Invest in Chesterfield

Proposals submitted for new Staveley Waterside Development

Proposals for the first phase of a new waterside development in Staveley have been submitted for planning approval by Derbyshire County Council.

Plans for the Staveley Waterside Development at Staveley Basin have been drawn-up as part of the Staveley Town Deal – a £25m Government-funded regeneration programme for the area.

Planning permission is being sought from Chesterfield Borough Council to construct a two-storey building, offering flexible space for new and existing small businesses, some retail use, and a food and beverage opportunity, with indoor and outdoor dining space, along with an access road, and mooring space.

£2.664m has been earmarked from the Staveley Town Deal fund, subject to planning approval, for the first phase of the development on the Staveley Basin site, which forms part of the Markham Vale estate – the county council’s flagship regeneration site with HBD (formerly Henry Boot Developments) off M1 junction 29a.

Ivan Fomin, Chair of the Staveley Town Deal Board, spoke about the development taking place across Staveley as part of a panel discussion at the Celebrate Chesterfield 2023 business conference.

The event encouraged organisations across the area to support Destination Chesterfield to market the town as a destination to invest, work, live and visit. Read more about the conference here.

Ivan said: “Staveley Waterside represents a fantastic opportunity to breathe new life into the area around the canal basin by creating facilities for businesses, residents and visitors.

“Enhancing the visitor experience around the canal with make it even more attractive to walkers and cyclists. The regeneration of this area will leave a lasting legacy for future generations and ensure that Staveley is a place where people can start, stay and grow.”

Ivan Fomin speaking at Celebrate Chesterfield 2023

Ivan Fomin speaking at Celebrate Chesterfield 2023

Councillor Tony King, Derbyshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Clean Growth and Regeneration, said: “We’ve put together proposals for an exciting new development which will help to bring jobs to the area and boost the visitor economy.

“Derbyshire County Council has been working alongside partners over a number of years to improve the Staveley Basin area and the Staveley Town Deal has given us a great opportunity to turn our ideas into reality, using our expertise from Markham Vale to create high-quality business accommodation as well as a visitor destination that people from near and far can enjoy.”

Staveley Waterside is one of three projects the county council is leading as part of the Staveley Town Deal which includes 11 projects in total.

Wheels to Work is a project the county council is leading to help people in Staveley access job and training opportunities by providing bicycles and e-scooters for those with limited transport options. And the county council is also heading up a project to reinstate a railway station in Barrow Hill and create better public transport connections between Staveley, Chesterfield and Sheffield for jobs and training opportunities.

For more information about the Staveley Town Deal projects visit www.chesterfield.gov.uk/staveley-town-deal

Staveley waterside 2023

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Destination Chesterfield, Development, Featured, Home, Leisure, Love Chesterfield, Property and Construction, Uncategorised, VisitingTagged in , , , , , , , , , ,

Get involved, collaborate and make change happen conference tells Chesterfield businesses

Chesterfield businesses have been urged to take action if they want to make a difference to the town’s future.

Speaking at the annual Celebrate Chesterfield Conference on Thursday 2 March, organised by Destination Chesterfield in association with Addooco IT, Peter Swallow, Chair of the town’s inward investment marketing campaign Destination Chesterfield, called on businesses to ‘get involved,’ ‘collaborate’ and ‘make change happen’ to ensure the town achieves its transformational growth strategy by 2030.

He said: “We have a network of more than 200 businesses, charities and education providers in Chesterfield, known as Chesterfield Champions, and the people in these organisations do so much to support Destination Chesterfield to market the town as a destination to invest, work, live and visit. But if we want to see the town thrive in an increasingly competitive market, we need to do even more collectively. We must collaborate and buy from each other and we must champion Chesterfield outside the area in order to help us bring investment into the borough and create highly skilled jobs.”

Launched on 23 February by Chesterfield Borough Council, key headline targets of the Chesterfield Growth Strategy include:

  • Increasing the number of employee jobs in the borough by 4% (2,000 jobs).
  • Increasing the number of businesses by 12% (400 businesses).
  • Increasing the number of higher value businesses by 15% (100 businesses).
  • Increasing the share of Chesterfield residents in knowledge-based occupations by 15% (baseline Census 21 – 18,000).
  • Increasing the value of the visitor economy by 20% (baseline £163m).

Speaking about the ambitious strategy at the conference, Councillor Tricia Gilby, Leader of Chesterfield Borough Council said: “Bringing together the public, private and community sectors to champion our borough is key to achieving our ambitions and strengthening the local economy. As a council we have continued to bring investment into the area from central government and elsewhere.

“Earlier this year we announced our success in bringing almost £2.7 million of UK Shared Prosperity Funding into the borough, a comprehensive spending plan is in place that will provide training support, grant programmes for businesses and charities, as well as helping to make further improvements to green spaces, sports and play facilities across our borough.

“We have secured more than £45 million from the government, this will be used to invest in the future of Staveley but also to improve Chesterfield town centre and enhance our appeal to visitors.

“Looking to the future there is more than £2 billion of investment across our borough and this will help ensure that we have a bright future ahead of us but there is still more we can do and working with the Chesterfield Champions we look forward to promoting our borough as the place to live, work, visit and invest.”

As well as being Chair of Destination Chesterfield, Mr Swallow is also Managing Director of Bolsterstone Group Plc, the company leading the private/public £340million Chesterfield Waterside regeneration scheme.

Chesterfield Borough Council’s Growth Strategy will see further investors like Bolsterstone Group and Devonshire Group attracted to the borough which currently has more than £2 billion of regeneration in the pipeline.

The Devonshire Group is behind the future residential development and regeneration of 150 hectares of former industrial land in the Staveley and is also partnering with Chesterfield Borough Council, Chesterfield College and the University of Derby in delivering the Construction Skills Hub. This is funded through the Staveley Town Deal and will provide training, careers insights, and work experience for more than 5,000 learners on a live construction site over 10 years.

In addition to site and bench joinery, brickwork, ground works and electrical installation the Hub will also provide training in green technologies.

The annual Celebrate Chesterfield conference, which was attended by more than 250 members of the town’s businesses community, also saw the launch of the new Destination Chesterfield plan, which will position the borough as a desirable and contemporary destination for visitors, investors and residents.

The new plan places the town’s network of Champions at the forefront, having been recently praised by the UK’s leading place branding, place marketing and place making specialist Thinking Place, as a ‘sales force’ for the town.

Celebrate Chesterfield was sponsored by Chesterfield Champions Addooco IT, University of Derby, Choice Utility and Markham Vale.

Peter Swallow added: “The financial support of the town’s Champions is incredibly important to ensure events such as Celebrate happen. For people to be onboard and contributing actively to the town’s growth and development, then they also must be informed and involved with plans. The lasting and far reaching change we are striving for in Chesterfield cannot be done by one organisation alone; it must be a collaborative effort.”

Nigel Mallender, Head of Sales and Marketing at Addooco IT Ltd, the event’s headline sponsor said: “Addooco are a proud Chesterfield based business and the majority of our Team live in the town. We’re delighted to support the many Destination Chesterfield events and to promote their initiatives wherever possible. They do an excellent job of increasing awareness of our town and in spreading the word on what a great place Chesterfield is to live, work, meet and to run a business. Addooco are committed to Chesterfield and continue to use local suppliers, services and hire local people wherever we can.”

Dan Molloy, Managing Director of Choice Utility added: “I believe that Chesterfield is one of the best places to do business out of. It’s important that the businesses based here support the town and each other, whether it’s through attending and sponsoring events like Celebrate Chesterfield or shopping local. Having a thriving local economy is key to developing conversations with national investors and ensuring Chesterfield continues to grow and develop.”

Adam Doyle, Head of Business Engagement and Employability at the University of Derby which is supporting the Festival of Business Exhibition said: “We were proud to be the partner of the Derbyshire Festival of Business exhibition at Celebrate Chesterfield. The festival plays a key role in continuing to support the business community to innovate and grow, aligned to our aim of raising skills and aspirations across our region. Working with businesses, we are helping to position our county internationally as a place to do business as well as a place to study, live and work.”

A spokesperson for HBD, the developer behind Chesterfield’s hugely successful Markham Vale and a sponsor of Celebrate Chesterfield, added: “Chesterfield is a fantastic place to do business, as demonstrated by the phenomenal growth we’ve seen at Markham Vale and the creation of more than 2,700 new jobs.”

To discover more about the investment opportunities available in Chesterfield visit www.chesterfield.co.uk/business/invest-in-chesterfield/

tricia gilby and peter swallow celebrate 2023

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Destination Chesterfield, Development, Featured, Home, Property and Construction, UncategorisedTagged in , , , , , , ,

Chesterfield is open for business as Council approves new growth strategy

An ambitious plan which sets out a long-term vision for economic growth – including a focus on quality jobs for local people, access to higher level skills, and environmental sustainability – has been approved by Chesterfield Borough Council.

The new four-year Growth strategy (2023 – 2027) represents a long-term commitment from the council to make Chesterfield a thriving borough by strengthening local skills provision, supporting local businesses and further cementing Chesterfield’s role as a visitor destination.

It builds on the success of the last decade which has seen the creation of more than 2000 new jobs and more than 500 new businesses operating in the area, along with significant regeneration and investment across the borough.

The strategy – which was approved at a meeting of the full council on Wednesday 22 February – also has environmental sustainability at its heart, supporting the target of becoming a carbon neutral borough by 2050.

Councillor Tricia Gilby, leader of Chesterfield Borough Council, said: “This strategy is vital to ensuring our borough remains a thriving place to live and work, where everyone has the opportunity to boost their skills, and has access to quality jobs.

“It’s also crucial that we build environmental considerations into our long-term plans, as part of our ongoing commitment to create a sustainable borough for future generations and ensuring we do all we can to reduce carbon emissions.

“The plan builds on our successes over the last ten years including the creation of more than 2000 jobs, and with over 500 new businesses operating in the area.”

The strategy includes five key objectives, which are:

  1. Help businesses to grow and secure new business investment in the borough.
  2. Build a competitive place infrastructure that accelerates employment and housing growth.
  3. Strengthen the distinctive character and vibrancy of our town centres
  4. Develop Chesterfield’s role as a visitor destination and as a base for exploring the surrounding area.
  5. Ensure local people have the right skills to support progression in the labour market and benefit from future employment opportunities.

Councillor Gilby added: “Despite the ongoing economic challenges which are facing towns and cities across the country, Chesterfield is not standing still – we are an ambitious borough and this strategy reflects that. It focusses on higher value growth while balancing our commitment to a greener, more sustainable future.”

Within each of the strategy’s objectives, several key activities have been developed. For example, to help encourage growth the current Innovation Support Programme will continue to run for the benefit of local businesses.

Projects like the Derbyshire Rail Investment Vehicle (DRIIVe) and Construction Skills Hub – both of which are being funded through the Staveley Town Deal – will help deliver new training facilities to ensure local people can develop the skills to access high quality careers.

Regeneration within Chesterfield town centre, including the Stephenson Memorial Hall renovation and Revitalising the Heart of Chesterfield project will continue to contribute to strengthening the town’s position as a visitor destination and to meet the needs of residents. These are complemented by the HS2 Station Master Plan, the £340 million Chesterfield Waterside scheme and the major PEAK resort development which promises to be a landmark tourist destination within the borough.

The full strategy is available to read on the council’s website here.

town hall drone shot

Posted in About Chesterfield, Apprentice Town, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Destination Chesterfield, Development, Featured, Home, Leisure, Love Chesterfield, Made in Chesterfield, Property and Construction, UncategorisedTagged in , , , , , , , ,

Family Law Group moves to new office space in Chesterfield

The Derbyshire branch of Family Law Group has announced a move to Chesterfield’s Hayfield House.

The office space, situated prominently in the heart of Chesterfield will provide the business with a central location to improve the firm’s quality service to clients.

Established in 2005, Family Law Group has over 130 employees across 10 offices in Nottingham, Chesterfield, Milton Keynes, Northampton, Wellingborough, Derby, Loughborough, Peterborough, Bedford and Cambridge.

Family Law Group provides expert legal advice across the full range of Family Law matters including Divorce & Separation, Child Arrangements & Social Services, Care Proceedings, Matrimonial Finance & Property, Mediation, Collaborative Law, Forced Marriage and Domestic Abuse Injunctions. Family Law Group is Investors in People and Lexcel accredited.

In the company’s Chesterfield office, Associate Solicitor Johanna Brewer, Solicitor Aimee Booth and SQE Apprentice Stephanie Smart together have substantial experience in divorce proceedings, finance settlements and child contact arrangements, as well as Legal Aid work. They are looking forward to supporting their local community through the new Family Law Group presence in the town.

Johanna Brewer, Associate Solicitor at Family Law Group commented: “As a team, we’re really excited to be moving to Hayfield House. The building has excellent facilities and will enable us to grow our presence in the local area.

“Chesterfield is undergoing a lot of regeneration at the moment, which will transform the town for years to come. We’re excited to be part of that transformation, and our investment shows our belief in the growth of Chesterfield and the surrounding area.

“We are always happy to help residents in the town with any of their family law matters, so please do get in touch if there is any situation in which you require our services.”

Find out more about the fantastic range of flexible, affordable and high-quality office spaces available here in Chesterfield at: https://www.chesterfield.co.uk/business/invest-in-chesterfield/office/

Family Law Group supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 200 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

Johanna Brewer Family Law Groupimage

Johanna Brewer, Family Law Group

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Development, Home, UncategorisedTagged in , , , , , , , ,

Vicar Lane Shopping Centre encourages businesses to join its independent offer

Chesterfield’s Vicar Lane Shopping Centre has launched a drive to add more small, independent businesses to its lineup of thriving retailers on Steeplegate in the heart of Chesterfield.

Alterx purchased Vicar Lane Shopping Centre back in 2018, and has worked collaboratively and innovatively to turn the street into a thriving independent community of businesses.

Barker Proudlove, the leasing agents involved in the shopping centre, are continuing to take a flexible approach to leasing and are keen to discuss opportunities with independent businesses who are thinking of taking the next step in their business growth.

With increasing shop vacancy rates a national theme, Vicar Lane has managed to reverse the trend. By investing into each vacant unit, the shopping centre has created a series of blank canvases for businesses to make their own. They’ve also offered flexible deal terms which has made these units far more accessible for a range of businesses to consider.

Over the last couple of years the street has been home to a string of independent businesses offering a range of products such as coffee, homemade cake, wedding dresses, pizza, homewares, handmade gifts and so much more.

The current line up consists of Shop Indie, Clarissa’s Interiors, Vintage Tearooms, Pizza Pi and several others.

Shop Indie who joined Steeplegate in 2019, commented on their journey to becoming a part of their local high street: “After many years of selling online and at craft fairs and markets, we knew that the high street was missing out on so many fabulous products from independent makers – those gifts that you just wouldn’t find in the bigger stores.

“Opening a bricks and mortar shop was a big step for us but we were very happy to find the shop on Steeplegate and be part of a new group of independent businesses trading there. We believe this is the future of the high street.”

To find out more about basing your business at the centre, email jessica@barkerproudlove.co.uk.

Vicar Lane supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 200 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

Shop Indie

Shop Indie, Vicar Lane Shopping Centre

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Development, Home, Leisure, Love Chesterfield, Uncategorised, VisitingTagged in , , , , , , ,

New films explain why firms choose to invest in Derbyshire

A series of short films have been produced featuring businesses from across Derbyshire explaining why they have decided to invest in the county.

Derbyshire County Council and Derbyshire Economic Partnership commissioned the clips as part of the Invest in Derbyshire service, delivered in partnership with Marketing Derby.

The service promotes the county as a place to invest and provides support and advice to businesses looking to expand or locate in Derbyshire.

The support provided is bespoke, independent, free-of-charge and confidential.

In promoting Derbyshire, Marketing Derby is supported by local businesses whose own investment and growth stories make engaging case studies for others taking similar journeys and are exemplars as to why the county is a business location of choice.

The filmed ‘talking heads’ include a range of businesses across the county and from various sectors, including several firms in Chesterfield.

Among the businesses featured are Chesterfield Champions MTM Products, Roaring Mouse, Global Brands and Peak Village, which is owned by the Devonshire Group.

The films highlight why the businesses have decided to make Derbyshire their base.

They explain how they benefit from the central location and great connectivity, why the county’s quality of life offer is so important for staff wellbeing and recruitment plans, and how the heritage of innovation still lives on today.

Councillor Tony King, the county council’s cabinet member for clean growth and regeneration, said: “Derbyshire has so much to offer investors. Its unique position at the heart of the UK, together with excellent transport links and quality of life, make our county an attractive place for businesses to locate invest, live, work and stay.

“It’s great that existing Derbyshire businesses are able to share their story, which we hope will give more businesses the confidence to base themselves here.”

Speaking about the new ‘talking heads’ films, Adam Rodgers, inward investment executive at Marketing Derby, said: “It’s fantastic to have the support of Derbyshire businesses in promoting the county, sharing their investment stories and pride in being based here.

“Other businesses who are considering locating and investing in Derbyshire can start to get a flavour of the diverse mix of businesses who thrive here and the people behind them, which helps bring the ‘Invest in Derbyshire’ narrative to life!”

The films are now appearing on Invest in Derbyshire’s social media channels, including Twitter and LinkedIn.

To see the new films, follow Invest in Derbyshire on https://twitter.com/InvestinDerbys or https://www.linkedin.com/company/invest-in-derbyshire/.

MTM Products, Roaring Mouse, Global Brands and The Devonshire Group support the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 200 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

MTM Mark Niblett

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Destination Chesterfield, Featured, Home, Property and Construction, UncategorisedTagged in , , , , , ,

International motivational speaker set to inspire people to champion Chesterfield

Chesterfield needs to champion itself better if it is to thrive in 2023 and beyond. That will be the message at this year’s Celebrate Chesterfield business conference.

At the conference, Global Business Awards Motivational speaker of the year 2021, Steve Judge will deliver a mini motivational workshop to inspire and motivate the town’s business community.

Steve Judge will be encouraging people to get behind Destination Chesterfield’s new plan which will see it position Chesterfield as a desirable and contemporary destination for visitors, investors and residents.

The free breakfast conference is being held on Thursday 2 March from 7.30am – 11.00am at The Winding Wheel Theatre.

Fully booked every year, businesses are being urged to book their tickets now to the free business conference.

In addition to Steve Judge, speakers at the conference will also include Andy Byrne, Property Development Director for the Devonshire Group, which is behind the future development and regeneration of 150 hectares of former industrial land in Staveley.

Now in its twelfth year, Celebrate Chesterfield, which is organised by Destination Chesterfield and in association with Addooco IT Ltd, has become a key date in the town’s events calendar and attracts more than 250 delegates each year.

Peter Swallow, Chair of Destination Chesterfield commented: “There is no denying that there are difficult times ahead for the UK economy. However, Chesterfield and its economy is resilient. We have weathered storms like this before and come out of them in a strong position with much to look forward to. The Celebrate Chesterfield event is a timely reminder to the business community of all the development that is taking place in the borough and continues to make it an excellent place to live, work and invest.”

Councillor Tricia Gilby, leader of Chesterfield Borough Council, added: “We have a fantastic town with a strong community but to ensure our borough continues to thrive, we must celebrate what makes us special and communicate this clearly to potential investors. I’d encourage members of the local business community to come along to this event to find out more about what we have planned and how we can work together to help ensure our borough achieves its potential.”

Richard Walters, Managing Director of Addooco IT Ltd, the event’s headline sponsor commented: “Addooco are delighted to be headline sponsors of Celebrate Chesterfield and look forward to welcoming all the delegates to this excellent event. We are proudly based in Chesterfield and have been supporting the business community with Managed IT, Cloud and Communications solutions since 2008.

“Not only does Celebrate Chesterfield showcase what is happening in our town, the event is a fantastic opportunity to promote the benefits of trading locally, connecting supply and demand to forge new relationships.”

apprentice IT technician

The event is also being supported by University of Derby, Choice Utility and Markham Vale.

Dan Molloy, Managing Director at Choice Utility commented: “As a company, we are delighted to be supporting Celebrate Chesterfield and helping to shout about what makes the town great. I’ve lived in Chesterfield since I was eight years old, and it has so many great things going for it. The connectivity is excellent from a logistical point of view and the town continues to move forward and evolve. The new developments at Markham Vale and the work being done at Chesterfield Waterside emphasise this. We really do love the town and are excited to play our part in shouting about it.”

A Markham Vale spokesperson said: “It’s great to see Celebrate Chesterfield taking place again for its ninth year – we’re very pleased to be able to support the event. It offers an excellent opportunity to find out more about Chesterfield and everything it has to offer.

“Chesterfield is a fantastic place to do business, as demonstrated by the phenomenal growth we’ve seen at Markham Vale and the creation of more than 2,700 new jobs.”

Markham Vale Business Park

This year, the event will also host the Derbyshire Festival of Business Exhibition, which is designed to showcase Derbyshire’s extensive business offer and capabilities.

Adam Doyle, Head of Business Engagement and Employability at the University of Derby which is supporting the Festival of Business Exhibition said: “We are once again proud to be the headline sponsor of the Celebrate Chesterfield showcase. The event is increasingly significant this year as we look to celebrate local business success in such challenging times, and we are pleased to be able to share this success wider as part of the Derbyshire Festival of Business. The festival plays a key role in continuing to support the business community to innovate and grow, aligned to our aim of raising skills and aspirations across our region. Working with businesses, we are helping to position our county internationally as a place to do business as well as a place to study, live and work.”

Celebrate Chesterfield exhibition

Exhibitor space is available at Celebrate Chesterfield 2023 and can be booked online at www.chesterfield.co.uk/celebrate/2023-exhibitor-booking-form/

To find out how you can help champion Chesterfield, book a delegate place at Celebrate Chesterfield 2023 by visiting www.chesterfield.co.uk/celebrate/

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Destination Chesterfield, Development, Featured, Home, Love Chesterfield, Property and Construction, UncategorisedTagged in , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Launch your business in Chesterfield

Looking for a change in 2023? Or maybe you’ve got a big idea which you’re looking to get off the ground. Now is a great time to hit the launch button on your start-up business in Chesterfield.

From quality office spaces to superb support, the town has everything you need to get started.

Find out below about some of the town’s recent start-up success stories. We’ve also spoken to a range of advisors and business leaders in the town, to get their expert tips on getting started.

Getting started

Vision Derbyshire start-up support and grant scheme

Entrepreneurs in Chesterfield are getting a boost from an innovative business support scheme.

Vision Derbyshire provides them with tailor-made advice, guidance and funding to get their ideas off the ground.

It is open to people who live in Derbyshire, and want to bring their business idea to life. Its also open to people who have recently set up a new venture in the last twelve months.

A team of experts are in place to offer free and impartial advice and support tailored to your needs, including:

  • mentoring
  • business planning
  • financial planning
  • marketing
  • signposting to other suitable areas of support

Grant funding of up to 50% of total project costs to a maximum of £10,000 per applicant is available, subject to meeting eligibility criteria. Vision Derbyshire’s business advisers will guide you through the application process.

Networking opportunities and help in securing a wide range of services necessary to help entrepreneurs turn their venture into a success are also part of the support package on offer.

To find out more about the Vision Derbyshire scheme and request support email business@derbyshire.gov.uk with:

  • a brief description of your business venture or idea
  • your current status – idea stage, first 3-months of trading, 3 to 12-months trading
  • your contact details – name, address of your business, email, preferred telephone number

Vision Derbyshire is a collaboration of local authorities across Derbyshire which delivers priority projects which have a positive impact on people’s lives and achieve greater council efficiency. A funding pot of £550,000, which has been raised through Derbyshire’s involvement in the Government’s retained business rates pilot scheme, has been set aside to support start-ups in Derbyshire and Derby.

Get the information you need

Do you have a business idea that you would like to explore? Keen to start a business but not sure how? Or maybe you’ve recently started trading and want to make sure you have all the essential building blocks in place for your business to be successful.

East Midlands Chamber is hosting a Business Starter Workshop at the Northern Gateway Enterprise Centre on Tuesday, 31st January 2023, giving you the chance to gain vital knowledge and information on starting your company.

Find out more here.

Start-up success stories in Chesterfield

We’ve spoken to some of the town’s brightest entrepreneurs who have been supported to get their business moving by the Vision Derbyshire project. Could this be you in 2023?

Suzanne Lloyd – Suzanne Lloyd Consultancy

Virtual Assistance | Suzanne Lloyd Consultancy | Chesterfield (virtueva.co.uk)

New business owner Suzanne Lloyd worked in business and office management for over 15 years, but saw a gap in the market to start her own virtual assistance business. Suzanne hadn’t considered starting her own business previously but saw a clear opportunity of providing virtual services to small businesses.

She launched her business Virtue Virtual Assistance in 2021. The business offers friendly and bespoke Virtual Assistance, HR Management & Bookkeeping services, personalised to the needs of small businesses. Suzanne aims to be the staff member that every business needs but can’t necessarily afford on a permanent basis. She is highly organised and loves to plan.

Suzanne commented: “Getting to know a business like it’s my own, I can offer personalised and tailored support or assistance so that the organisation can focus on what’s important.

“I’m really proud of how far I have come in such a short time. I’ve had to push myself out of my comfort zone, but it’s so rewarding when I get new enquiries on the back of referrals from happy clients! Working alongside my Business Adviser has changed my whole mindset of what I, and my new business, can achieve. Sara has helped me to challenge my own perceptions of what opportunities I can seize.

“I would have to say for anyone thinking about it just to do it. Yes, it is a big leap and there is a lot of unknowns, however the positives have far outweighed the negatives for me. After being made redundant from my last two positions I finally feel in control. To feel appreciated every day is such a nice feeling. The flexibility and quality time it has given to my family has truly changed my life.”

Vicky Staniland – Blooms & Bantams

Blooms & Bantams – British Flowers, Flowers, Florist (bloomsandbantams.co.uk)

Vicky Staniland launched her dream business Blooms & Bantams in 2022 after growing and arranging flowers for her own wedding and spotting a gap in the market.

The business based in New Whittington, grows and sells British flowers locally. Sustainability is at the core of the business, selling directly to customers wanting gift bouquets or event flowers.

Additionally, offering workshops on growing and arranging, Blooms & Bantams also aims to teach the skills of growing and working with flowers to encourage people to take it up themselves.

Whether it be flowers for key calendar occasions, or wedding, funeral or corporate events, Vicky aims to provide a service that leaves customers with a new, or renewed appreciation of the beauty and bounty of British grown flowers.

Vicky said: “My business advisor, Sara, has been instrumental to the success of Blooms & Bantams’ first year. The advice I have received has always been constructive and has encouraged me to explore options and considerations that I would have likely ignored without prompt. These opportunities have encouraged me to develop connections and gain access to resources that have been incredibly useful in the first stages of starting a business.

“I have also received a grant from the Start Up Support scheme, which has allowed me to buy new raised beds. This additional space will allow me to increase my output volume and grow many more flowers for sale next year.

“I would urge any new business owner to seek the support of the Vision Derbyshire programme as it may help provide the information and guidance that is so useful during those first few months of trading.”

James Biltaji – MediGuard

MediGuard | The Smart Pillbox (themediguard.co.uk)

MediGuard is developing and building The MediGuard Smart Pillbox. A pillbox designed to help people on multiple prescription medication take their pills on time and keep their loved ones informed about their adherence.

In 2019, James’ Dad had to have a liver transplant and was going through the initial recovery stages. He was taking around 20 tablets a day and really struggled to take his medication on time.

James commented: “My brother and I tried to help as much as possible, however we couldn’t be there all the time. When we couldn’t be there two things would happen, he’d forget to take his medication, or on a couple of occasions he accidently double dosed. We looked for something that would keep us connected and informed through a mobile app, but there wasn’t anything that we could find. That’s where the vision for The MediGuard came into place.

“It all takes time to build something from nothing, but we’ve made tremendous progress over the last year.  We’ve been working hard on building the hardware and mobile application, as well as getting feedback from potential users on features and functionality of the product.

“One of the most valuable resources so far has been the free business support and advice from our Vision Derbyshire business advisor Sara Martin.  Sara has been helping us with anything we’ve not been sure about. She has pointed us in the direction to potential funding opportunities, events related to our business in the area and connecting us with universities and people that can help progress our business. Without her, half of the events and opportunities we have taken part in would have been missed.”

Jackie Smith – Aspire Export Solutions Ltd

As a student, Jackie gained experience working for a number of local businesses including Robinsons of Chesterfield and Bryan Donkins before studying Applied Languages at University in London.

Returning to Chesterfield in the late 80s, she considered setting up her own business as an export consultant. However, to gain more experience and develop her international business knowledge, Jackie chose to develop her career working for big businesses within international markets. Jackie’s most recent position was Engineering Products Director within the construction industry.

Jackie explained how she decided to start up her own venture: “Following the covid pandemic, I felt that it was time to follow my dream of setting up my own business. Whilst the ideas and thoughts behind the business were plentiful, I was nervous about setting up on my own.

“I have been able to access lots of support for new start- up businesses and also businesses looking to expand. This includes the DWP, D2N2, Scaleup 360 and the Local chamber of commerce. Sara Martin Start-up advisor from Vision Derbyshire has been particularly supportive.

“I have been signposted to a number of courses that have helped to expand my knowledge. I have also received individual support and mentoring on the various aspects of running your own business, including developing a brand. This has helped me move the business forwards and Aspire Export Solutions is launching in January 2023.

“So, for budding entrepreneurs thinking about starting up their own venture in the town I would highly recommend that you do not be hesitate. There is so much support available locally, and I feel that I am in a much better position with my new business. I am looking forward to its launch in the New Year.”

Hear from the Experts

We’ve been speaking to some of the leading business coaches and advisors in Chesterfield, to get their top tips on starting up in the town.

Banner Jones Solicitors

Chesterfield legal firm, Banner Jones Solicitors has roots in the town dating back to the 1800’s, providing a range of services, support and legal advice to businesses in the town.

Katie Ash, Head of Employment Law commented: “Don’t be afraid to recruit staff. The world of Employment Law can be complex and it can make new business owners nervous about taking the plunge.

“Employing staff can be hugely beneficial to a business and can often be the catalyst for growth. It’s always worth remembering that ordinarily employees do not actually accrue unfair dismissal rights until they have 2 years’ continuous service. This takes away some of the initial pressure. If you do however employ someone and something does go wrong, there are plenty of resources available to help. Our team are only ever a phone call away.”

Great2

Andy Ball Great2

Andy Ball, CEO of Great2, has spent the last 12 years starting and scaling businesses across the East Midlands and was awarded Entrepreneur of the Year at the recent Love Chesterfield 2022 awards.

“Setting up a new business is daunting. There are so many competing demands for time. There are also many things to do where you have little experience to draw upon. For example, accounting, business operations, branding and marketing.

“One of the smartest decisions I made early on was to outsource those, to focus on growing the business. As well as supporting growth of the business, it also meant I got some down time at the weekends. It allowed me to pace myself and avoid the dreaded entrepreneurial burnout.

“I recognise the value of this advice so much that I have now built Great2. The purpose of Great2 is to support entrepreneurial success. We bring together a vibrant coworking space and meeting rooms (Great2Work) in central Chesterfield. This is alongside business growth services (Great2Grow) to help local small businesses grow in a sustainable way. I am always keen to meet start-ups and small businesses to see how we can help them.”

You can read more of Andy’s tips here

Business Doctors Chesterfield

Business Doctors

Dedicated to helping small and medium sized businesses achieve their goals, local Business Doctor Emily Coy works in partnership with business owners, sharing a wealth of business knowledge as well as providing individual expertise.

Emily said: “No business can survive without customers. It is therefore of vital importance to spend time deciding who your ideal customer will be. This will inform many other business decisions you make, especially around marketing. Ask yourself the following questions in order to create a customer profile; What is their age, gender, and location? What is their situation in life/business? Why will they buy from you? How often will they come back?”

SMH Group

Josh Dickens SMH Group

SMH Group has been established since 1995 and has been advising local Chesterfield businesses and individuals by providing in-depth expertise and insight into the complex financial, legal and tax matters which may impact their business, personal and family interests.

Business Development and Marketing Manager, Josh Dickens has this piece of advice for people looking to start their own business:

“You only get one start at your business, so its important that you get the right advice, from the right people, straight away.

“This could be speaking to an accountant who will help you structure your business in the most efficient way, speaking to a marketing agency to make sure that your branding, socials and website reflect the message you are trying to send, or speaking to an IT firm to make sure all of your software and systems are in place ready for your launch.”

CCM Change Cosultancy

CCM Change Consultancy is a business set up to support sustainable business transformation and provide an experienced, pragmatic, and innovative perspective on all aspects of change within the business setting.

Business Transformation Consultant, Nick Gorman explains how business owners should approach making their ideas a reality:

“For any complex or sizeable project, business leaders should analyse the biggest challenge within it and determine how/if they can overcome it before expending time and capital in the foothills.

“There is a place and time for gut feeling and intuition, but any idea that needs resources and investment requires the support of solid strategy.”

Great office space to suit all budgets

One Waterside Place

Chesterfield has a range of great office options to support you on every step of your business journey.

Regardless of your workspace requirements, our spaces accommodate co-working and hotdesking to spacious offices for a large team.

Find out more: https://www.chesterfield.co.uk/business/invest-in-chesterfield/office/

Join a network of like-minded local businesses

Celebrate Chesterfield Expo

Did you know you could gain marketing and business support, alongside the chance to build links with likeminded organisations?

There are now over 200 Chesterfield Champions working closely with Destination Chesterfield, hoping to to showcase our area as a destination to live, work, visit and invest.

Becoming a Chesterfield Champion is a great way to put your organisation on the map locally. It provides the opportunity to network with key business leaders in our town.

Find out more: https://www.chesterfield.co.uk/destination-chesterfield/champions/

Posted in About Chesterfield, Blog, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Destination Chesterfield, Development, Featured, Home, UncategorisedTagged in , , , , , , ,

Global Brands Limited announces the purchase of the Hooch, Hooper’s and Reef brands

Global Brands Limited has announced its purchase of the Hooch, Hooper’s, and Reef trademarks from Molson Coors Beverage Company.

The brands have been produced and distributed by Global Brands since 2012 and will now form parts of its owned portfolio.

This sale to Global Brands will mean Global Brands own the brands and can now focus on them as part of their own portfolio with all the freedoms that brings.

Nino Beneta, Managing Director of Molson Coors Export and License EMEA & APAC said: “We are excited to see Global Brands progress in growing these brands over the last decade and look forward to seeing the continued success and growth of the Reef, Hoopers and Hooch brands going forward.

“Moving forward as an EMEA & APAC Export and License team our focus will continue to be on a select portfolio of key international brands such as Coors, Staropramen, Carling, Madri Excepcional and Blue Moon.”

Steve Perez, Chairman and Founder of Global Brands said: “We are delighted to welcome the Hooch, Hooper’s and Reef brands as fully-fledged members of the Global Brands family. This will give us the opportunity to invest further into the brands with the added security of owning the equity.

“We re-launched Hooch in 2012 at the Publican Awards with Keith Lemon and reinvigorated the brand, with new flavours and focus. Hooch is a staple of the RTD category sold by major retailers, and is a popular, well-loved brand. This deal will reinforce Global Brands’ position as the leading independent producer of RTD brands in the UK.

“We have lots of ideas for innovation and look forward to sharing these with the trade and consumers shortly. We have enjoyed a fantastic supportive relationship with Molson Coors over the years and look forward to continue working closely together through their route-to-market team. It’s an exciting start for GBL in 2023!”

Hooch, Hooper’s, and Reef join the expanding and popular Global Brands portfolio – which includes VK, the biggest RTD brand in the On Trade, Franklin & Sons, the 2nd biggest premium tonic brand in the On Trade, and All Shook Up, Shake Baby Shake, Beviamo, Kick Energy, Lustre, and Amigos Tequila Beer. Global Brands are the biggest branded supplier of packaged cocktails to the UK Off Trade (by volume).

Hooch has enjoyed huge growth with Global Brands since 2012. Recent NPD for Hooch under Global Brands includes the launch of Pink Hooch in 2020 – the most successful ready-to-drink NPD launch of the year4 – and the launch of Orange Hooch in the summer of 2022. Alongside the original, no nonsense alcoholic lemon brew Hooch, is the passion fruit and mango sidekick Hoola Hooch, and a range of Hooch spirits.

Global Brands supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 200 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

Hooch Global Brands

 

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Development, Home, Leisure, Uncategorised, VisitingTagged in , , , , , , ,

Chesterfield Property and Construction Group: “We are truly excited by what lies ahead for Chesterfield”

Chair of Chesterfield’s Property & Construction Group, Andy Dabbs has penned his thoughts on a productive 2022 for the sector. Andy also shares his optimism for the group and wider investment and developments across Chesterfield as we head into 2023.

It is hard to imagine that it was only in the December of last year, we were still operating under the cloud of the pandemic, uncertain if the rise of a new variant would threaten the recovery of our industry and our attempts to return to ‘normal’ business activity.

However, as we sit here now, reflecting on 2022 and looking forward into the new year, uncertainty feels like it has become the only thing we can be certain about. The formation of Chesterfield’s Construction and Property Group (CCPG) in 2020 was ultimately about providing greater sector focussed support for the Town and local property businesses through public and private sector collaboration, and now heading into its third year, I believe we have never been better placed as a network to support each other in an exponentially changing and increasingly volatile industry.

Positively, throughout this period and now its 2nd year since its formation, Chesterfield Property Group members has continued to work hard maintaining a meaningful platform for engagement connecting both the public and private sector together. The group has maintained a clear focus on key themes centred around promoting the town, the skills and future talent agenda, business engagement, the climate emergency and importantly providing support to our Local Authority who continue to work tirelessly in their efforts to support the town and the property sector.  The group has tailored its activity over throughout 2022 focussing on delivering tangible and meaningful outputs, some of these including:

  • Property Forums – updating local property businesses on the latest market activity
  • Skills and Talent masterclass – bringing key figures from property and construction alongside key skills and training providers to discuss how the sector can overcome the skills issue
  • Quality and Sustainability masterclass – discussing sustainable development in Chesterfield, and why this is critical for future of the town
  • Investment Summit – hosting a property focussed Q&A session with Chief Executive Hue Bowen and Council Leader Trisha Gilby
  • Regular social media activity – highlighting some of the key issues in the industry such as skills, sustainability, diversity in the sector and promoting developments taking place in the town etc.
  • A variety of networking and social events including walking tours, and brewery visits. supporting business to business relationship development

Property and Construction Masterclass Chesterfield

There is no question that the current economic outlook will pose challenging for those operating in the Property sector, but we must be careful not to be consumed by negative media, and instead businesses must focus on their ‘own economy’ and work even harder to invest in building resilience against any uncertainty. The property group believes that the best way of doing this is by working collaboratively together, sharing our experience, and working hard to unlock and connect each other to the wide array of opportunities across the region.

Despite everything, Chesterfield continues to attract interest from the investment market, and with the secured levelling up funding, will see the continued regeneration and development of our built environment over the coming years. The town is rich with potential and opportunity, and we are delighted that the Property Group has played a small part in supporting in its success over the last few years.

As the Property Group looks forward to the year ahead and the activity plans start to take shape, we are truly excited by what lies ahead for Chesterfield and the wider Borough. We will look forward to building upon our existing relationships whilst forging new ones as the Group continues to evolve and adapt to support the developing needs of the town.

If you work within the Property and Construction Sector and would like to hear more about the groups developing plans, please get in touch by emailing PropertyGroup@Chesterfield.co.uk

Property and Construction Group Chesterfield

Posted in About Chesterfield, Blog, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Destination Chesterfield, Development, Featured, Home, Property and Construction, UncategorisedTagged in , , , , ,

Markham Vale extension to create 800 new jobs locally

An extension has been approved to build on the hugely successful Markham Vale business park, next to the M1 in Derbyshire.

Markham Vale was established as a joint venture between HBD and Derbyshire County Council back in 2006 and now hosts more than 2,700 jobs across a wide range of sectors, including advanced manufacturing and logistics.

Markham Vale is home to a range of business uses, including Daher Aerospace which is exporting monorail parts to Cairo, Grangers International which manufactures waterproof outdoor products and shoe care products, and Sterigenics, which makes sterile healthcare products.

Devonshire Property Group will continue its work with the commercial developer HBD at Markham Vale and hopes to create around 800 new jobs for local people, with a scheme that pays strong attention to its natural surroundings.

The project includes an extensive landscaping plan that makes the most of the site’s existing features, whilst protecting and improving the river corridor. Significant planting will include c. 5,700 new trees (including 2.15ha of new woodland planting), 3.7ha of new grassland habitat and two kilometres of new native hedgerow to screen the development and create areas of new habitat.

This creates a 10% improvement of biodiversity net gain over the existing ecology value, in excess of current policy.

The success of the existing business park has led to the site running out of space to accommodate large space users and without this new development, Markham Vale will have to turn away investment from the growing industrial and logistics sectors, who require large units at locations with good access to the motorway network.

The site itself comprises two non-protected agricultural fields, bounded by the M1 to the south and keeping a large separation distance between the business park and the village of Woodthorpe. The final design of the buildings will be in accordance with the established design code for Markham Vale, which fixes a limited palette of colours to minimise visual impact. All vehicular traffic will use the existing highway network to allow easy access to the motorway.

Andrew Byrne, speaking on behalf of Devonshire Property Group commented: “The extension to the business park at Markham Vale is expected to create up to 800 new jobs for local people at what is a very successful development already supporting 2700 jobs in a variety of sectors.

“We’ve put in place an extensive landscaping plan, which includes protecting and improving the river corridor, and extensive tree and hedgerow planting as well as a large area of grassland. We’re also working with the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust to improve the wildlife habitats on a nearby site that will result in an overall 10% net gain in biodiversity. This is a high-quality extension to a highly successful employment location, with the aim of making a real contribution to the strength of the local economy.”

Devonshire Group and HBD support the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 200 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

Markham Vale Business Park

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Development, Featured, Home, Property and Construction, UncategorisedTagged in , , , , , ,

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