Strike outon your own...

May 20 2008 by Karen McLauchlan, Evening Gazette

INSPIRING young people to consider self-employment is vital to the future of the region’s economy, say business support experts.

The comments come on the back of research from The Prince’s Trust, which last week revealed more than 70% of young people in the North-east believed schools and colleges encouraged conventional careers rather than supporting aspiring entrepreneurs.

Eighty-two per cent said their careers advisors never mentioned starting a business.

And the perception of many was unless you are white, middle-aged and middle-class, you’re unlikely to succeed in striking out on your own.

The Entrepreneurs Forum launched its If We Can, You Can initiative recently, backed by the Evening Gazette, to inspire people of all ages to start their own business.

Nathan Robinson, who runs Barclay Elsdon Lettings in Saltburn, is now battling it out with fellow entrepreneur Matt Stirland from Guisborough - who wants to set up a chain of health clubs especially for children - to be named the Gazette’s winner.

Carole Beverley, chief executive of the Entrepreneurs’ Forum said: “Throughout the competition we have been overwhelmed with the wide range of responses received, with 145 would-be and existing entrepreneurs coming forward and registering as part of the challenge and a further 150 joining the If We Can, You Can entrepreneurial community. The competition is true testament to the hot bed of talent emerging across the region.

“It is vital that we continue to cultivate this activity, which has a key part to play in contributing to the regional economy. We hope that with continued support on offer from us, providing role models and mentors for inspiration and engagement, alongside direction from the government, in schools and via support services like Business Link, together we can change these perceptions.”

She said the perceived profile of a business entrepreneur in the report didn’t reflect what the organisation was seeing in the region.

“Many of the region’s budding entrepreneurs come from a variety of social and ethnic backgrounds,” she said. “It is part of our role at the Entrepreneurs’ Forum to profile these people and help change current perceptions among young people, highlighting that there are no pre-requisites to becoming an entrepreneur and illustrating how the region’s community is already made up of a diverse range of personalities.”

Catherine Marchant, chief executive of Young Enterprise North East, said the report’s finding didn’t come as a surprise, adding more needed to be done at a younger age to encourage a new generation of entrepreneurs.

Young Enterprise forges links between schools and industry with some of its programmes enabling students to work together to run their own real company.

“A lot of money has been invested on enterprise education for young people,” she said. “This tends to focus on wider enterprise skills such as creative thinking and decision making. The possibility of running their own business isn’t really looked at.”

She added: “It’s important education focuses on core skills, obtaining qualifications and looking towards further education.

“But making business start-up more prominent in the enterprise curriculum would be a good idea - which could be done by schools working with external partners to help achieve that.”

Business Link North East said it provided support and advice for entrepreneurs of any age.

Jonathan Lamb, director of marketing, said: “As part of its free and confidential service for anyone who wants to start a business in the North-east, Business Link offers specially tailored support and guidance to young people interested in launching their own enterprise.”

He added the BLNE team could help young entrepreneurs by providing solutions to common problems such as sourcing the right finance, writing a business plan, choosing a business name and becoming an employer for the first time.