Shuttleworth Business Enterprise Centre
THINKING of starting a new business but don't have access to facilities or the experts to help you on your way?
Ever watched Dragons' Den and thought you could face the millionaires with your business proposal if only you had a bit more help to get things off the ground?
Now the help is here.
Located at Shuttleworth College, shuttleworthbusiness is a brand new enterprise centre which can give budding Richard Bransons their all important first step up in the business world. Thanks to a 320,000 investment from the East of England Development Agency (EEDA) shuttleworthbusiness will cater for small and fledgling businesses in the North and Mid Bedfordshire area, and is ideally situated close to Shefford, Sandy and Biggleswade in Old Warden Park.
Hot desks and incubation units are available making an ideal transition for entrepreneurs currently working from home or perfectly suited for those wanting to start a new business. Based on an 'easy-in, easy-out' principle, they provide a cost effective and flexible way for local business people to take their businesses to the next level, with no long-term commitments to worry about.
Business development experts will also be on site from a variety of local and regional organisations. They will be able to provide advice and mentoring to help nurture a new idea into a successful business. shuttleworthbusiness can accommodate several groups at one time with full access to all facilities, including an IT suite, meeting and training rooms.
Bedfordshire businesses, both large and small, will have the opportunity to take advantage of excellent facilities unavailable to them until now. Whether it's advice, training, team building, meetings or conferences you want, you will find it all at shuttleworthbusiness.
The friendly and approachable staff will do everything they can to meet your requirements. The stress-free environment will be the best way for producing successful business events and results in a spectacular rural setting.
Why not be a part of something successful which will provide success for you?
For more information contact:
Shuttleworth Business
Old Warden Park
Nr. Biggleswade
Bedfordshire
SG18 9EA
Email: maree.lloyd@shuttleworth.ac.uk|
Tel: (01767) 626222
Background
One of the ten key priorities in the East of England's Draft Rural Strategy was "to encourage enterprise and innovation within new and established businesses, and to provide an excellent infrastructure to support this."
Shuttleworth College, whose success was founded on a rich heritage of entrepreneurship, was keen to help deliver this strategy and submitted an application to develop such an enterprise centre at Old Warden Park.
The application was successful and an initial 270,000 grant was provided from the East of England Development Agency (EEDA) to create shuttleworthbusiness – a third enterprise centre for Bedfordshire to complement the centres at Chamber Business, Luton (Kimpton Road) and Hastingsbury School (Kempston, Bedford). This was later strengthened with a second grant of 50,000.
Facilities at shuttleworthbusiness include:
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Three dedicated, flexible training rooms with access to up-to-date IT and video conferencing equipment for course delivery and hire by commercial clients;
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Facilities for large group training activities, including team building;
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Incubation 'hot desk' facilities for new entrepreneurial business; and
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On-site business advisors and facilitators from BRBS (Beds Rural Business Support), ADER (Agricultural Development in the Eastern Region), Business Link and other local and regional groups.