Help is at hand to make business dream reality

Sep 27 2007 By Alan Gillis

THE thoughts people have when considering starting their own business invariably centre around excitement; the dreams of how successful it could be, the freedom of potentially being your own boss, the freedom of expression and creative possibilities.

However, a little further down the line, starting your own business can become daunting.

Suddenly here you are on your own, trying to juggle being an accountant, marketing manager, administrator, salesperson, office manager…

The idealistic vision of how it all started can often seem very distant from the reality.

Though starting a business isn’t easy, and should never be something people enter into unwittingly, the process need not be overwhelming.

With the right kind of advice and support, it is possible to convert some of those early dreams into the reality of your business.

From nurturing and developing ideas, to running a successful business, the North-East Business and Innovation Centre (BIC) can help you at every step on the journey, outlining any funding assistance that may be available along the way.

Since establishing, the BIC has helped over 2,500 businesses to start up in the Tyne and Wear area and has achieved a survival rate which outstrips the national average, with more than 75% of businesses continuing to trade into their third year.

One example of a business which has benefited from a range of our services is Excalibur Fabrications.

With a combined 45 years of experience in fabrications and metal industries, brothers Brian and Gary Donaldson set up Excalibur Fabrications last year.

Brian says the brothers had been keen to start their own business for a long time, but found it difficult to find the time to work out how to go about it.

That is until his wife decided to take matters into her own hands and got the ball rolling by phoning the BIC and making an appointment for them.

Over a six month period, Gary and Brian worked with the BIC to develop a business plan, portfolio and sales strategy.

The marketing services branch of the organisation also assisted the brothers in creating a logo, business stationery and a website.

Since then they have won numerous contracts regionally and are seeing their business go from strength to strength – proof that starting a business really can run like a dream, providing you seek out a little help along the way.

To make an appointment with a business adviser at the BIC, call (0191) 516-6145 or visit the website for further information: www.ne-bic.co.uk