Pointing the way to business success
Jun 7 2008 by Ben Guy, The Journal
ANORTH East business has been highlighted in a national report as an example of how rural enterprises can succeed.
The report, by the Commission for Rural Communities, was carried out in response to the flooding and foot-and-mouth outbreak that disrupted much of rural Britain last year.
It highlights a number of key areas that need to be improved if the UK is to get the best economically from its rural areas.
Greater access to financial support, more affordable housing and improved levels of investment would all help to increase rural prosperity, it says.
But as an example of what can be achieved, the report conducts a case study on Northumberland-based Dipsticks Research, a multimedia and marketing communications research firm.
The company was originally set up in Allendale and also has offices in Hexham. It is run by husband and wife team Fiona and John Raglan.
Set up in 1997, the business employs 38 full-time staff, and Mr Raglan said there were support mechanisms in place for young businesses, if people knew where to look.
He said: “We received grant support from various bodies and government agencies.
“We knew who to ask, and to be perfectly honest, we had an excellent account manager who was very proactive.”
Mr Raglan added that rural businesses needed to be more proactive in seeking help and advice, but said there was room for improvement in support agencies.
He said: “There needs to be more of a culture of not just seeing rural business as the traditional things. You can develop complex business firms in the countryside.”
The report, carried out by rural advocate Dr Stuart Burgess, outlines a number of ways in which the Government can increase prosperity for businesses operating outside urban areas.
It read: “There is strong evidence that rural businesses struggle to access the support and advice available from Government or work effectively in partnership to address obstacles they face.
“This can include hurdles in planning or infrastructure, accessing services or gaining new skills for employees – all of which can prevent the leap from micro business to a business that blossoms to boost the local economy.”
The report also makes a number of recommendations, including the appointment of “rural champions” within various organisations, making the Government more “rural proof” in its policies and the initiation of an economic programme to examine the report’s proposals.
