Workshop Feedback - Belfast

1. Workshop Feedback - Belfast

2. Group 1 – Awareness Gerry Faloona

3. How do we embed enterprise? • Need to champion success – local to global heroes – self-employed, public sector, management • Address fear of failure • Spread the message to parents • Better careers advice at school – from the right people

4. Barriers to awareness • No barriers – just challenges! • Overall roadmap not there • Attitudes in some schools to enterprise • No awareness of what the curriculum covers re enterprise • Departments and agencies know what the barriers are – need to grasp these

5. What’s not being done? • No consistency of support • Not targeting need at local levels

6. What do we need to do? • Better business/education infrastructure • More business links with schools • Need to explain what enterprise and entrepreneurship mean with learning context

7. What are we doing right? • Funding in place – but being told what to fund rather than what needs funding • We are asking the right questions • Education is responding

8. What can we do? • Encourage more innovation within education • Create an environment that secures long term funding • Speak with one voice • Focus on enterprise for life

9. Challenges • Encouraging more people of all ages to be enterprising • Encourage people out of the black economy • Address the skills base

10. More joined-up approach • 200+ organisations – impossible to manage • Need clear distinction of their roles • Be prepared to say no • Initial funding needs to be in the right places • There is a failure to take decisions at a strategic level

11. Group 2 – Pre-Start Gerry Ford

12. Barriers • Mindsets • Women (Domestic/Seriousness) • Culture • Attitudes • Motivation • Confusion

13. Not Doing • Co-ordination • Exploiting Potential Indigenous Business? • Joined Up Thinking

14. Can Do • Money • Good Will • Legitimise • Professionalism • Infrastructure

15. Should Do • Take Account of Macro Economy • Brokerage Matchmaking Ideas • Tax Breaks ( VC) • Consistency • Turnaround • Career Breaks Funding

16. Next 3 Years • Branding • Tailored Support • Enterprise Advisory Group • Customer Data Base

17. Group 3 – Start-Up Graham Cash

18. START UP • BARRIERS/NOT BEING ADDRESSED • Definitions • Needs • Communications/co-ordination • Tailored

19. Doing Right? Lots of different initiatives/programmes Success stories Geographic coverage Focus on start up/enterprise

20. What should we do? • Co-ordination, communication, proofing • Involvement, participation, support • Education sector – better advice and linkages – BEPs • Voluntary/Community sector – build confidence, create pathways • Informal/formal

21. The Challenges • The Economy • Funding • RPA • Interim period

22. Joined up approach • Accountability • Measurement • Reporting • Reward

23. Group 4 - Growth Aidan Gough

24. Growth – Aidan Gough, ITI • Barriers include: • Lack of information • Mentality: risk averse and lack of confidence • Regulatory environment inc taxation • Lack of networks • Infrastructure: transport costs etc • Historical background • Planning • Lack of skills: both commercial and technical (reliance of NI economy on public service means different skillset/mindset)

25. Growth • What is not being addressed: • Co-ordination of information. Lots of activity already underway, but lack of co-ordination means businesses are still falling through the gaps. • Fear of failure. • Difficulties with planning guidelines.

26. Growth • Generally, enough is being done to help companies export, but communication and co-ordination of efforts remains an issue. • Provision of information on potential markets by InvestNI is good, but follow up to trade missions is poor.

27. Growth • What can be done? • Streamlined/joined up/co-operative approach. • Focussed use of resources. • DETI to lead. • Encourage networks/role models • Improve public/private relationship • A more entrepreneurial public sector.

28. Growth • How to promote a more joined up approach: • Leadership and communication.

29. Growth • In summary: • Strategic approach vital. • Implementation critical. • Leadership

30. Group 5 - Awareness Simon Bridge

31. Table 5 – General Points Need for clear links between this strategy and the developing Social Enterprise Strategy. Clear aims and objectives of the Strategy: More businesses/more enterprising people? Faster Growing Businesses? Both? Will these areas require separate strategies?

32. Awareness • Importance of the Education System • Teachers • The curriculum • Learners understanding where they are going (careers guidance and the opportunities) • Does new careers strategy go far enough? • Needs to be wider than schools (FE/HE) • Teaching subjects with a focus on the world of work. • Resources

33. Awareness • Relevance of the strongest influencers • Need to understand the inhibitors to raising awareness • Need to promote success (with appropriate local role models) • Many have been around this issue before (are we starting from the ‘right’ place?) • Not just schools/HE/FE but also for those already in work

34. Awareness • Recognise that there is lots of activity but need for a co-ordinated strategy • Balance between co-ordination and a free market approach • Look back and learn lessons – don’t be afraid of new approaches • Some areas of awareness raising activity are better resourced than others.

35. Group 6 – Start-Up Trudy Arthurs

36. BARRIERS • Fear of failure, confidence, ideas, culture • Need for a quality relevant sounding board and relevant business experience to take forward appropriate ideas • Need to build relationships at an early stage with key effective people • Legislation • Clarity who funds what • Need a survey on NI businesses – what do they need, where are they now, where are they going

37. What is not being addressed • Support after the initial start up, recognition of the time it takes to become established • Relevant advice needed for such a diversity of businesses – rather than a generic solution • How to find the most appropriate investor or business partner / mentor for your business • Incentives needed to engage in the process • Resourcing of LEAs to deliver the support

38. Challenges • Ongoing support beyond year 1 of business start up • Will the LEA still be there • RPA

39. What can sectors do • More working together and sharing of info • Need to link in banks, accountancy companies etc • Central listing of contacts at all levels for signposting

40. Group 7 - Growth Peter Martin

41. Barriers/Gaps • Accessing support for growth • Gap between start up and growth • Practical mentoring assistance • Freeing up time – building 2nd tier • Confidence

42. Helping companies export • Driven from schools up • Helping people turn locally focussed companies into export • Export programmes tailored to meet specific needs eg women • Clustering to provide support networks • Linkages with ex-pats • Networking events/coaching

43. Role for those outside INI • Land/planning • Skills – language, IT, selling • Procurement procedures • Use of foreign based offices • Networking/ role models • Lobbying role for private sector

44. Challenges • RPA • Lack of business knowledge by public sector/INI staff • Need to be more agile • Global economy

45. Encouraging more joined up approach • Business representation on public bodies • Consultation on policy issues • Pathfinding model to be used for all businesses?

46. Workshop Feedback - Dungannon

47. Awareness Ruth Daly, Network for Enterprising Women

48. Embedding Enterprise • Education system is key, from primary onwards • Enterprise included in new curriculum, but will take time to take effect • Enterprise activity in schools/colleges regarded as added extra for CV – needs to be mainstream. • Self employment needs to be promoted as valid career option. • Use of mentors and role models important – of all demographics, and all levels of business model • Language needs to be inclusive and not off putting – ‘self employed’ vs ‘entrepreneurs’. Focus on skills to encourage would-be business owners, not just humdinger ideas.

49. Barriers/Difficulties • Cherry-picking businesses for support – importance of all enterprise activity needs to be recognised. • Lack of business skills/knowledge of how and where to acquire those skills. • Start A Business Campaign not sending out right message to right people – unrealistic and mis-use of resources. • Fear of failure. • Attitudes to risk • Different barriers across different demographic and geographic groups need to be recognised and addressed. • Lack of co-ordination between those involved in Enterprise Support. • Broader range of success stories - not just triumph over adversity

50. Barriers/Difficulties • Resources targeted at support of innovation for innovation sake esp EU funds – need to mainstream things that have worked ie BEP. • Lack of support outside Neighbourhood Renewal Areas.