2000 reasons for North East business positivity

We’ve been working away on our 2023–2025 Impact Report here at TEDCO.

It’s an important part of what we do as an organisation to reflect on our work, assess our success and understand how we are serving our local communities.

It means not just patting ourselves on the back but taking the time to identify how the world of work is changing and where we need to adapt in order to best meet those evolving requirements.

The next generation of successful businesses doesn’t just appear by chance, and to develop a healthy and vibrant business community, we need great business support – support that is only possible through regional funding and strong partnerships.

Enterprise is about more than just financial gain; it’s about strengthening local communities and helping create opportunities for those who need them most.

In the North East, we’ve been delighted to see that the ambition, drive and determination of people within our region is alive, well and thriving.

Over the past two years, more than 2000 people have taken steps to explore enterprise with TEDCO support.

This single number tells an important story.

It shows a region full of people who are testing ideas, gaining new skills and working out what kind of future they want to build for themselves.

Between 2023 and 2025, TEDCO delivered a significant increase in business skills workshops, with attendance rising by 99 per cent over the past year.

This was matched by a 61 per cent increase in the number of business skills workshops delivered.

These numbers show people want to learn, whether they are at the very start of an idea or already feeling confident about running something of their own.

When support is both accessible and personal, it gives people the space to grow.

However, success isn’t just measured by how many new businesses launch.

Many people who attend workshops or meet with an adviser might decide not to start a business at all. That choice still holds value.

Business support helps people build skills that stay with them for life.

These include confidence with digital tools, the ability to manage their own finances and a clearer understanding of how to solve problems at work.

Fundamentally, these lessons matter whether or not someone becomes a business owner. They create capable people who feel more in control of their future.

The Impact Report is also full of examples that show how diverse the region’s enterprise community has become.

There is North Tyneside engineering firm Frontline Integrity, which has moved from local start-up to winning a King’s Award.

There is Nana Peg Productions, which is championing North East creatives.

There are founders who have secured investment, such as AMS Welding, and others like Megan Archbold, who are reshaping expectations in skilled trades.

Each of these stories began with early support from TEDCO.

These examples prove that when people are given the right guidance at the right time, they can build something that benefits both their own lives and the wider economy.

The figure of 2000 represents individual decisions to improve, explore new opportunities and contribute to the community.

But I believe it also reflects a region that is becoming more confident in its ability to grow its own businesses and support its own talent.

With continued investment, practical support and a commitment to making enterprise accessible to everyone, the North East has every reason to feel positive about the road ahead.

James Craft is chief executive of TEDCO

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