Sound Business Basics

SOUND BUSINESS BASICS - THE KEY TO SUCCESS

Watch your cash, look after your customers and make sure you retain a unique selling point.

That was the advice from Doug Richard, arch entrepreneur and former star of BBC TV's Dragons' Den, to 60 business leaders at a meeting at South Green Park Enterprise Centre, Mattishall.

Mr Richard said the troubles on the London markets and Wall Street underlined how "traditional simple business virtues" of being mindful of cashflow were the foundations of success.

The event was organised by the Norfolk Way campaign and the Mid Norfolk Enterprise Forum - both the brainchild of George Freeman, the Conservative parliamentary candidate for the new Mid Norfolk seat.

Mr Richard also used his speech to call for investment in higher speed broadband links for rural East Anglia.

"Norfolk can be prosperous and retain its traditional identity," he said.

"It can combine the best of the old and the new. It can have an economy based on well-connected, dispersed rural enterprises, living in a pleasant rural environment but competing in the global economy. But only with world class communications."

Mr Richard added: "Our whole model of social and economic development by "big government" is flawed.  The Wall Street and City bubble collapse is demonstrating that sustainability is to be found in sound business basics, in the traditional simple business virtues of watching cash, looking after customers, having a competitive unique selling point, having a distinct business offering and talking to your customers.

"Small businesses always do this. All we have to do to unlock a revolution in enterprise in Norfolk is remove the barriers that hold business back, invest in world class communications, and promote a positive model of mixed rural development. I strongly support The Norfolk Way campaign."

After the meeting, Mr Freeman said: "This is exactly what the forum is about: promoting local enterprise, giving local businesses a voice to highlight the issues that matter to us and need tackling locally and nationally, and inspiring us to believe in our entrepreneurial spirit and to demand the infrastructure to support this."

"This area - although very rural - is home to some fabulous small businesses which we need to celebrate and promote. We look forward to expanding The Norfolk Way project to help local businesses and to develop closer links between businesses, schools and communities."

The event took place at South Green Park Enterprise Centre in Mattishall and was sponsored by Edward Bales of Poultec Training Limited. Edward Bales is a rural business entrepreneur that has grown his business Poultec Training Limited based on one clear aim - ‘to promote excellence in learning'.

Mr Bales said: "In order to do this, it is essential that we provide a range of learning opportunities that meet the needs of employers and learners and increases participation and achievement. Key to achieving this is ensuring that we are flexible and responsive without compromising quality and that we ensure equality and diversity in all we do. 

 

The high calibre of our team and the excellent resources we have developed at South Green Park have enabled us to build a reputation for quality and reliability, both regionally and nationally.  This reputation enables us to access funding for many of our courses and has been recognised by our approval as a National Skills Academy and Centre of Vocational Excellence. 

The event saw the launch of a new project which gives local charities the chance to ‘pitch' to the assembled businesses. The inaugural pitch was from Dereham's ‘Kickstart' scheme, which provides 500 mopeds to help Norfolk youngsters access jobs.

Following the event South Green Park Enterprise Centre received high praise from Mr Freeman who said: "All the feedback has been 100% positive. People commented on the excellence of the facilities, and the catering, (we had an excellent dinner) and the general professionalism of the Enterprise Centre, which several local businesses hadn't realised was such a comprehensive facility."

Doug Richard is fronting the East of England Development Agency's new campaign on entrepreneurship called Big Fish. For more information visit www.bigfish4business.com