Despite facing challenges and delays, The Wellsprings has made remarkable strides in supporting businesses across the Greater Manchester area. Our commitment to fostering growth and innovation has yielded impressive results, and we are thrilled to share our achievements with the community.
Overcoming Challenges
The opening of The Wellsprings has faced a number of delays, impacting our ability to deliver the Masterclasses onsite. However, our dedication to supporting the business community remained unwavering. We made significant progress in providing non-financial support, enterprise readiness, and digital tool adoption, even without the physical site being operational.
Key Achievements
- Non-Financial Support: We proudly supported 32 businesses, surpassing our initial goals. This milestone was achieved through successful events and continuous engagement with the business community. As Ahmed Shyban, Founder of Taxara Ltd, shared, “Today, I had the incredible opportunity to meet the amazing Naomi Timperley FRSA and Ian Balderson at the ‘Launch Your Dream Business’ event. We had a productive conversation about launching Taxara Ltd and I gained valuable insights from their expertise in business development and supporting entrepreneurs.”
- Enterprise Readiness: Our efforts enabled 35 businesses to become enterprise-ready, exceeding our expectations. Many of these businesses were newly established and benefited greatly from our guidance and resources.
- Digital Tools Adoption: We successfully helped 7 enterprises adopt new technologies and processes, enhancing their operational efficiency and competitiveness. James Beardsworth, Corporate Services Manager at Age UK Bolton, attended our Masterclass and noted, “I attended the Masterclass: Design Thinking and Creative Problem Solving in Business event on 13th November. I found the session to be very engaging and I took away some fantastic ideas of how I can develop people around me and empower them to make decisions using Design Sprints and Problem Statements.”
- Job Creation: Despite facing challenges, we managed to help create 3 jobs, contributing to the local economy and providing valuable employment opportunities.
- Enterprise Creation: We supported the creation of 1 new enterprise, laying the foundation for future growth and innovation in the region.
Total Impact
In total, we supported 63 businesses in the Greater Manchester area. Our efforts have not only helped these businesses thrive but also increased awareness of The Wellsprings through face-to-face visits, social media presence, and radio media ads reaching approximately 250,000 people. Out of the 63 businesses supported, 15-20 have expressed interest in becoming residents once the site opens.
Testimonials and Community Engagement
We have received numerous testimonials from businesses and individuals who have benefited from our support. Becci Martin, Founder & Director at Boo Consulting, shared her experience: “I recently joined a session hosted by the Wellsprings team all around design thinking. I found the session really practical and full of tips and ideas to help spark creativity in my business. It was also great to learn alongside other businesses and entrepreneurs in a supportive and relaxed environment.”
Claire Gamble, MD of PR agency Unhooked Communications, added, “The event on design thinking for creative innovation and problem solving was packed with useful information and insights. Not only did we learn about how to approach design thinking within our businesses, we also got loads of useful information about the wider support and initiatives on offer for businesses across Greater Manchester. I left feeling energised and inspired, and can’t wait to put some of the learnings into practice.”
Natalie Wilson, CEO of Teenpreneur Empires, expressed her admiration: “What an incredible day with the amazing Naomi Timperley FRSA! Naomi is an award-winning growth and innovation consultant, was recently ranked as the 2nd most influential woman in UK tech and is an amazing mother, just to name a few. Truly inspiring!”
Looking Ahead
As we continue to navigate challenges, our commitment to supporting the business community remains strong. We are excited about the future and look forward to welcoming new residents to The Wellsprings site. Together, we will continue to drive growth, innovation, and success in Bolton and beyond.
