Business Secretary relishes Cumbrian enterprise
The Minister met with entrepreneurs from Abbey Horn Gifts who make local souvenirs and Hawkshead Relishes who produce a range of local relishes…
The Minister met with entrepreneurs from Abbey Horn Gifts who make local souvenirs and Hawkshead Relishes who produce a range of local relishes, chutneys and preserves. Both business are continuing to grow and have now begun to export their products abroad.
Secretary of State for Business Vince Cable said:
“SMEs, like the ones I have seen today in Cumbria, are the lifeblood of the UK economy. It’s small businesses that will help drive growth and it’s important they are given the right conditions to thrive.
“Businesses in Cumbria are already benefiting from a range of support programmes offered by Government. The Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership is working with many businesses in the area to help identify their individual needs, and many will be able to take advantage of the Regional Growth Fund.
“Thousands of business mentors are available to local companies through the mentorsme portal and budding entrepreneurs can sign up to the new £82.5 million StartUp Loans scheme. By inspiring the next generation of businesses in areas like Cumbria we will help boost both the local and national economy.”
There are over 21,000 registered businesses in Cumbria and the Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) is working to create a healthy business environment, aiming to become one of the fastest growing economies in the UK. The LEP has already set up advisory panels to promote growth opportunities across a range of business sectors including agriculture, food and drink, specialist manufacturing and low carbon and renewable energy.
This year the Government is running the _Business in You _campaign to inspire more people to start or grow their business backed by a range of existing business support services provided by the public and private sectors. More information is available at www.businessinyou.bis.gov.uk.
**Notes to editors:
**1. Made in Cumbria is a celebration of the region and acts as a shop window for local businesses to promote an extensive range of gifts, crafts and specialty foods. The brand represents creative works, products and foods that have been wholly or substantially produced in Cumbria.
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The Business in You campaign is running nationwide. It showcases real life small business owners who come from a wide range of backgrounds, and each has an inspiring story of how they turned their passion into their livelihood through hard work and support.
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The Government’s economic policy objective is to achieve ‘strong, sustainable and balanced growth that is more evenly shared across the country and between industries.’ It set four ambitions in the ‘Plan for Growth’ (PDF 1.7MB), published at Budget 2011:
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To create the most competitive tax system in the G20
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To make the UK the best place in Europe to start, finance and grow a business
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To encourage investment and exports as a route to a more balanced economy
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To create a more educated workforce that is the most flexible in Europe.
Work is underway across Government to achieve these ambitions, including progress on more than 250 measures as part of the Growth Review. Developing an Industrial Strategy gives new impetus to this work by providing businesses, investors and the public with more clarity about the long-term direction in which the Government wants the economy to travel.
- BIS’s online newsroom contains the latest press notices and speeches, as well as video and images for download. It also features an up to date list of BIS press office contacts. See http://www.bis.gov.uk/newsroom for more information.
Notes to Editors
Contact Information
Name BIS Press Office Job Title
Division Department for Business, Innovation & Skills Phone
Fax
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Email bispress.releases@bis.gsi.gov.uk
Name Dan Palmer Job Title
Division Department for Business, Innovation and Skills Phone 020 7215 5303 Fax
Mobile