A Local Entraprenur Radio Hour....

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.