Following redundancy Ben Valentine was determined to take control of his own future and start doing something that he really enjoyed.

“I originally worked as a recruitment consultant for nine years until I was made redundant. It was at this point that I knew that I wanted to work for myself and be completely in control of my own future. I have a strong interest in cars, a keen eye for detail and I wanted to work outdoors, so with that combination in mind the obvious choice was car valeting.

Therefore I started Valson Valeting in March 2011; I offer a high quality mobile valeting service which includes express, mini and full valets, however I am happy to tailor these to the customers’ needs by providing what I call a ‘pick and mix’ service where they can essentially choose a mixture of the services I offer.

We have managed to build up a strong base of regular customers and we frequently carry out one off valets for customers who may be selling a vehicle or just want a general spruce up.

The best thing is the vast range of cars that I get work on: from your general everyday ‘run-arounds’ through to classics, sports and performance cars as well as some exotics. Valson Valeting prides itself on a quality finish and service to its customers which I think is one of the reasons why the business is performing so well month after month.

When I was thinking about starting the business I knew I needed some help so I approached Orvia in November 2010 and attended one of their business start-up courses which really helped me to decide that starting a business was right for me.

I worked with my adviser over a five month period and he gave me excellent help and guidance on all elements of starting a business including registering with HMRC, record keeping and business insurances, which I feel really helped me to start my business on solid foundations. I also feel that they have given me the confidence to be successful and it is reassuring to know that help is always there when I need it”.

Business partners Simone Qualter and Andrew Cowgill have a history of supporting projects such as skateparks and bike trails in the Fylde Coast and further afield, but it was only when one of Simone’s sons was attacked by youths that she realised that facilities such as skateparks could provide a greater benefit to society.

“In 2007 my second eldest son was attacked in St Annes and as a result he was left with post traumatic stress. I was determined to try and make local communities safer by providing some meaningful leisure facilities that could act as safe havens for teenagers.

Andrew and I have been involved in similar projects before as we designed the Parkview 4 You skate park in Lytham which has won a national award, as well as bike trails and a skatepark in Blackpool.

Therefore with the motivation to make the streets safer we used our experience to create a skate park in Preston called The ARC. The reason behind the name is threefold; firstly all our ramps are made from wood, as was Noah’s Arc, secondly Noah’s Arc represented a safe haven, and finally it is also happens to be Andrew’s initials! The overall plan is to operate as a viable business with a charitable arm.

We knew we needed some assistance so we contacted Orvia and our adviser has been very helpful. He helped us to focus our minds on the things that were important, he challenged our thinking which encouraged us to look at things in a different way, and he advised us on alternative funding and how to gain good PR for the business.

The most important thing is that he saved us a lot of time by pinpointing the grants and funding that were relevant to us; otherwise we would have spent much longer trawling through all the available options.

It’s been a long, hard slog over the last two years as we have had to negotiate a lease, secure the business premises and gain planning for the building and the car park. We have been lucky that funding wasn’t a major issue because we were successful in our application for Big Lottery funding and in addition to this we have invested a significant amount of our own money into the venture.

However it has all been worth it because the park has been a great success, in the first 14 weeks we were open we welcomed 7,000 teenagers through our doors which, in our view, demonstrates a demand from young people for accessible and safe facilities within their local community.

In addition to getting the skatepark off the ground we have looked at how we can use the facilities and our business to promote the skills and interests of young people generally.

We have built links with the local university to make our premises available to their students for photo shoots; we are opening up our website to budding musicians to give them a platform for their musical talents; and we have teamed up with Preston FM to run a graffiti art competition for young local artists with the winner getting the chance to spray some of our ramps.

We are also in the process of opening a shop and a café within the park as well as launching our online store”.

Check out their website at http://www.arc-skatepark-preston.com/

It is less than 2 years since husband and wife team, Rob and Sarah Ansell, came up with their initial concept of creating an indoor ropes course which is accessible to people of all ages; in that time they have developed, manufactured and patented their unique equipment and opened their indoor centre – ‘Kaos Adventure’ – in Lytham-St-Annes on the Fylde Coast.

“Rob and I had been looking for a way of working together and, following our experience at a rope course while on a family day out with the kids, we looked at rope courses in the UK and across Europe. We liked what was out there, but we wanted to create something that would open up the activity to a much wider range of people. Our vision was to provide something which was accessible to all age ranges all year round.

Therefore we designed and patented a truly multi-directional system which allows participants to choose their own route as each obstacle can be attempted several times and other more difficult obstacles can be missed out altogether.

There is a wider benefit as well. From a child’s point of view the course can act as a real confidence builder, provide some really influential learning outcomes and generate a great sense of achievement. We are now an approved provider for Lancashire County Council and Blackpool Council for educational visits. We have already had a lot of advanced bookings from schools and youth groups which is very positive.

The great thing is that the centre can cater for all ages and we are also seeing a lot of businesses using the facility for away days and team building exercises.

And if all this wasn’t enough we have some really big plans for the future outside of our own centre. We have been developing a new arm to the business called Clip ‘n’ Play Systems Ltd through which we have had discussions with some large providers of leisure-based activities about delivering our ropes course in existing and new play environments – we think that the potential is limitless. Due to the nature of our system we can design, manufacture and supply bespoke play systems to fit the customer’s needs, whether they operate a smaller indoor play area or an existing outdoor ropes course.

This service can be offered on two levels: firstly, we can hand over the whole system, the structure with all its elements and let the operator do the rest, or secondly, we can work with the operator throughout the implementation phases and offer advice and guidance on aspects such as safety compliance, layout and harnesses. We have also developed bespoke software for our own centre which can be adapted.

We are also tapping into the tourism market and we have built links with a national chain and many local hotels on the Fylde coast who are offering holiday packages featuring Kaos.

Considering we only opened in September 2011, the response has been fantastic.  We have exceeded all of our expectations with numbers coming through the door; our oldest customer to date is 74! The most important thing is that the business is great fun and we have a fantastic team of people!

Throughout this project we have had some fantastic support from the local community, family and friends and in particular I would like to thank Cllr Ken Hopwood who has championed our cause throughout and our adviser at Orvia who has been absolutely invaluable. The help we have received has been excellent and needless to say I have already recommended Orvia.

In September 2011 colleagues and friends Laura Larsen and Amy Carter set out on an adventure all of their own to start their business, Nature’s Playgrounds, which provides childcare with a difference.

“Nature’s Playgrounds provides all year round, outdoor, weekend fun for children. As a ‘Forest School’ our aim is to inspire children to explore and care for the wonder of nature through play, using quality and enticing resources. Parents can leave their children with us as we go on an adventure to learn new skills through real experiences, such as using tools, cooking on an open fire, making dens and shelters, playing creatively with new friends and developing an awareness of woodland and environmental management.

The idea came from providing these ‘Forest School’ sessions for children in the Nursery in which we work. In doing this, we realised that this was something that could be run as a business for the benefit of local children and Mother Nature!

As the Manager and Deputy Manager of a Children’s Nursery, we have seen the benefits of ‘Forest School’ first hand. The outdoor environment encourages and inspires children to grow in confidence, independence and increases self-esteem as well as developing children’s ability to assess risks for themselves. The positive impact this has had on the children and their families is what inspires us to provide this unique experience for children in the local community.

The children quickly learn boundaries within which they must work.  They respond to the sense of freedom and adhere to the rules laid down for their safety.  They go out in all weathers and explore and use natural materials found in the forest. Within a safe and secure environment it is possible to encourage the children to move away from close adult interaction and to become more responsible for each other and for themselves.

Although we were organised and very much on target, the support we obtained from Orvia was priceless and helped us to build our confidence as we established the business.

Regular meetings with our business adviser helped give us the belief which we needed to get the business started. Laura comments, “I often joked with the adviser that he should have been a teacher as he seemed to love giving me homework, however like any good teacher he knew best and the tasks which he set proved to be highly beneficial. This is a very specialised field and Orvia were great in making sure we were properly connected to additional sources of expertise.

The positive feedback which we received from our adviser was brilliant. He always recognised and commended our efforts as well as being very constructive when we discussed further targets to work on as part of our ongoing business plan. Simply, Orvia provide help, support and reassurance delivered by very approachable advisers.

For more information about Nature's Playgrounds you can visit their website at www.naturesplaygrounds.co.uk or why not give them a call on 07927658792 or 07880765512.

A mother and daughter’s brave venture into the world of book retailing is proving a huge success.

Despite the increasing tendency for people to buy online or use electronic books, Carolyn and Katie Clapham are building up a loyal customer base at their new bookshop in St Annes town centre – Storytellers, Inc.

And they are confident that much of their success is down to careful market research.

Carolyn said: “Our target audience is young children, because they generally don’t use electronic books or buy online.

“We also found that people who are buying on behalf of young children prefer to see and touch the books before they buy.

“Neither of us has been involved in the retail trade, but I have 22 years’ experience in management and Katie has a degree in creative writing and a masters in poetry, as well as two years as a production editor in a publishing company - so between us we thought we would make a good team.

“We didn’t hesitate. In fact we found out what help was available straight away and discovered that Get Started in Blackpool could provide advice and support for a new business like ours.

“I went on their Step-by-Step course and that really helped us to focus on things like our objectives, our product and our target audience.

“The best thing was that we were able to put all the theory into practice straight away.

“We’ve had a really positive response so far and have already got people returning to us time and time again because they love the shop - and so do the children.

“Although we started out just as a shop, we’ve now introduced workshops in creative writing and poetry for different age groups, from pre-school to 11-plus.

“Eventually we’d like to expand these and offer them to adults as well and if the progress we’ve made so far is anything to go on there should be plenty of demand.

“So far we’ve exceeded all our forecasts in terms of sales and profits and we intend to build on that. Maybe there will eventually be more than one Storytellers, Inc shop on the high street.”

If you are interested in visiting Storytellers Inc then you can find them at 7 The Crescent, St Anne’s on Sea, FY8 1SN or alternatively why not visit their website at http://www.storytellersinc.co.uk/ for more information and full contact details.

The Get Started Intensive Start-up (ISUS) programme in theFyldeCoastis managed by Orvia Enterprise Limited.

The ISUS programme in theFyldeCoastis jointly funded by the Northwest Regional Development Agency, the European Regional Development Fund, Lancashire County Council and Blackpool Council and is part of the government's Solutions for Business programme.

Orvia Group Limited is a business support organisation which exists to help individuals to start their businesses as well supporting established companies who have a growth wish through the provision of flexible property rental services, access to finance and skills training programmes.

To find out more about how we can help contact us on 01772 42 22 42, visit our website at www.orvia.co.uk or follow us on twitter @orviagroup.

All set to build his reputation is Joe Brown who has recently won the Barclays Trading Places award which celebrates the achievements of individuals throughout the country who have turned their lives around through running a business.

Joe said: “I started my business, Joe Brown’s Egg Round, in July 2008 when I was only 19 and right from the start I knew I wanted a high standard, quality business which is why I turned to Orvia for advice.”

His mother Sue, takes up the story: “Interviews are very difficult for Joe. Because he has Asperger's syndrome communication doesn’t come easily. He found that getting a job was proving impossible and although he could have lived on incapacity benefits, he didn’t want to do that.

“The egg round not only gives him a healthy income but it also provides him with opportunities for personal development in the areas of banking, handling cash, organisational skills, IT and customer service. His status in the local community is growing and so is his confidence.”

The guidance Joe and his family got from Orvia ensured they didn’t fall into the common early problems that beset new businesses. Their adviser from Orvia encouraged them to apply for available grants, do market research, and get a uniform as well as helping them contact environmental health and assisting them with an income and expenditure forecast.

“The funding we obtained meant we could market the business properly. After just 3 months trading we had a regular customer base of 200,” Joe continued.

“As a result of running this business I feel much more confident in myself. I have developed new skills, won a nationally recognised award and achieved life-long ambitions such as visiting New York, I’ve met Theo Paphitis and I have now grown the business to over 500 regular customers."

“I am very grateful to Orvia for their ongoing help and support. Not only did they help me to put the right foundations in place to get this business off the ground but they have continued to support me through business workshops and they are always on the end of the phone.”

If you’d like to know more why not visit his website at www.joebrownsegground.co.uk

The first thing that strikes you about Karen McCann is her positivity and it is this attribute that has seen her create a business from adversity.

Cuts in local authority expenditure led to an offer of voluntary redundancy being offered to all senior managers and, at the same time, changes made to education policy by the coalition government opened the door to a new business idea.

‘Schools have historically bought some of their services from their local authorities, including financial management of budgets. However due to policy changes within education, schools are now being given much more freedom and control over how they spend their budgets, this in turn is increasing the number of private services available to them.

I am therefore setting up a business that offers schools access to high quality school business, finance and premises management and I'm doing this on a freelance basis, which means schools can flexibly buy services that meet their specific needs and budgets.

I have a great deal of experience working for Lancashire County Council as a Corporate Manager in various departments, including working with schools to help them deliver extended services, deliver new initiatives and project manage new buildings. Prior to this role I was the School Business Manager in one of the largest schools in the North West. I thoroughly enjoyed both roles which I feel have left me perfectly placed to understand the school business sector from both sides of the fence.

Due to budget restraints Lancashire County Council (LCC) was forced to reduce their senior management structure and I decided to apply for voluntary redundancy. I was sad to leave the council as they have always been an excellent employer, but I was ready for a change and, having recently completed an MBA at Lancaster University, I felt the time was right for me to make the leap. Once my application for voluntary redundancy had been accepted LCC were very supportive and I was made aware of a seminar being run by Orvia about starting your own business. I attended thinking that it might be a bit lightweight, but I learnt so much!

I have never run my own business before and the course gave me an excellent understanding of the practical things required to set up and run a business. The course really inspired me and the research and workshops we had to complete really helped me to believe that my idea was viable.

After the seminar I arranged a meeting with one of Orvia’s advisers and the help and support he gave me has been absolutely invaluable. My adviser really helped me to make sure my idea stacked up and this in turn gave me the confidence to believe in myself and my business idea. He was an excellent sounding board helping me to ‘bin’ the bad ideas and refine the scope of the business. Every question I asked he was able to answer there and then or ‘find a man who could’. The adviser also recommended that I attend a free social media course run by Orvia which was brilliant!

Knowing that my adviser is always there has provided me with the reassurance and confidence to take the business forward, even to the point where I recently turned down the offer of a full time job to pursue this opportunity, because I am now so sure that I want to work for myself.

The level and quality of support has been absolutely excellent and the fact that it is free is really impressive. I have already recommended their services to my brother and my best friend!

For more details or for an obligation free discussion regarding this new service and/or how your school could benefit from the expertise and support on offer, please go to Karen’s website www.kmconsultancy.org, email Karen at Karen@kmconsultancy.org or telephone her on 07876 790700.

Hoghton-based boat hire and cruise company, Canal Boat Cruises, is sailing towards success thanks to help from Orvia. 

Husband and wife team, John and Lesley Yates, from Blackburn, launched Canal Boat Cruises in July 2006 after buying their first canal boat and falling in love with leisurely cruises through the idyllic Lancashire countryside. 

The couple soon realised that there were no local companies offering canal boat hire and approached Chorley Council to find out what help and support was available for businesses.

John and Lesley were referred to business support organisation, Orvia, which helped the couple to streamline their business plan and access finance through the Rural Development Grant.

“Had we not got in touch with Orvia, I doubt we would be where we are today.  The support and advice we got from the team was instrumental in helping us to secure the funding we needed to establish and grow our business,” said Lesley.

“After a successful first season, we wanted to do more to further establish ourselves at Riley Green Marina and didn’t hesitate to see what additional help Orvia could offer. The team had kept us up-to-date with the funding and grants that were available and in 2008 Orvia helped us to secure funding through Lancashire County Council’s Rural Lancashire Development Fund. Thanks to Orvia, we were able to make all the changes we wanted at the marina, including putting in an office, laundry room and storage area.”

"In 2010, we participated in Orvia’s mentoring programme, which provided us with free support, advice and guidance from an established business leader." Lesley continues: “Our mentor helped us to take a different view of the business and look at other avenues that we probably would have never considered."

“It’s very easy to get bogged down in the day-to-day running of the business and it was really helpful to meet with our mentor when and where we wanted, so we had each other’s attention and weren’t easily distracted."

“Impartial advice is vital when starting a business which can be a difficult process with many obstacles to overcome. Orvia’s team was so friendly and approachable, asking them for help was very easy and the support they gave helped us no end.”

Canal Boat Cruises now has five boats and runs more than 300 cruises per year. In March 2011, the company received the Lancashire Business View Rural Business of the Year award and the success just keeps on coming. In June 2011 Canal Boat Cruises were named Tourism Business of the Year at the North and West Lancashire Chamber of Commerce Be Inspired Business Awards (BIBA's)

Lesley concluded: “To be held in such high esteem along with other well-established local firms is an honour. It’s great to be recognised in this way and, even though we’re a tiny company, we want to thank Orvia for helping us to realise our growth potential.”

Eddie Robertson is a man on a mission – to switch the world of business on to energy efficient lighting. He can cut bills in half, with long life energy saving replacement light units and reduce that all important carbon footprint to a shadow of its former self.

Eddie, a former manager with a distribution company, already had a track record in reducing energy costs, so when he was made redundant in January 2010 he had no hesitation in grasping the opportunity to set up on his own.

“I approached the Get Started Project which is run by Orvia and the key thing that struck me was the friendly and professional way in which they helped me. I took advantage of some of their courses, which covered everything I needed to know about setting up my own business.

Since I started the business we have grown dramatically and now employ six people. We have had some fantastic achievements confident in the knowledge that my business adviser from Orvia was on-hand every step of the way and that I could always ask him for guidance and advice.

I took advantage of the mentoring support provided by Orvia which was enormously helpful to my business and they also assisted me to access the Rosebud Loan Fund. In addition, they have opened the door to a live spot on Radio Lancashire and helped secure numerous publicity opportunities.

My adviser encouraged me to enter The 2011 BIBA’s (Be Inspired Business Awards) which we did , and recently we decided to enter the ‘Local Business Accelerator’ competition run by local newspapers – we won a prize which includes free advertising in the Blackpool Gazette and additional mentoring.

The future for our business looks very promising. We have already worked with Bargain Booze, Spar and a well known North West chain of food stores.

Running the business has been very hard work, but also very rewarding.  I can honestly say that the help and support I have received through my adviser from Orvia has made the whole process a lot easier, as well as providing the reassurance of having somebody you know to turn to. I think that if I hadn’t had this level of support behind me I might not even be doing this!”

Specialist tea brand Charbrew, which is now stocked in high street chains across the North America, was given an early boost with the help of Orvia.

The man behind Charbrew, 23-year-old finance graduate Adam Soliman, originally from Poulton-le-Fylde, discovered the business advice programme ‘Get Started’ through Blackpool Council’s website when he was looking for avenues to help his fledgling company grow.

Two years on, his range of high quality, health-conscious teas, are now stocked by Booths, TK Maxx and Lakeland as well as popular chains in North America and Canada.

Adam says: “Through the Get Started programme I was able to obtain advice from Orvia about getting the right structure in place for my business and learn how to get my product out in front of buyers,” Adam said.

“My Orvia adviser really encouraged me to have confidence in my product and to get out there to learn through being more hands-on.  I found this really positive as it gave me invaluable practical experience of making contacts and learning to sell my range. I also received an initial £1,000 grant to help cover start-up costs and purchase product samples.”

“I got my big break with Charbrew when it was picked up by kitchenware company Lakeland.  A roll-out to all Booths stores soon followed.  I admit it has been a long and difficult process to get buyers interested in my teas, but my persistence and belief in a quality product has paid off”.

“I wanted Charbrew’s brand image to focus on health and sustainability.  It uses whole flowers and leaves and real pieces of fruit in each blend to create imaginative infusions, such as strawberries and cream and tropical rooibos. The brand’s pyramid-shaped corn starch bags are also fully biodegradable”.

“I am looking to build on the healthy brand and I am hoping to develop some more products, such as iced tea or vitamin water”.

He added: “I would recommend other young people starting up their own businesses to contact Orvia about the Get Started programme. Through Get Started I was able to access the right advice at the right time to help me get Charbrew where I wanted it to be.”

Adam has now gone on to win the Start up Business of the Year Award in Lancashire Business View’s inaugural Red Rose Awards, held to celebrate the achievements of businesses in Lancashire.