Latest support centre for SMEs and startups launches in Ponteland

A new SME support hub, aiming to inspire the startup, scaleup and expansion ambitions of entrepreneurs across the region has been established by one of the region’s well-known business figures.

The SME Centre of Excellence has opened in Ponteland to provide services to growing businesses, to enable them to achieve their full potential.

The facility aims to offer support in areas including accountancy, legal, HR, websites and digital marketing, as well as providing hot-desking and virtual office space, workshops and advice surgeries.

The centre, on Ponteland’s Main Street, was opened by councillor Peter Jackson, leader of Northumberland County Council, and has been hailed as having a key role to play in the ongoing development of the Northern Powerhouse.

The SME Centre of Excellence has been established by entrepreneur, Ammar Mirza.

He said: “The North East is a region famed for its entrepreneurial spirit and world-changing inventions, and we continue to make waves internationally in so many sectors through the inspirational work of the businesses we have based here today.

“This really is a fantastic place to do business, and through the opening of the SME Centre of Excellence, we hope to inspire the creation and growth of many more ambitious and successful ventures.

“We see this Centre as having a key role to play in the Northern Powerhouse, with us being a ‘one-stop shop’ for the needs of all SMEs, at whatever stage of their development, to help them truly recognise and unleash their potential.

“We have an outstanding array of services and expertise on offer to help support businesses get to where they want to be, and pride ourselves on being able to offer the right support at the right time, at the right price too.

“This is a very exciting new addition to the North East business community, and already we are working with some ventures with huge potential, and at the SME Centre of Excellence, our aim is to help them realise that.”

Councillor, Peter Jackson said: “I am delighted to launch the centre in Ponteland.

“We see the SME Centre as a great addition to the support on offer to local, national and international businesses.

“The service excellence approach is one we will be watching and supporting with interest to see how we can further expand across our growing region to help provide the right support at the right time.”