Apparently, a recession is a good time to start a small business. Customers are looking to shop around, the market is flooded with exceptional talent, even the cost of office space and equipment can be haggled with.
Small businesses, micro organisations and freelancers prevail in the creative sector, and in the current climate a difficult job market has resulted in an increasing number of start-ups and self-employed professionals.
So what impact can small creative businesses have on the economy?
Having worked for large public bodies and SMEs, I'd argue that being small means you stay agile, and adapt quickly to meet market needs. The entrepreneurial spirit remains strong in small companies. You will take more risks, try new approaches and look out for wider opportunities - something which larger firms find harder to do, particularly in difficult economic times.
Small companies provide fantastic training grounds for new talent. School leavers and graduates looking to get their foot on the ladder will gain hands-on experience and a real insight into the workings of a business. It's not often you'll see a trainee chained to the photocopier in a small creative company. This in turn helps to support a cycle of entrepreneurship, and develops a workforce that thrives on innovation.
Digital technology has transformed the ways in which businesses can connect with each other, and their clients. Digital has fostered a spirit of collaboration, without geographical boundaries, and small companies and freelancers increasingly work together to develop new projects and products.
From the small business owners and freelancers that I speak to, confidence in the future remains high. It could just be that this spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship is exactly what the economy needs to get started.
By Ruth Ward, Managing Director, Rewired PR
Thursday 5 November 2009
Revolution or Refresh?
As Joanna Birch's launch article highlighted, there are several excellent examples of interagency and intercompany collaboration. There is a great sense of community among 'creatives' and in particular among Birmingham's legion of digital experts and enthusiasts. Whilst there are 'mash ups' around ever corner in the sector I believe we need more intrasector collaboration and understanding.
For all the excellent work of public bodies including Advantage West Midlands, Birmingham City Council, Screen West Midlands and Business Link (which work together more effectively than almost any other region) and the efforts of many creative leaders and entrepreneurs, there is still a cultural gap between what might be described as the Custard Factory and Colmore Row communities.
Meanwhile, appreciation of creativity and digital does not reach into every corner of the Council House and other parts of the public sector (there I was desperately trying to avoid references to #bccwebsite...fail!).
So, when it comes to creativity, we face a cultural problem. We need to go further to embed creativity into the wider business community and public fabric.
The Work Foundation's report 'Staying Ahead: the economic performance of the UK's creative industries' touched on the importance of creativity beyond its own sector. If Birmingham's creative talent is to revolutionise the UK economy, they will have to do it through every sector of business and industry, not just creative companies.
It's time to re-articulate the case for Birmingham as a creative capital. Back in the early 2000s, Birmingham: Creative City was the shiny new toy. Those arty and clever computer types were going to be the answers to Birmingham's economic problems. As well as wealth creation, the creative industries would also help our image, visitor economy, attractiveness to investors and students as well as supporting social policy objectives. That job is far from finished. Environmental and medical technologies, modern manufacturing, financial services and many more industries have and are changing the face of our economy, but that does not mean the time for backing creative industries has passed.
With the 'c' word hanging over public spending, the case for further interventions and support from the public purse will need to be clearer and stronger than ever (and I don't disagree with many of the points made by Steff Aquarone in this space recently). Some degree of continued public support is needed to assist in the growth of this sector, particularly in areas like skills development, business advice and more importantly than ever in accessing finance.
Can the creative industries revolutionise the UK economy? Creativity can certainly play a big role, but (to paraphrase a slogan) we need to do even more locally to ensure our creative heart is connected to all parts alongside establishing Birmingham as a truly global creative city.
The Creative Birmingham Board, which Urban advises, has commissioned its second Making the Business Case report, funded by Birmingham City Council and undertaken by BOP Consulting. We are only half way through but as with all research outputs, it looks like there will be bright spots as well as 'can do better' elements in the final report. It's already clear that digital media, from software and computer games to web design to production, has been at the heart of Birmingham's creative growth over recent years and will only increase in importance.
The case for Birmingham's creative sector - and its potential to revolutionise the UK economy - is a little like a webpage using archived material from the cache. It's time for a refresh.
Kevin Johnson is Managing Director of strategic communications consultants, Urban
Communications Limited.
For all the excellent work of public bodies including Advantage West Midlands, Birmingham City Council, Screen West Midlands and Business Link (which work together more effectively than almost any other region) and the efforts of many creative leaders and entrepreneurs, there is still a cultural gap between what might be described as the Custard Factory and Colmore Row communities.
Meanwhile, appreciation of creativity and digital does not reach into every corner of the Council House and other parts of the public sector (there I was desperately trying to avoid references to #bccwebsite...fail!).
So, when it comes to creativity, we face a cultural problem. We need to go further to embed creativity into the wider business community and public fabric.
The Work Foundation's report 'Staying Ahead: the economic performance of the UK's creative industries' touched on the importance of creativity beyond its own sector. If Birmingham's creative talent is to revolutionise the UK economy, they will have to do it through every sector of business and industry, not just creative companies.
It's time to re-articulate the case for Birmingham as a creative capital. Back in the early 2000s, Birmingham: Creative City was the shiny new toy. Those arty and clever computer types were going to be the answers to Birmingham's economic problems. As well as wealth creation, the creative industries would also help our image, visitor economy, attractiveness to investors and students as well as supporting social policy objectives. That job is far from finished. Environmental and medical technologies, modern manufacturing, financial services and many more industries have and are changing the face of our economy, but that does not mean the time for backing creative industries has passed.
With the 'c' word hanging over public spending, the case for further interventions and support from the public purse will need to be clearer and stronger than ever (and I don't disagree with many of the points made by Steff Aquarone in this space recently). Some degree of continued public support is needed to assist in the growth of this sector, particularly in areas like skills development, business advice and more importantly than ever in accessing finance.
Can the creative industries revolutionise the UK economy? Creativity can certainly play a big role, but (to paraphrase a slogan) we need to do even more locally to ensure our creative heart is connected to all parts alongside establishing Birmingham as a truly global creative city.
The Creative Birmingham Board, which Urban advises, has commissioned its second Making the Business Case report, funded by Birmingham City Council and undertaken by BOP Consulting. We are only half way through but as with all research outputs, it looks like there will be bright spots as well as 'can do better' elements in the final report. It's already clear that digital media, from software and computer games to web design to production, has been at the heart of Birmingham's creative growth over recent years and will only increase in importance.
The case for Birmingham's creative sector - and its potential to revolutionise the UK economy - is a little like a webpage using archived material from the cache. It's time for a refresh.
Kevin Johnson is Managing Director of strategic communications consultants, Urban
Communications Limited.
JFDI
Because ultimately action will come out of The Big Debate – glacier-like, not at the pace we would like, but hopefully in the right direction. The results of the conversations, I’m told, will be used with external funding agencies to review priorities moving forward; within Birmingham City University to inform what it does; it will be used with research centres; and with meetings with Birmingham City Council.
The organisers could have been better at communicating all of this – it wasn’t clear during the event – but there it is.
Likewise, the event could have been more porous: have a Twitterfall on the big screen so those participating from afar could do so genuinely. Use facilitators to show the people on the tables who don’t use Twitter how it can be genuinely conversational and productive rather than just another channel or waste of time. Have a genuinely conversational web presence.
(That said, I got to speak to people who weren’t on Twitter, which is always useful. And a physical meeting space can be just as levelling as social media, when done right.)
That’s all for next year. For now, we throw in our opinions, and we wait for the lumbering behemoths to squint and read what has been written, and then we go off and JFDI anyway.
written by Paul Bradshaw
The organisers could have been better at communicating all of this – it wasn’t clear during the event – but there it is.
Likewise, the event could have been more porous: have a Twitterfall on the big screen so those participating from afar could do so genuinely. Use facilitators to show the people on the tables who don’t use Twitter how it can be genuinely conversational and productive rather than just another channel or waste of time. Have a genuinely conversational web presence.
(That said, I got to speak to people who weren’t on Twitter, which is always useful. And a physical meeting space can be just as levelling as social media, when done right.)
That’s all for next year. For now, we throw in our opinions, and we wait for the lumbering behemoths to squint and read what has been written, and then we go off and JFDI anyway.
written by Paul Bradshaw
Beyond the Echo Chamber
Listen, for example, to Thomas Dillon the “Chairman of Creative Advantage Fund, Europe’s first public venture capital fund for the creative industries,” as he says that “one of my proudest achievements was when The Pirate Bay defendents were convicted in April this year”.
As we say on the Internet: WTF?
Then look, for example, at one of the list of actions that came out of the conference itself: ‘more networking events please’.
“More?” We can’t move for meetups and unconferences in this city. Or is that just us?
The Big Debate was about moving people out of their comfort zones and mixing them up with people from other fields – and maybe exposing parts of the region’s creative industry that we aren’t used to seeing, like the Jewellery Quarter, like the industries where Facebook is banned at work.
So yes, there are people in this region who do think that the 3 Strikes concept is a good one; and clearly there are people who are not so plugged in as to be spoilt for choice when it comes to choosing which social media networking event to attend that week.
There are also, I discovered, people who feel excluded from the ‘Birmingham clique’.
And there are people in the room who have not read We Think. And there are people who think social media is a “channel” to sell things. (And if the history of Web 1.0 is any guide, it may well become that).
So getting them to listen to Charles Leadbeater (who, by the way, was a great speaker and a credit to the ambition of the organisers) say that they should make Birmingham “a home for pirates” is important.
Likewise, understanding why they might disagree with Leadbeater is important too, because if you want to persuade these people to do the right things to support creative media, then you have to make the most effective argument, which means listening.
Ultimately the whole event is an exercise of power. Use your vote – have a voice – because if you don’t, and let ignorance exercise power unchallenged, then you can’t complain when the other side does something you don’t like.
written by Paul Bradshaw
As we say on the Internet: WTF?
Then look, for example, at one of the list of actions that came out of the conference itself: ‘more networking events please’.
“More?” We can’t move for meetups and unconferences in this city. Or is that just us?
The Big Debate was about moving people out of their comfort zones and mixing them up with people from other fields – and maybe exposing parts of the region’s creative industry that we aren’t used to seeing, like the Jewellery Quarter, like the industries where Facebook is banned at work.
So yes, there are people in this region who do think that the 3 Strikes concept is a good one; and clearly there are people who are not so plugged in as to be spoilt for choice when it comes to choosing which social media networking event to attend that week.
There are also, I discovered, people who feel excluded from the ‘Birmingham clique’.
And there are people in the room who have not read We Think. And there are people who think social media is a “channel” to sell things. (And if the history of Web 1.0 is any guide, it may well become that).
So getting them to listen to Charles Leadbeater (who, by the way, was a great speaker and a credit to the ambition of the organisers) say that they should make Birmingham “a home for pirates” is important.
Likewise, understanding why they might disagree with Leadbeater is important too, because if you want to persuade these people to do the right things to support creative media, then you have to make the most effective argument, which means listening.
Ultimately the whole event is an exercise of power. Use your vote – have a voice – because if you don’t, and let ignorance exercise power unchallenged, then you can’t complain when the other side does something you don’t like.
written by Paul Bradshaw
On Monday I attended The Big Debate, an event organised by Birmingham City University with The NEC Group and the Birmingham Post that tasked itself with the question “Can the Midlands’ creative industries revolutionise the UK economy?”
The question itself became less interesting to me than the reaction to the debate from the social media scene in Birmingham. The Twitter stream of reaction is appeared to run along the lines of ‘Same old stuff’; ‘Stop talking about it and just do it already’; and ‘You don’t get it’.
I’ve experienced the same frustration myself at many media conferences. As Pete Ashton put it so well: JFDI.
But this was not a media conference: it was a conference for the people in industry who don’t get it, who can’t do it already, and to whom this is still very new stuff indeed.
Written by Paul Bradshaw
The question itself became less interesting to me than the reaction to the debate from the social media scene in Birmingham. The Twitter stream of reaction is appeared to run along the lines of ‘Same old stuff’; ‘Stop talking about it and just do it already’; and ‘You don’t get it’.
I’ve experienced the same frustration myself at many media conferences. As Pete Ashton put it so well: JFDI.
But this was not a media conference: it was a conference for the people in industry who don’t get it, who can’t do it already, and to whom this is still very new stuff indeed.
Written by Paul Bradshaw
Is it a question of "Can" or "Why should" the Midlands' Creative community drive the UK economy?
When looking at the figurehead question of the Big Debate - "Can the Midlands' creative industries revolutionise the UK economy ?", I immediately ask myself why the question is not "Why the Midlands creative industries should drive the re-ignition of the UK economy".
As a partner in a business that works within the digital community of the Greater Birmingham Region, it is quite clear that the creative talent within the City matches, if not exceeds the aims and objectives of the City of Birmingham to become the "Digital Capital of Europe". Therefore, my thoughts on the debate are not so much "Can we do it?" than "We should be doing it already." before the opportunity to make a real impact becomes another "If only we had.........."
As many marketers will tell you, it can be wise to spend more during recessionary periods as the monies spent often garner "more bang for their buck" in the terms of reaching the right people.
Technological platforms for use in creative industries are no different. In fact, I feel that to be seen as being pro-active to utilise cutting-edge techniques during these times shows an ability to not live in fear of tough economic times and instead show that such events demand some kind of change in order for SME's to prosper.
Using the creative industries and digital technology, such as that mentioned in the Digital Britain Report, will allow the Midlands to re-ignite an area of the UK economy and become flag-bearers for the digital generation. By combining the enthusiasm of local authorities to take action instead of apathy, inspire businesses to take control of driving their industries forward and interact with the students of the Midlands, who will help to drive this technology for the next ten years and beyond, the Midlands could just be in a position to make the "Digital Britain Report" come alive.
By Mark Howells, Pebu
As a partner in a business that works within the digital community of the Greater Birmingham Region, it is quite clear that the creative talent within the City matches, if not exceeds the aims and objectives of the City of Birmingham to become the "Digital Capital of Europe". Therefore, my thoughts on the debate are not so much "Can we do it?" than "We should be doing it already." before the opportunity to make a real impact becomes another "If only we had.........."
As many marketers will tell you, it can be wise to spend more during recessionary periods as the monies spent often garner "more bang for their buck" in the terms of reaching the right people.
Technological platforms for use in creative industries are no different. In fact, I feel that to be seen as being pro-active to utilise cutting-edge techniques during these times shows an ability to not live in fear of tough economic times and instead show that such events demand some kind of change in order for SME's to prosper.
Using the creative industries and digital technology, such as that mentioned in the Digital Britain Report, will allow the Midlands to re-ignite an area of the UK economy and become flag-bearers for the digital generation. By combining the enthusiasm of local authorities to take action instead of apathy, inspire businesses to take control of driving their industries forward and interact with the students of the Midlands, who will help to drive this technology for the next ten years and beyond, the Midlands could just be in a position to make the "Digital Britain Report" come alive.
By Mark Howells, Pebu
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