District sets trend as start-ups rise by 82%

Apr 21 2009 by Karen Dent, The Journal

THE effects of the recession have failed to put a dampener on the number of new business start-ups in East Durham, which have increased by 82% in just under a year.

East Durham Business Service (EDBS) and Be Enterprising (BE) helped 253 new enterprises to open for business between April 2008 and March 2009, as part of the district’s community-centred approach to encourage new entrepreneurs.

Be Enterprising has seven business start-up coaches working across East Durham to help people get their ideas off the ground and find appropriate sources of funding, while EDBS can provide further help with specialist advice on marketing, retail and finding commercial premises.

The area has been hit heavily by redundancies during the slowdown and figures released last week by Government advisors, the Work Foundation, showed that the Wear Valley suffered the largest proportional rise in unemployment in the UK. The number of people out of work more than doubled from 1,117 to 2,342 in the past year.

Figures show that in 2005/6, just 65 new enterprises opened for business in East Durham but the number has shown a steady increase since then to 113 in 2006/07, 139 in 2007/8 and the 253 start-ups established in 2008/9.

BE programme manager Elliott Patterson said: “The Be Enterprising programme is committed to creating an enterprise culture which calls people and places to take action.

“Together with our partners, we provide hands-on support and advice along the enterprise journey from pre-start business idea to launch and beyond, so that anyone can do it. We’re working hard to bring the level of business start-ups in Derwentside, Easington, Sedgefield and Wear Valley to above the national average.”