New Business Hub Set Up In Ely

WITH the recession continuing to bite throughout the country, entrepreneurs with good ideas have a new place to turn for help, advice and mentoring with the launch of a new scheme this week. The Ely Business Hub is the brainchild of East Cambridgeshire

WITH the recession continuing to bite throughout the country, entrepreneurs with good ideas have a new place to turn for help, advice and mentoring with the launch of a new scheme this week.

The Ely Business Hub is the brainchild of East Cambridgeshire District Council, 'serial entrepreneur' Peter Dawe and Simon Crosland from Business Link East, who recognised that the district needed a place for start-up-businesses to go for independent help.

The innovative public/private sector partnership is set to go live on the Market Square in Ely on Thursday with budding entrepreneurs invited to come and talk to Peter and Simon about turning a business dream into a reality.

As well as one-to-one business advice, use of free office space in Ely and access to one of the region's leading start up champions, The Hub will create a business network for new companies to talk through ideas, access the latest information and give support.

Councillor Ron Bradney, lead member for economic development at East Cambridgeshire District Council, said: "With the closure of the East Cambs Enterprise Agency last year, anyone with a business idea in the district has been left without any where to go locally for advice. We thought this couldn't be right - there has been a great history of entrepreneurship in East Cambridgeshire and we knew by working with the right people we could help. I believe the Hub is set to be a huge success and a great help to anyone in the region who has a business idea that needs to get off the ground."

Peter Dawe, who has helped set up over 70 businesses and organisations, said: "The Hub is a great way to help budding entrepreneurs in the district by ensuring they have the right advice at the right time to succeed. These are difficult days in our economy and the private and public sector needs to do all we can to help start ups. We are also looking for the people who have a real enthusiasm and business sense to match to my business ideas to form a business.

Simon Crosland, from Business Link East, said: "There is no doubt that ideas go a long way to creating a great business but that doesn't guarantee success. This is where the Hub will come in. It is important for us as a public/private partnership to offer the support which may seem obvious and in some cases boring but it is by putting in place these building blocks that business succeed."

INFO: For more information on the Ely Business Hub call 01353 644144 or log on to www.espaceely.com/main/ely-business-hub or come down to Ely Market Square and look for the Business Link Mobile Unit.