Time to get the can-do attitude with help from entrepreneurs

Mar 20 2008 By The Journal

The North East needs more businesses and now a new campaign has been launched in a bid to encourage an entrepreneurial culture. Iain Laing reports.

AN OVER-RELIANCE on primary industries for employment in the last century has left the North East lagging behind other regions in its business-creation capabilities. But the If We Can You Can campaign by the Entrepreneurs Forum, funded by One NorthEast, is aiming to address that.

The campaign actively addresses the current shortfall of businesses by unlocking the entrepreneurial potential among the region’s people.

With total activity in North East England estimated at 4.6% of the adult population, well below the UK average of 6.3%, If we can you can aims to stimulate an entrepreneurial culture by inspiring and engaging emerging entrepreneurial talent from all ages and backgrounds.

Building on the principles of peer-to-peer support that have underpinned the growth and value of the Entrepreneurs’ Forum, the campaign will use personal perspectives to nurture budding and existing entrepreneurs who, in turn, can become involved with the campaign by either telling their story – adding to a growing online database of enterprising accounts – sharing their business experiences and personal endeavours, or becoming a mentor to offer advice on their business experiences.

Recent research revealed the North East has 30,000 fewer businesses than it should have.

A region the size of the North East should have 70,000 businesses but actually has only around 46,000.

The Entrepreneurs’ Forum, a growth-orientated business created in 2002 by a group of leading business people, is taking the lead in encouraging a culture of enterprise within North East England.

The forum provides an invaluable resource and environment for fledgling entrepreneurs, enabling them to tap into the experience of those who have been there and done it – learning from their mistakes and absorbing first-class business knowledge.

Paul Callaghan, a board member at the Entrepreneurs’ Forum, commented: “Being part of this community will be empowering and inspirational. It’s an unbelievable opportunity to tap into the knowledge and experiences of like-minded entrepreneurs across the region. It’s about inspiration and engagement – finding out how others have overcome challenges along the way to achieving success and benefiting from their advice.”

The campaign has also recently launched the If We Can You Can challenge calling on any individual who is either thinking of starting a business, running their own business or looking to grow their existing enterprise.

The regionwide search will offer winners the opportunity to become the faces of entrepreneurship in 2009, heading up next year’s campaign.

The prize also includes an exclusive package of business mentoring and infrastructure support tailored for individual business needs.

Carole Beverley, of the Entrepreneurs Forum, said: “The North East is a great place for start-ups at the moment and the people we speak to on a daily basis have a real vision for where their businesses will go and grow.

“It’s well documented that a culture change cannot happen overnight, but it’s really important we recognise the positives instead of making comparisons with a past that bears little resemblance to the current business climate.

“Optimism among entrepreneurs in the region is exceptionally high, regardless of where reports position us.The feeling we get speaking to entrepreneurs on a daily basis is that now is the time to do it – the message really is ‘If we can, you can’.”

To tell your story or find more about the campaign visit www.ifwecanyoucan.co.uk

Alternatively if you would like to find more about the Entrepreneurs Forum visit www.entrepreneursforum.net