(Image left to right Paul Taylor, Tom Watson MP, Dr Therese Coffey MP, Alice Morrison, John Whittingdale OBE MP, Philip Davies MP. Image credit Paul Hayes).
We’ve just hosted a visit from the DCMS (Department of Culture, Media and Sport) Select Committee, and joking aside, it is great to see government getting out of Whitehall and talking to business.
What we wanted to talk to them about, was provision post-cuts for the creative and digital companies that we work with.
To that end, we invited Code Computerlove, StarDotStar, Libra TV and Amaze Plc to come and tell them what they thought was useful support and what that kind of help means to small business.
It was actually really interesting for me to hear because we need to constantly re-evaluate what we offer and which things the businesses find really useful. The message was: Skills – particularly Accidental Leaders and Managers; Business Development – access to the BBC through @North and new emerging technologies/markets e.g. IPTV and of course any support that can be given directly to the companies.
The main question that came from the committee was, “Couldn’t you have done this anyway?” And the answer was, “Not really – because we couldn’t afford to/ hadn’t got the contacts/didn’t know what was coming up on the horizon.
Public money is used really well if it actually supports companies and the talented individuals that lead them to grow and develop. Small amounts, sharing the burden of risk and access to expertise go a long way.
I am optimistic from our engagement with the new government so far, that as it now looks to what it wants to build rather than just what it wants to cut, it is listening to that message and will act on it.
Alice
