in our area continue to be a problem. Higher
than average rent and often lower than average pay and opportunities results more and more in situations where groups of businesses
need to come together to work at finding solutions. Collaboration is
increasingly important, so that support, costs, ideas and knowledge can be
shared; and so that local supply chains can be utilised to best effect,
for example.
There
are more traditional institutes supporting business too. There are
active business networks, such as Devon & Cornwall business
Council, Chambers of Commerce and the FSB, which already
promote
business networking and collaboration. (SHDC's officer for business
and innovation, Carol Trant, will also be at the LEF- it will be good to
catch up with her and find out some about these.)
It
was good to chat to Roy from Roybern Bros Newsagents about the Chamber of Commerce and the High Street. Royberns, because of its fabulous penny sweet selection, must be the first
shop I ever fixed in my childhood map of Totnes Town. Local
innovations, such as Bern setting up the Saturday market (which I
thought must have been a town fixture as old as the castle) show a
resilient attitude to meeting economic challenges and a business-led
understanding of what is good for the town.
TTT
has been working with other partners such as the Totnes Chamber Of Commerce, Totnes Town Council, King Edward VI Community College, Totnes Development Trust, South Devon College and Schumacher College, to create a Local Economic Blue
Print- which is going to be presented at the Local Entrepreneur
Forum by TTT's Frances Northrop. This is a survey and study document which maps the local
economy to show strengths, opportunities, weakness and threats. Such a
study, which concentrates on food, retrofit, renewables, and care and health, will highlight the robust areas as well as those
needing particular injections of investment and energy. Knowing as much about our local economy as possible empowers us to work together to keep it as healthy as possible :-)
Thanks
to everyone who contributed their voices to this radio show- Jay
Tompt of Transition Town Totnes, Celia Monahan from Totnes Work Hub,
Dirk Rohwedder and Shonna Leaf from the school For Social
Entrepreneurs, Alice and Leigh Anne from the Totnes Arts Hub
Group, Larch Maxy form the Network Of Wellbeing, Roy from Royberns
Brothers, and Florence Shalom-
Speaking
to you all gave me a renewed enthusiasm for the potential of business
to contribute to society : and I wish you all the very best in your
projects!
*A note on radio - part of this project is opening up the airwaves- so, no highly polished 'product' made by the highly trained and highly paid professionals. Just a person of the public, with thoughts, and access to a mic and transmittter. Soundart Radio 102.5fm invites anyone with a desire to make radio to get in touch : the station is run by volunteers, and excels at promoting participatory democracy.
