NEWS & EVENTS
National news
London businesses sign up to 'I'd Rather Be in Cornwall Club'
Twenty representatives from Cornish businesses and support agencies recently attended the I'd Rather Be in Cornwall Club, a London based event hosted by Cornwall Pure Business, the county's inward investment team (a service of Cornwall Enterprise) to promote Cornwall as a business destination.
Approximately twenty London and South East-based businesses attended the event in Central London to find out about the level of business support available in the county and the opportunities that exist with regards to relocation.
Held at a leading London venue the event kicked off with a Q&A panel session with leading Cornish business people: Martin Nixon, Managing Director, Nixon Design; Toni Eyriey, Sales Director, Business Cornwall Magazine; Wayne Deakin, Creative Director; Seed Brand Communications; and Teddie Cowell, Technical Director, Neutralize. This was followed by a more informal networking session, which allowed the audience to probe further the issues raised by the panel. The spokespeople provided first hand and frank commentary about business in Cornwall. Made up of a mixture of people who are from Cornwall and those that have relocated, the audience was able to hear about both the positives and the challenges of working in the county.
Lucy Hunt, Inward Investment Manager, Cornwall Pure Business, explains: "Our role is to encourage knowledge economy based businesses into the county, benefiting the economy as well as helping to generate more skilled employment for local people. We have found that hosting a quarterly event in London is one of the most effective ways of communicating directly to businesses that are interested in making the move to the county. This is our ninth I'd Rather Be in Cornwall Club. Each event uses a different format and attracts new people who want to find out more about the county as a business location. Fundamentally, we believe Cornwall is a great place to do business."
In addition to the panel, representatives from leading law firm Follett Stock and accountants Kelsall Steele, as well as businesses uknetweb, Jarrang and Piran Technologies attended the networking session with potential inward investors after the panel debate. Cornish support agencies and relevant business organisations were also on hand to provide further advice and guidance. These included Combined Universities of Cornwall business support team, actnow, Unlocking Cornish Potential and Finance Cornwall.
Commenting on working in Cornwall, Martin Nixon said: "When I first left Cornwall to be a designer in London I never imagined that I would have the opportunity to work back here but thanks to the advances in technology and the support of organisations such as Cornwall Pure Business, the creative industry is really starting to make its mark on the local economy and I believe that it is up to those of us who are already established to help support and promote the many entrepreneurs on our doorstep so that this industry can continue to grow and develop."
Wayne Deakin from Seed Brand Communications, whose clients include Jack Daniels, P&G, Valcent and Cornwall Care, explains why Cornwall was their chosen business location: "Me and my business partners all wanted to work in a creative environment and had discussed the possibility of working flexibly, and we also wanted to seek a better lifestyle. As a successful marketing and branding business, any location was open to us. But Cornwall was the clear winner. We've really benefited both from the business support that has been available to us as well as the inspirational surroundings and this has definitely helped us make our national and local clients much more profitable."
Toni Eyriey, Business Cornwall commenting on their move to Cornwall added: "Business Cornwall has now been established for the past two years and we are proud to be part of such a strong and entrepreneurial business community. The demand for the magazine we feel reflects the ongoing growth in the local economy. "
Teddie Cowell, Neutralize, internet marketing agency, whose business has grown from two people to twenty six in the past five years concluded: "Cornwall has proven to be a great base to compete successfully in the global market place. We saw our turnover climb by 300% in the first couple of years of relocating. The business is going from strength to strength and we have further plans for expansion. We have found that Cornwall has a good pool of talent to choose staff from. We are one of the biggest agencies in the country that specialises in search engine marketing, so provide training to equip our staff with the skills to move the business forward."
Cornwall Pure Business is a service of Cornwall Enterprise