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Wenta Annual Review 16–17 | 01

Inspiring Enterprise Annual Review 2016–2017

02 | Wenta Annual Review 16–17

Wenta Annual Review 16–17 | 03

“ Moving into the Wenta Business Centre Enfield was the best move Jays Homecare made. We have felt so welcome and the office and Reception staff have been very helpful to us. We have made many friends with our small business neighbours.”

Innovation

“ We continue to believe that it is the work of our committed staff, who believe passionately in what Wenta do, that make Wenta stand out from any other business support provider.”

Brenda Sexton Jays Homecare

New Wenta Website launched over Summer 2017 with user-led ‘find your way’ navigation.

A Message from our Chair… Contents A Message from our Chair

Our Impact – The Year at a Glance

Client Case Study

Financial Report

Thank you

2016-2017 has been a year where we have built on the foundations of the previous period. We have focused on simplifying the way we work across the organisation, to ensure the best experience for clients and staff alike.

The Hertfordshire Start-up Programme providing business support for residents across Herts with our partners STANTA and Dacorum Borough Council.

warm

one stop shop

business

community

passionate

Continued focus on providing client-focused events and services across all our business centres.

online support

Digitalisation

welcoming

rooms live chat meetinginnovation

mailboxes

friendly

making a difference

Simplification

business advice

digital enterprise small inspiring

Through our customer-focused strategy, we have seen improved links with our business centre clients and online clients, understanding more of their needs so that we can accommodate and support them as they start and grow their businesses further.

workshops

training courses

take the leap

virtual office services collaboration

workspace

We have refreshed the Wenta strategy, focusing our resources and structure around client journeys and overall organisation management. This has enabled us to move forward with our one Wenta vision, focusing on our full spectrum of services and delivering a holistic business support offering to those that seek it. This has enabled Wenta to secure funding from the European Regional Development Fund to deliver projects such as The Hertfordshire Start-up Programme, with partners, Dacorum Borough Council and STANTA. This has also opened up further opportunities in the South East Midlands region where we are now running a similar start-up programme with partners, The University of Northampton and The University of Bedfordshire. We have continued to develop our exciting partnership with Stevenage Borough Council, managing The Business and Technology Centre ( ) on their behalf. We have great plans for this centre in the period ahead.

Our Wenta staff get involved in our next stage strategy development.

Our motivated and talented Board members have also taken the time to review our governance to provide clear direction and support to the newly appointed CEO, Ed Jordan and the wider leadership team.

A real focus has been on service innovation and creating our next step projects for providing frontline business support. Our new Wenta website launched in July 2017 with a client-centric core and relevant content for our visitors. The website has been built around the needs of small businesses and further work and digital developments are planned for the next year to develop our Wenta site into the best business support website in the UK. Our expert live chat business advice service supports start-ups in areas around the UK and this is now complemented by the Wenta Online service, available at all of our business centres. Investment in our people has been key too, providing our staff with ongoing training and greater involvement in our strategy development and customer focus projects. We continue to believe that it is the work of our committed staff, who believe passionately in what Wenta do, that make Wenta stand out from any other business support provider. This year, our financial results illustrate a strong overall performance and all our key targets for the year were met. We now have a solid base from which to grow and ambitious plans to do more to support the start-up and SME community in the year ahead! Zoe Hancock Wenta Chair

04 | Wenta Annual Review 16–17

Wenta Annual Review 16–17 | 05

157 business advice sessions held across Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire 11

Our Impact

BEDFORDSHIRE

6 Home to 310 small businesses 89% centre occupancy at 31/07/2017 10 business community events delivered

The year at a glance…

The Business & Technology Centre Stevenage

1 Aug 2016 – 31 July 2017

BUCKINGHAMSHIRE 752 face-to-face start-up advice sessions delivered 96% of those that sought face-to-face advice from Wenta rated our service as excellent

1312 people attended our training courses (99% of attendees rated them as ‘excellent’) Most popular courses: RSG – Start Your Own Business, Website Development and Social Media

98% of those that used our live chat service rated the service as excellent 99% of our clients would recommend our live chat business advice service Most popular business start-up type in 2016/17: Care agency

Bishop’s Stortford

Winner of the Best Use of Social Media for Business Award, Herts Digital Awards 2016 Winner of the Enterprise Award, Pride Awards 2016

of9 Stevenage

Finalist in the Best Use of Video for Business category, Herts Digital Awards 2016

HERTFORDSHIRE

4 CV and Interview Skills workshops delivered 118 students engaged with Wenta business support

Welwyn Garden City

Oaklands College St Albans 4

Hertford

Hatfield

Our Mi Ventures live chat business advice platform has continued to grow over 2016/17 with over 18 million people now able to access the service nationwide through our licence holders. Over 2016/17 we saw many new and renewed licences including Rochdale Borough Council, Kent and Medway Growth Hub, Calderdale Council, City Business Library, Klarity and AskIf. Our geographic coverage of the service now spans over 25 counties and counting!

34 one-to-one business advice sessions held 7 self-employment workshops delivered 198 students engaged with Wenta business support

7 Rickmansworth

Hoddesdon

Cheshunt

The Enterprise Centre Potters Bar

The Wenta Business Centre Watford

= Mi Ventures geographic coverage

LONDON

Where can I find business premises?

Wenta at Hertford Regional College Ware & Broxbourne 6 self-employment workshops delivered 86 students engaged with Wenta business support 60 business advice sessions held

Home to 95 small businesses 97% centre occupancy at 31/07/2017 4 business community events delivered

How do I start a business?

Stanstead Abbots

The University of Hertfordshire Hatfield

Most commonly asked business start-up questions: Is there funding for new businesses?

Our national reach 1426 people across Herts, Beds and North London used our live chat business advice online service

Chells Industrial Units Stevenage

Wenta Luton

Home to 98 small businesses 100% centre occupancy at 31/07/2017 4 business community events delivered

The Wenta Business Centre Enfield Home to 81 small businesses 100% centre occupancy at 31/07/2017 6 business community events delivered

Wenta at Tottenham Hale SPT Hub – 8 business start-up sessions delivered

1 Watford 78 business advice sessions held

4 Dacorum Borough 55 business advice sessions held

7 Three Rivers 20 business advice sessions held

10 Bedford 34 business advice sessions held

13 Milton Keynes 7 business advice sessions held

2 Hertsmere 25 business advice sessions held

5 East Herts 81 business advice sessions held

8 Welwyn Hatfield 34 business advice sessions held

11 Central Bedfordshire 20 business advice sessions held

14 St Albans 58 business advice sessions held

3 Stevenage 101 business advice sessions held

6 North Herts 93 business advice sessions held

9 Aylesbury Vale 2 business advice sessions held

12 Luton 94 business advice sessions held = areas of Wenta support – training courses, workspace or advice

06 | Wenta Annual Review 16–17

Wenta Annual Review 16–17 | 07

Client Case Study

Financial Report

Mark Cottee, BCA Group Mark Cottee, Managing Director of BCA Group, has been running his small digital print company for over 35 years. In February 2016, he was driving past The Wenta Business Centre in Enfield when he thought he’d check in with the Reception team to find out about available premises for his business, which specialises in high quality, low volume, personalised digital print. Mark was keen to join our Wenta community the moment he stepped in to the centre. He said: “Luckily, as I walked in the door, I just knew this was the right place for us. The people here are very helpful and since being based here, we’ve been able to stabilise our business.”

Mark has already worked with many exciting clients such as The MOBO Awards and Ralph Lauren. He is excited to grow his business even further over the next few years. He said: “We are really pleased to be here and we hope that, from now on, we can make a real success of what we do!”

12 Months to 31/07/2014

12 Months to 31/07/2015

12 Months to 31/07/2016

12 Months to 31/07/2017

Turnover

£3,548,489

£3,465,008

£3,020,227

3,144,337

Administrative Expenses

(£3,325,703)

(£3,317,813)

(£2,815,328)

(2,982,444)

(£266,489)

(£117,653)

(£83,839)

(78,442)

£29,542

£121,060

83,451

Interest/Other Charges Surplus on Ordinary Activities

To find out more about Mark’s small business visit www.bcagroup.biz. You can watch our video case study with him and many more of our clients here.

(£43,703)

Asset Revaluation

1,206,101

Surplus After Revaluation

1,289,552

Total Assets Less Current Liabilities

£7,950,883

£7,781,813

£7,687,601

9,570,512

Long Term Liabilities

(£3,816,117)

£3,617,505

(£3,402,232)

(4,250,029)

Total Net Assets

£4,134,766

£4,164,308

£4,285,369

5,320,483

Over the year, we have supported a number of charities including: Great Ormond Street Hospital, Stevenage Community Trust, Chums, The Peace Hospice, The North London Peace Hospice, Multiple Sclerosis Society and Lupus UK.

He has also found the close-knit community at our Enfield centre beneficial. Mark said: “You can see from the other businesses based at the centre that everybody seems to thrive off of each other. We all have the same small business challenges and we can help each other out in ways that, if you were on your own, would not necessarily be possible.”

The Wenta Board Special thanks go to our Wenta Board for their steer and support over 2016/2017: Simon Arbon

Other things our clients have been saying about us…

Tony Bond

“ Over the course of 2017 the advice and support that I have had from Wenta has kept my business on track. This mentoring has given me real confidence in making strategic decisions needed to move my business forward.”

“ I would definitely recommend Wenta to other start-ups. It’s somewhere you can escape for an hour, think about and talk about your business with a professional who knows what a small business needs to succeed.”

Peter Cabon

Jo Bayne Sweet Charity

Charlotte Freeston-Clough Hoot! Toys

Richard Phillips

Julie Gingell Zoe Hancock Paul Heerey Paul Layte

Chris Pichon

Our online, live chat business advice service has also been popular… “ This is a fast and responsive service. Setting up as a sole trader I needed all the help I could get in marketing and related subjects.” “ I love everything about Wenta – it’s a must have for all local companies, thank you!”

“ Excellent live chat service, the responses I’ve had are 5 star!” “ Good, quick responses with helpful answers.” “ Helpful, friendly advice. Thank you!” “ Friendly and professional advice – very thorough!”

Helen Webb …as well as all our Wenta staff for their continued hard work and dedication.

08 | Wenta Annual Review 16â€“17

Thank you Thank you to our Sponsors, Partners and Supporters that have supported and collaborated with us over 2016/17.