Business Link services made to measure

From cottage crafts to new media exponents, East Lancashire is bustling with business activity. Business Link services are at the forefront of advising, promoting and helping a vast range of East Lancashire firms become more successful.

Here, we look at a few to illustrate how Business Link for East Lancashire services are tailored to meet the individual needs of local businesses and entrepre- neurs. Dexter Paints is a long established manufacturer and retailer, Farmhouse Fare is a young vibrant food producer and 1-2-1 Tuition is a new business grabbing the opportunities offered by the internet.

Each is being helped on its way to further success by Business Link assistance.

EASY DOES IT WHEN YOU WANT TUITION

THE world of private tuition has succumbed to the internet - and the move to bring efficiency, easier access and speed is being driven by a Haslingden-based business.

Around two years ago, when Anthony Bradley (below) got the idea of setting up a national database of private tutors, he received a major boost when a company already operating in the field came up for sale.

He bought Hampshire-based 1-2-1 Tuition together with the details of 400 tutors already signed-up for work with the company.

He soon realised, however, that the internet offered major benefits both for tutors and people seeking tuition.

"The idea of being able to go onto a website, key in the type of tuition you wanted and be matched immediately with a local tutor seemed so simple," said Anthony.

Now, less than two years later, 1-2-1 Tuition has a database of 1,000 tutors around the country, offering a wide range of traditional teaching skills from arithmetic to zoology.

Anthony is now extending the service to leisure activities, including, sports, hobbies, music, languages and computing.

The business operates from offices at Bradwood Court, St Crispin Way, Haslingen. As Anthony lives in Clitheroe, however, his early business plans were evolved with help from Ribble Valley Enterprise Trust.

He went on to receive Business Link assistance through a personal business adviser and then a Business Link grant towards the creation of the website, www.121tuition.com

"The decision to transfer to a totally online operation has given the business a clear position and lead in the sourcing and supply of private tutors," said Anthony.

The service is free to those seeking tutors. It is the tutors, either individuals or local or regional teaching agencies, who pay to be registered with 1-2-1 Tuition.

"The concept is new and is being very well received," said Anthony.

"Those seeking tuition have almost instant access to a list of tutors, details of their teaching experience and backgrounds.

"They simply choose the tutor who best suits their needs and make direct contact".

Built-in safeguards include a partnership with Kroll Background Europe, a dedicated international pre-employment screening company.

More information from www.121tuition.com

HELEN'S PUDDINGS TAKE THE BISCUIT

HELEN COLLEY has created one of the biggest phenomenons in British food retailing. In just over a year she has taken the sticky toffee pudding and made it a gourmet delight enjoyed by customers of some of the most successful supermarkets in the land.

Booths recognised the potential first, followed by Sainsburys and Waitrose, which commissioned Helen to create a range of biscuits for its coffee shops. Now, the Farmhouse Fare brand can also be found in Morrisons, Spar and Costco, with a new range set to hit the shelves of another supermarket giant within weeks.

All the recipes, from the original sticky toffee pudding to sticky banoffee pudding, sticky marmalade and whisky pudding, luxury sticky chocolate pudding and the soon to be launched sticky dickie, have been have been created by Helen (right).

The idea came when she was running her outside catering business based at the

family farm in Gisburn. She created her own sticky toffee pudding recipe that became an immediate favourite.

So last year, the catering business was sold and all efforts put into developing and expanding the puddings business including building a new state-of-the-art bakery at Salthill, Clitheroe. This included seeking assistance from Business Link for East Lancashire, which allocated a personal business adviser to give business, financial and grant advice, during the expansion.

Now, Helen's Farmhouse Fare Ltd employs 30, creating and producing thousands of additive and preservative- free sticky puddings, cakes and biscuits each week from the purpose-built bakery.

Packaging has been re-designed and puddings launched nationally as 'traditional hand made puddings from rural Lancashire'.

"We've even named the bakery Anderson House after my great, great grandmother Janet Anderson and feature a picture of her from 1858 on all the packs to reinforce the family and rural characteristics of the business," said Helen.

She says the success is due to emphasis on the quality of the products, reliability of service and continued development of new lines.

"New enquiries and orders are coming in virtually every day. The original trial orders from Sainsburys, for example, have been raised to supplying 300 plus stores across the UK with a range of sticky puddings," said Helen.

Gaining British retail Consortium Technical Standard accreditation was one of the landmarks towards major recognition. "That showed the buyers that we were a quality company, producing quality products - someone to be taken seriously," she said.

Assistance from Business Link has been crucial.

"We were introduced to Business Link about eight months ago and received assistance which helped with the successful expansion and move to the new premises," said Helen.

PAINT SHOP'S PERCEPTION PROBLEM

BURNLEY-BASED Dexter Paints is building up export markets around the world.

It supplies specialist paints to prestige car manufacturer TVR at Blackpool and makes coating and finishings for a host of business customers.

But the company has hit a little local difficulty - it is struggling attracting trade from East Lancashire DIY enthusiasts.

"It is a perception problem," said managing director Alan Sharples (above).

"We even get people coming into our shop and apologising for being there."

Now, with the help of Business Link, Alan is restructuring the Dexter Paints business and extra retail sales are a key part of his plans for expansion. "This is one of the biggest areas of potential growth as the public don't fully realise they can walk into one of our shops in Blackburn, Burnley and Nelson and buy from a wide range of paints and other coatings, " he said.

Alan was appointed managing director around 18 months ago and has introduced a number of changes, including an improved management accounting system.

The company, based in Trafalgar Street, has recently created two divisions - Dexter Industrial and Dexter Decorative.

The industrial side supplies specialist coatings to the automotive, construction, component and other business sectors.

Dexter Decorative sells mainly to the trade, but is now hoping to add more retail sales to the mix.

FREE LEGAL ADVICE FOR BUSINESSES

Small and medium sized businesses in East Lancashire are being offered access to free legal advice.

Business Link for East Lancashire has joined forces with East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce to provide access to the 24-hour, seven day a week service.

Businesses which register via www.businesslinkeastlancs.co.uk or by phoning 0800 696 696 gain free access to professional, qualified legal advice from Composite Legal Expenses Limited, a leading national consultancy.

Advice can be sought on a wide range of business issues including commercial law, employment law, health & safety legislation, environmental health, construction

safety, tax and vat issues.

"This service is facilitated by the Chamber of Commerce and, jointly, we are able to offer thousands of small and medium sized business in the area access to qualified advice just a phone call away," said Business Link for East Lancashire chief executive Phil Burgess.

February 2003 Business Events

nWEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 12

6.30pm for 7pm

The Conference Centre, Stockport County FC, Stockport

Chartered Management Institute Master class: "Time Management"; speaker: Peter Green.

For more information please contact Jane Houghton on 01625 614458 or email: jane@jhoughton85.freeserve.co.uk

nWEDNESDAY & THURSDAY FEBRUARY 12 & 13

Reebok Stadium, Bolton

Renewables, energy and the environment

Envirenergy is the North West's biggest energy and environmental management conference and exhibition. The conference will provide comprehensive coverage of renewables and other energy and environmental issues facing companies today.

February 12: 2-5pm; registration £45 +VAT

February 13: 10am-5pm; registration £85 +VAT

For both days registration fee: £100 +VAT

For more information contact Nicola on 01257 276176.

nTHURSDAY FEBRUARY 13

Chamber of Commerce East Meets the Rest event

Northcote Offsite Conference Suite, Jack Walker Stand, Blackburn Rovers

Following the recent success with the 'East Meets West' business-to-business exhibition and networking event, this event will join together the North West Chambers of Commerce. This will be a great opportunity to showcase products, network with between 200-350 business people and acquire new leads with businesses from across the whole of the region.

For more information please call Barbara Terech on 01254 356400.

nMONDAY FEBRUARY 24

6.30pm for 7pm

De Vere Whites Hotel, Reebok Stadium, Middlebrook, Nr Bolton.

Chartered Management Institute best practice session: "Killer Presentations"; speaker Nick Oulton from M62 Visual Communications.

For more information please contact Mike Coyle on 01253 761778 or email: mike.coyle@btinternet.com

nTUESDAY & WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 25 & 26 (OR 27th)

6pm for 6.30pm

MMU, South Cheshire College, Bus Link, Crewe Chamber, Crewe Campus

Chartered Management Institute master class: "Partnerships with People and Reward Strategies"; speaker Professor Paul Iles, Teeside University Business School.

For more information please contact Roger McCartney on 01539 721053 or email: roger.mccartney@managers.org.uk

FURTHER AHEAD...

nTHURSDAY APRIL 10

Business Link presents Steve McDermott, "motivational speaker"

Steve is inspiring, funny, unique and fantastic. His latest book "How to be a complete and utter failure in life, business and everything: Thirty-nine-and-a-half steps to lasting under achievement" is a reference of inspiration, profound, and sometimes funny ideas, from some of the best thinkers that have ever lived.

To book ring Anneka/Tracy: 01254 604624.