Agenda item

For the purposes of the review this meeting took place at Hayes Business Studios. These were located on Uxbridge College Hayes Campus and were built from funding secured from the London Development Agency and Hillingdon Community Trust. The studios consisted of £1m ten unit facilities for new start up businesses and have been a great success story during these difficult economic times.

The Chairman provided the witnesses with the background to the Committee’s review and explained the aim of the review was to look at the impact of Public Funded Business Support and the success of New Business Start up within the Borough, with particular focus on micro businesses such as those within Hayes Business Studios.

Martin Blandy  - Manager of Hayes Business Studios

As part of taking up a studio at Hayes Business Studios, a business start up would be given ongoing professional support and advice which was delivered free by qualified and professionally trained business advisers in a way which suited and met the needs of the business. Training and support offered included:

·        Leadership and Management Programme delivered by Uxbridge College with up to £1,000 of grant support available

·        Train to Gain which helped businesses get the training they needed to succeed and stay successful

·        Business Seminars and Business Start up Open Days

·        Start up businesses could take advantage of free business banking for two years with Natwest Bank

The Business Studios were marketed through the Chambers of Commerce and Business Link for London.

Members were informed that in the first year for the Hayes Business Studios, nine out of ten office studios were occupied by business start ups.

Nas Khan – Businessman at Hayes Business Studios

Members were informed that tenants for the studios went through a strict interview process. A Business Plan was required which provided details of the businesses future plans. The initial support comprised of an interview with the local Business Link. The first 12 months were critical for new start ups and it was of paramount importance that new businesses had support and mentoring to ensure survival. Business to business support and just having another person in business to talk to was invaluable to a new start.

The Business Plan crystallised what was needed for a new business. The early days were chaotic with having to manage invoices, managing stock control, Pay As You Earn tax, Public Liability Insurance etc.

Members as an initial recommendation of the review agreed that new business start ups at the Studios would benefit from a core central service facility which they could buy into and which would provide invaluable professional support, whilst allowing the business to concentrate on selling their service and maximising the time to do this. An option could be having a separate business within Hayes Business Studios providing central support services to the businesses within the studios.

Reference was made to the businesses within the studios not interacting a great deal and Members agreed that greater interaction would facilitate business to business support and the possibility of providing discounted services to each other. Members noted this comment and agreed that more work should take place on forming business clubs which would provide business to business support and also provide possible discounts from business to business. There could also be possibilities of collective buying of insurances, employer’s liabilities etc.

Reference was made to the excellent Business Directory which was produced by the Council but Members asked about the feasibility of having a website for the studios which could include information on each business located on the site.

Discussion took place on businesses working closely with the College and taking students for work experience and Mr Khan expressed his support for this and for greater partnership work between the studios and the College.  

Lorraine Collins – Uxbridge College

Members were provided with details of the input of the College into the initiative. Opportunities were provided for the businesses on the site to have “get togethers” but it was acknowledged that greater networking should take place which would benefit all the businesses.

Reference was made to the level of business support which was given, which was less than expected. This support came from Business Link but resources were limited. Events such as the recent Google event which took place in Uxbridge could be held at the studios and could involve West London Business and the Chambers of Commerce. Uxbridge College’s Human Resources team could link in with these events. A West London Business event could look at business case studies, successes and failures. An E-Bulletin was produced by the Manager of the Studios which provided details on case studies for the businesses within the Studios. 

A possibility for providing support and mentoring could come from Hillingdon Partnership Trust who were a charitable organisation but who pulled together funding from businesses.

In addition reference was made to UK Trade Investment (UKTI) who were an organisation who helped businesses who wanted to export from the UK. They provided business opportunities; expert trade advice and support to UK based companies wishing to expand their businesses overseas. This could possibly be an opportunity for grant monies. Members noted this as an initial recommendation for the review.    

Members were informed the College also included an element of business advice within some of their own training, especially in relation to areas which would lead to self employment or business start up. The College’s business students had also attended seminars to raise awareness about business start ups. 

The Council committed £215k from Section 106 Funding as a contribution towards on-going 10 year operational revenue costs. Revenue funding was achieved through rental income secured from the Business Studios and through the hiring out of the meeting room. Such has been the success of the Studios that the income target for 2009/10 had been remodelled to £31k.

The success of Hayes Business Studios and the model used could be used on other sites within the Borough. It was a sustainable model which could be replicated elsewhere.

The Chairman thanked the witnesses for attending the meeting and for sharing their views with Members.

Resolved –

1.      That the information provided by witnesses be noted and used to evidence the review’s findings.

2.      That Rob Grover form London Business Link be invited to the next meeting of this Committee to talk about the provision of business support in Hillingdon.

3.      That a representative of SEGRO (Slough Estate Group) be invited to the next meeting of this Committee to talk about Industrial Estates, specifically North Uxbridge Industrial Estate, and how the Council could improve its links with businesses as well as how to improve business to business support on Industrial Estates.