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Rochdale business celebrates success during National Co-operative

A Rochdale man who set up his own community-minded company is highlighting the business benefits of joining a co-operative consortium during Co-operative Fortnight June 22 – July 6.

Having been made redundant after working for over 12 years in the public sector as a Careers Advisor and Youth and Community Worker, Anthony Bradley from Castleton teamed up with his mum, Jackie Stewart, to successfully launch a community interest organisation, which provides training and support services to local community groups.

Anthony launched Everyday People in May last year, aligning his own expertise in working with local communities with his mother’s. A year on, they are successfully encouraging people in the North West to become more actively involved in their community through a range of creative activities, training, volunteer opportunities and multimedia projects. As well as hosting events like art and craft workshops to develop young people’s social and creative skills, the organisation offers training and consultancy to corporations that seek to better understand the communities they serve.

Everyday People is a not for profit company limited by guarantee and was set up as part of a co-operative consortia – a group of likeminded businesses who work together for mutual benefit, undertaking joint marketing, administration and management activities. Forged in the spirit of Rochdale’s co-operative past, Everyday People is proud to be one of the thriving local businesses celebrating Co-operative Fortnight, on now until Saturday.

The national campaign encourages buyers to ‘choose co-operative’, a sentiment echoed by one of the UK’s leading business start-up support specialists, Blue Orchid, along with Rochdale Borough Council. It was with Blue Orchid’s professional advice and access to training, commissioned by the council, that Anthony and Jackie came to trade as part of a co-operative consortium.

Councillor Peter Williams, cabinet member for economic development and customer services, said: “A co-operative model is an inspiration for new business start-ups and can lead to business success with minimal risk. Everyday People is proof of that. We want to encourage and support more entrepreneurs like Anthony and Jackie to reach their potential.

“Providing business start-up advice is a key priority for us to unleash local talents and strive towards a sustainable economy. With Blue Orchid Consultants on board, becoming your own boss has never been easier, so I would encourage more people from across the borough to take advantage of the support available.”

To assist the pair with the initial set-up of the business, Anthony and Jackie were assigned a Blue Orchid business advisor who provided one-to-one expert support on business planning, establishing a cash flow plan and outlining how the business would operate.

Anthony Bradley said: “It took quite a while for us to formally set-up Everyday People but this was made easier with support from the co-operative consortium and our Blue Orchid business advisor, Jan Melia. Jan helped us to create our business plan which in turn saw us qualify for an Enterprise Allowance – vital funding to get the business up and running.

“We have developed some strong partnerships with local housing associations over the last year, and we are slowly but surely laying the foundations that will ensure the long term prosperity of Everyday People. We’d definitely recommend that people starting up consider joining a co-operative consortium as a way of pooling resources and offering genuine value as a local service.”

In Greater Manchester Blue Orchid offers one to one business advice through a network of professional advisors, supported by an extensive programme of workshops across a wide range of themes. The service is centred in local venues with business advisors based in the community to offer a complete package of support to help individuals start up their business.

The scheme it operates in Greater Manchester is co-funded by Rochdale Borough Council and the European Regional Development Fund, and is completely free to people meeting the eligibility criteria.

Blue Orchid CEO, Heather Hayes, believes Co-operative Fortnight offers a chance for business-minded individuals to explore local co-operatives and find opportunities to realise their own business potential. She said: “Co-operatives advocate ethical business practices, so the fortnight is a great vehicle for highlighting the success of start-ups like Everyday People, as well as to push the creation of more sustainable employment opportunities.

“We’re proud to be part of Everyday People’s success and we hope to assist further businesses in Rochdale and across Greater Manchester with the same set-up process through the Start Up Now service.”

Everyday People is one of 2,000 businesses that Blue Orchid has helped set up under the business support programmes it operates across the region.

For more information about the services provided by Blue Orchid, please visit http://www.blueorchid.co.uk/

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Blue Orchid .