Chloe Smith MP highlights strength of local enterprise

Chloe Smith highlighted the strength of local enterprise, following a meeting with NWES (Norfolk and Waveney Enterprise Service), a Norfolk-based organisation that specialises in helping people who have business acumen to make their ideas a reality.  It offers fully-funded professional advice, a business start-up training programme and a loan fund for those refused credit by banks.

NWES offers training in the fundamental skills needed to start a career including CV building, confidence building exercises and interview skills as well a range of funded training courses for existing business owners.

Chloe Smith comments:

"Enterprise may well be the thing that sees us out of the recession.  Unemployment may be the longest-lasting impact of the recession, locally and nationally, and self-employment is a good option for many people.  I was very interested to see how many local businesses have sought good quality help - NWES is another part of the impressive landscape of entrepreneurialism here in Norwich and Norfolk."

Speaking about the work of the Network, Andrew Wilson, Head of Advice at NWES, comments:

“Since 1st January 2009 we have helped Norwich City council residents by holding 562 training sessions, 919 advice sessions and helping 72 businesses start up. The fact that we have been so busy this year is no surprise with the current recession. With jobs hard to find it is natural for people made redundant to consider being their own boss as another option. The prospect of being in control of your own destiny is particularly attractive when someone else has just made you redundant. The Norwich based Go For It programme provides free advice and training to people setting up a business in the city and this means we are able to support more people than ever become their own boss.”