Acorn Enterprise puts down roots

Councillor Barbara Todd, alongside Peter Clothier & Christine Mahney of Acorn

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The Acorn Enterprise Factory opened for business yesterday, Thursday 6 September, with the aim of providing everything that a business could need to be a success.

The £250,000 project to provide business support and convert Acorn House on Spotland Road has created fifteen small offices, meeting rooms, central reception and shared office services plus 'hot desks' that could support another twenty embryonic businesses.

The venture is funded by the 'Revitalising Inner Rochdale SRB5' programme, and the Programme Co-ordinator Jahangir Mohammed said: "This is a flagship addition to the wide range of help and support already available to businesses in the Borough. The Acorn Enterprise factory will be a thriving centre of enterprise in the heart of Rochdale.

"We have put together a comprehensive package of business support using SRB and ERDF funding to offer everything businesses need to make a success of their business plans. This must be one of the most generous packages of business support offered. The purpose is to enhance the support available to local people and local enterprise.

"The centre officially opens on 6 September, and throughout August we have had people waiting to move in. All the signs are that this will be a very successful business centre. It is not just businesses based in Acorn House that will benefit; other local businesses can call on the Business Advisers based here, and use facilities on a 'hot desk' basis."

The Acorn Enterprise factory offers qualifying businesses a six month rent free period in 'easy in - easy out' fully furnished office units. There are also business hot desks rented by the hour, on-site telephony and broad band, central office, security and reception services with out of hours access and in house business advice, as well as ample free parking.

The first business was already lined up to move in when Acorn House opened yesterday.

Jennifer Shaw Events is the first business to take up occupancy and she thinks it is just the start her business needs to thrive and prosper. Ms Shaw is an event organiser, who organises corporate events, sports dinners and golf days and a host of other celebration events for businesses, organisations and families. She also manages entertainment celebrities such as Buzz Hawkins of The Bradshaws radio and theatrical show. It all started for Jennifer when she was working as a family law executive, and was asked to organise a golf day for her employers. She did such a good job that requests to organise events gradually took over from her legal work.

She decided to say goodbye to legal work after 14 years, and started a new career with her own business.

She said: “I heard about the Acorn Enterprise Factory by chance in July through the Rochdale Women’s Enterprise. I had just started my business working from the spare bedroom at home, and knew this was not going to be a good way to work in the longer term. The set up at Acorn House is just what I need; I can move into a fully equipped office with computers and telephones already installed, a staffed reception to take care of calls when I am engaged, and on site business advice and support.

"I am Rochdale born and educated, so I am delighted with the help I am getting from my home town. The biggest event I have managed so far is a show for 1500 people, and I have done other events from several hundred guests down to the smallest which was an event for 20 people."