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New ventures flourish in Whitley Bay

Two brand new businesses have opened their doors in Whitley Bay, and the vibrant new ventures are flourishing in their town centre location.

The two new business - both based in Whitley Bay - have been supported by the North Tyneside Business Factory, which offers professional business start-up advice to budding entrepreneurs.

The brand new ‘Splat Centre’, located inside the old Co-op building on Whitley Road, offers indoor play and learning for children up to the age of 15.

Youngsters can develop their imagination and creativity through activities such as soft play, arts and crafts and story telling, and its ‘drop and shop’ service offers high quality childcare while parents spend time in the town. A unique ‘splat academy’ also offers learning sessions, ranging from baby massage to musical theatre.

The Splat Centre is the brainchild of Michael and Louise Burns. Their careers in childcare, social work and teaching provided the inspiration for the business, and advisers from North Tyneside’s Business Factory helped them shape and refine their ideas into reality.

Michael said: “We always wanted to set up a family business in Whitley Bay and we are really happy we have provided a positive, vibrant business in the town centre. The support we have had from North Tyneside Council has been invaluable - everyone from the town centre manager to the highways team has been behind us. We’ve also had great support from the Business Factory.”

‘Simply Smooth’ is a healthy but fun food and drink diner on Marine Avenue, Whitley Bay. The new store is run by local entrepreneurs Kimberley Turnbull and David Shipley, who saw a gap in the market for a healthy fast food diner that young people would want to visit.

The pair were unemployed and receiving Job Seekers Allowance when they came up with their business idea. They got in touch with the Business Factory and its advisers helped them create a business plan and offered advice on financing their venture, establishing their premises and marketing.

Kimberley said: “The Business Factory advisers were excellent; they worked with us to support us through the long process of setting up the business, and also helped us access finance. We couldn’t have done it without their support. We’re really excited about our new shop. We think it brings something really different to Whitley Bay.”

Today (10 August) the two businesses were visited by Elected Mayor for North Tyneside, Mrs Linda Arkley, who took the opportunity to confirm her committment to supporting the development and growth of small and medium sized enterprises, across the borough.

Mrs Arkley said: “New and imaginative businesses like these are the very life-blood of our town centres, and indeed our borough. It’s inspiring to see such unique and vibrant new ventures flourishing in the heart of Whitley Bay.

“It’s wonderful that North Tyneside Council and the Business Factory have been able to help develop these great ideas into great businesses. I hope this is just the start of a very successful future for them both.

“As a council, we are absolutely committed to supporting the viability and growth of our local businesses, as well as our town centres. Small and medium sized enterprises are the backbone of the UK’s economy as well as our local economy. And it’s my own priority to ensure I, and the council, do all we can to support our businesses during these difficult economic times. Today’s visits have enabled me to see first hand just how we are doing that.”

The Elected Mayor’s final visit of the day was to North Tyneside’s Business Factory, based at the Saville Exchange in North Shields, where she chatted with its advisers who’ve been successfully helping local people get their business ideas off the ground.

Over the last two years, the Business Factory has helped to generate over 400 new start-ups. Its target for the coming year is to support a further 1,200 businesses, with a particular focus on business to business ventures.

The Business Factory’s team of advisers work with residents to help explore ideas, identify talents and build skills, enabling them to go on and start a business.

Mrs Arkley said: “Encouraging entrepreneurial ambition has never been so important. The Business Factory has deservedly developed a strong reputation for offering practical and useful help and support, regardless of background, experience or qualifications. I look forward to visiting many more success stories from the Business Factory in the future.”

The Business Factory is part of The Raising Enterprise North Tyneside project which has been financed by the European Union’s ERDF Competitiveness Programme 2007-13, through the Department for Communities and Local Government, with match-funding from North Tyneside Council.

The project aims to energise and stimulate enterprise within North Tyneside. Its purpose is to target individuals from the borough to consider self-employment, and to help those already going down this route to progress their business further.

For more information, visit www.businessfactorynt.co.uk

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Nicola Sleightholme .