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New digital entrepreneurs take plunge at Ashton Old Baths

Seven aspiring digital businesses have won the chance to base and develop their ventures at Tameside’s most innovative working space, Ashton Old Baths.

They include a video producer, children’s portrait photographer, a designer of wedding stationery, a publisher of an online football magazine, social media consultant, music promoter, and a property services adviser.

They are the first beneficiaries of the enterprising Digital Dozen programme run by specialist business incubation experts Oxford Innovation in partnership with the property’s owners Tameside MBC.

Each individual will get a dedicated desk within co-working space on the ground floor of Ashton Old Baths, and a whole range of high-quality tailored support.

This includes one-on-one mentoring and access to an Innovation Director, providing diagnostics and support around business and entrepreneurship capabilities and needs. Also covered are a range of workshops on specific growth topics, business and social events to help build a community of supportive peers, suppliers and advocates.

Adam Taylor from online grassroots magazine That’s Football said he was delighted with the opportunity. “I am already blown away by the facilities - what a great place to invite people into - and the location is perfect for me. I am especially looking forward to the networking opportunities and the support I can access to take my business to the next stage.”

Brianna Harvey is a year into her social media and marketing consultancy, Digital Flamingo. She sees Ashton Old Baths as providing a great environment for growth and support in a very competitive market. “I am always being asked about other areas of digital marketing so I will be looking to build connections with other companies based here to help me grow.”

Tayjal Mistry is Ashton-born and is returning from London with her family to take up the co-working space and mentoring package to support her creative stationery business. She commented: “It will be great to have a professional environment to work from. Working for yourself can get lonely so I am looking forward to having more support and taking the business to the next stage.”

Innovation Director, Nigel Gilmore, who will be co-ordinating tailored support programmes for the seven businesses, said: “It’s great to see what the Digital Dozen scheme can do for these young businesses. They are brimming with energy, talent and hunger to do well – it’s our job now to support their ambitions.”

To be one of the Digital Dozen you have to be resident in Tameside or have your business based in the area, be ambitious for yourself and the firm and have a strong product or service in the digital, creative or media sector with a defined customer.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Sue Souter .