New £500m Economic Resilience Fund launched for Wales

First Minister Mark Drakeford has today announced a new £500m fund to provide extra support to the Welsh economy, businesses and charities experiencing a sharp drop in trading as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Economic Resilience Fund aims to plug the gaps in the support schemes already announced by the UK Government, including the Job Retention Scheme and the Self-Employed Income Support Scheme, which will guarantee 80% of people’s wages and income.

The new £500m Welsh fund will support firms of all sizes, including social enterprises, with a focus on those which have not already benefited from the coronavirus grants already announced by the Welsh Government. More information on the Welsh Government website…

Outdoor activities firm climbs to new heights thanks to Business Wales AGP

"Business Wales AGP gave me access to some amazing mentors."

Business Wales AGP has provided expertise to support the growth of many companies around the country.

 The latest firm we focus on in our blog series is Creative Adventures, which trades as Boathouse Climbing Centre, a family-run business in Llandudno.

Founded by Andy and Emma-Jane Sutcliffe, the company has a community-inspired ethos, with an appeal to all ages and abilities.

Here Andy Sutcliffe tells the Creative Adventures story and gives some advice to others starting out in business.

Tell us about Creative Adventures.
I've spent many years developing skills and knowledge in the outdoors sector, working for different companies across the UK in various roles.

For the past 17 years, I've been based in North Wales, working with many outdoor centres as well as gaining my Adventure Activities License (AALA). I spent eight of these years as the Climbing Coordinator for Conwy County Borough Council, and for the last two years, I held the lease to run the climbing wall at Llandudno Junction Leisure Centre, aptly renamed JunctionWall.

The Boathouse Climbing Centre is the latest chapter of a six-year journey that has been extremely challenging.

Seeking out a unique building to realise our vision, alongside securing the necessary funding, the opportunity to develop a climbing centre at the Old Lifeboat Station in Llandudno came about in December 2017.

We were approached by Business Wales AGP and were provided with mentoring on a range of areas. This meant we could secure the finance to get the project off the ground.

I designed the layout and built the wall with some trades help. Building work began in November 2018, with the soft opening in February 2019.

What are your proudest moments in business so far?
Securing the loan and seeing the money in the bank. It meant we could see the vision become a reality. The community and customer reactions have made it all worthwhile, and we have received brilliant feedback from people who have used the centre.

If you were starting again, what would you do differently?
We'd have an actual timeline for our work plan. This would have helped with build time and expenses. Also, I think we'd not have panicked about getting the kitchen finished as it was not needed as quickly as we first thought.

How has support from Business Wales AGP helped your business?
Business Wales AGP gave me access to some fantastic mentors – which eventually led to me securing a loan from Development Bank of Wales.

Without the loan, the business would not be open! I then received branding and website development support through my marketing mentor, which was so helpful as I had no idea how complex it all is. Now we have a strong brand I'm proud of and not just a logo.

What advice and guidance would you give other businesses starting out?

● Persevere – every time a door gets shut on you, knock on another three!

● Stay true to yourself – listen to advice but make your own informed decision.

● Accept that mistakes happen, that's life.

● Learn – from doors shutting, advice from others and the mistakes you make.

● It can be emotional – you will be sad, happy, angry, disappointed, let down – sometimes all at the same time. So go back to tip one – you'll get there!

For more information on Boathouse Climbing Centre visit here.

Further information on the Business Wales Accelerated Growth Programme.

How one woman's tragic experience with cancer helped form a business idea to help countless others

"Being able to access trusted experts and advisors through Business Wales AGP has proved invaluable."

Dealing with cancer can be a hugely traumatic experience for patients and their families. And it's an experience all-too-familiar to the founder of the next business we feature in our blog series on the companies given Business Wales AGP support.

Jo Riley started CancerPal after her mother was diagnosed with cancer. She found that after researching online, it was difficult to find answers to specific questions, and even more challenging to find products that would directly address cancer symptoms. 

Here, Jo Riley tells the story of CancerPal and advises others setting off in the world of business.

Tell us about CancerPal.
CancerPal is an online platform that provides advice and support to the family and friends of those diagnosed with cancer. 

Our website sells a range of cancer support boxes that people can give to their loved ones. These include Inner Strength boxes with a selection of items hand-picked for when someone receives their initial diagnosis. We also offer Chemotherapy and Radiotherapy Boxes, which include supportive products such as ginger sweets for sickness, balms for dried skin and aloe for burns.

After my mum was diagnosed with cancer, I realised what a minefield coping with a cancer diagnosis could be. For example, I was only able to find what kind of shampoo would be suitable for hair loss after a couple of hours of reading support forums.

I created a "cancer box" for my mum, which had items of support as well as small keepsakes. It was a massive help to her, both in terms of practical support, but also because of the thought and care that went into it.

Sadly, my mum died, and after returning to a corporate career, I decided I wanted to start a business that would make a difference.

Noting the difficulty in finding advice and support for friends and families of those who have cancer, I decided to start CancerPal, to provide people with an online resource and marketplace to support and care for their loved ones.

What are your proudest moments in business so far?
I'm so proud of the feedback from family members of cancer patients. At first, friends purchased from the site and gave me feedback that the boxes made a big difference.  But as the business grew, I started getting orders from across the UK, and recently had several orders from the US, exporting boxes to customers across the pond. Knowing that my business idea is helping people not just in the UK but overseas too, makes me proud.

If you were starting again, what would you do differently?
I built the business from scratch, including the website and its contents. In hindsight, I would have sought support from programmes such as Business Wales AGP a lot sooner, as I would have been able to build the business faster and more efficiently.

How has support from Business Wales AGP helped your business?
I received support through Town Square Spaces, and that led to me enrolling on Business Wales AGP. The business is still in very early stages, after our soft launch in November 2019. 

If the business continues to grow as planned, I aim to employ someone full-time in the next 12 months and will be seeking to improve the look and functionality of the website.

What advice and guidance would you give other businesses starting out?

● Seek help early. Enrolling on a program with trusted experts and advisors, such as Business Wales AGP can prove invaluable.

● Find a community. Getting the support of a community of other business founders can help you talk through ideas, as well as provide feedback and support that results in faster growth.

● Set realistic goals. This helps you to keep moving forward. It's fine to aim high, but if you don't keep targets within a reasonable scope, you can feel as though you aren't succeeding, even when you are.

For more information on CancerPal visit here.

Further information on the Business Wales Accelerated Growth Programme.