More BME PR practitioners – and one BME Prime Minister
July 26th - 2010
by Gabriel St Aimee, Intern at Northern Lights PR Without intending to evangelise, PR is needed for the BME community, not just for diversi...
Business Link - working with more diverse communities
Newly formed Business Link Yorkshire wanted to build relationships and increase take up of their services among new markets, particularly women, people from BAME communities and disabled people.
Brought in and motivated partners - Back to Work, ABDN, QED and Trescom – to deliver in less than four months
Campaign with the third sector to encourage enterprise as an option fitting around lifestyles – for single mothers, unemployed people, economic migrants and women from Asian communities
- 42 events held attended by 1,455 people – 50% above target
- 114 people interested in starting a business pre-registered for Enterprise Shows
- 5 social enterprises set up
- 30 people referred to Business Link for one-to-one support
- 6 organisations offered to be information and advice points for Business Link
Worked with organisations respected by successful Asian businesses to overcome barriers to growth, particularly growing ‘beyond the number of family cousins’ and marketing products and services beyond their own communities
- 274 businesses contacted
- 78 attended dinners or lunches; 25 took part in research
- A network of established Asian businesses willing to act as a steering group/sounding board for Business Link
- Three executive coaching courses designed with Bradford University School of Management and ready to roll out which will help Asian businesses grow beyond their communities
- A guide to using Business Link’s website that Business Link can be used as a toolkit with individual Asian businesses and as basis for workshops.
