BM164_32_33_34Q7.qxd:Layout 1 31/8/08 22:01 Page 3
Area Focus: The North East
Brand identities by Attention Design
Their
‘The Univer- earliest challenge
sity has been key to our But planning isn’t every- was marketing: ‘our cus-
success,’ says Louise. ‘We’ve thing. The success of business rela- tomers are publishers, large multina-
been given constant advice and guidance from tionships depend on the quality of the people tional organisations with huge turnovers and
the enterprise team, helping us with all aspects involved. Do incubation schemes deliver better hundreds or thousands of staff,’ says Marc.
of our business. They’ve given us everything people than average? ‘These are the people that we are selling to.
from training courses instructing us on how to Yes, says Neil Hannah. ‘There’s quite a rig- But our target end user is every games player
write a business plan to discounted office orous selection process, and we see its bene- and console owner in the world. So our
space and a guide to the business funding fits in the high survival rates of incubated products have to have a very broad appeal.’
available to us. We’ve won the Blueprint plan- businesses. We're good at weeding out those As is the case with the team at Attention
ning competition twice over, something we who aren't clear about their vision or what Design, Marc and David say they owe much of
wouldn’t have had access to without the uni- they're doing – if we’re going to keep the faith their success to the support offered by the uni-
versity’s support.’ of the existing business community, it’s impor- versity’s incubation scheme, and the fact that
Another, less obvious, benefit that the tant we’re pretty robust about that. Applicants their customers like working with a business
incubation unit offers is the creative atmo- that has youth and fresh ideas, but also a good
sphere that grows out of having so many new
The success of business
chance of long-term stability and survival. ‘We
businesses in the same building. ‘It’s great that think the support has been invaluable,’ says
we’re so close to other businesses,’ says
relationships depends on
David. ‘We were given the perfect setting to get
Alison. ‘Other start-ups in the same building
the quality of the people
up and running and spend time creating prod-
are able to provide complementary services. ucts. With our products taking at the very least
We pass on work and help each other out –
involved.
six to seven months to complete, the office
some of them have been around longer than space and the pressure-free environment
us, and they are a great source of expertise.’ for the incubation programme have to demon- made development that much easier. We’re
Alison and Louise are convinced that their strate determination and ability.’ about to move into bigger offices - now we are
business would never have come so far, so Importantly, as well as offering cheap office at the end of our stay here we can look back
fast, without the university’s support, and accommodation and access to funding, the and appreciate that support all the more.’
grants from the Arts Council and elsewhere. university also gives the founders of its incu- I left Middlesbrough with the strong impres-
A great source of talent
bated businesses intensive training in the skills sion that the university was offering an
required to run a successful enterprise. ‘Again,’ enterprise scheme that lived up to its hype,
But what do businesses such as Attention says Hannah, ‘that’s the sort of preparation and which dug deep into the enterprising and
Design offer existing SMEs? In search of many new businesses just don’t get. We innovative spirit of the locals. Teesside will
answers, I talked to Neil Hannah, the New provide a greater level of support than is avail- never be the most beautiful place in the UK,
Business Manager in the Department of Aca- able from open, publicly-funded programmes, but in business and technology terms, it’s one
demic Enterprise. It’s no secret that estab- excellent though they are.’ of the most exciting.
lished businesses can be wary of working with
Great Games
or for start-ups. So why should they put their
How do I find out more about
trust in an operation that’s been incubated? A little way down the corridor from Attention
businesses in incubation?
‘One big issue for most start-ups is the lack Design are the offices of Halch, another of
of a genuine business plan,’ says Hannah. ‘In- Teesside’s exciting incubated businesses If you’re interested in seeing the kind of
stability and failure are often the results of poor (www.halch.co.uk). Founded by graduates potential partner and client businesses a
planning, and I can understand established Marc Williamson and David Hankin, and al- UK university has on offer, your best bet is
businesses being reluctant to work with start- ready employing a staff of nine, Halch is a to approach them direct, says Neil Han-
ups that don’t have a clear sense of direction. brilliantly innovative computer animation and nah. ‘Here at Teesside we’re always inter-
Working with an incubated business is much games firm. The Halch team has already ested to talk to established businesses
less risky, because you can be sure they have created games for the Nintendo DS and the about how they can partner with one of
given due diligence to planning. SMEs want to Sony PlayStation, and recently worked on an our incubatees.’
work with people who have been trained, sup- animation commissioned by MTV. Not yet
ported, have written robust plans and have had three years old, Halch already has major clients Neil can be contacted on
a professional start.’ in the US and Japan. n.hannah@tees.ac.uk or 01642 384646.
34 • issue 164 Business Matters
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68