Starting up a business is always difficult, especially when you are on your own with no colleagues to turn to. The Newark Beacon managed by Oxford Innovation has the solution to help start-ups and small to medium sized businesses grow and develop organically.

With the closure of Business Link in November 2011, it has been even harder for start-ups and small businesses to develop, as the government-funded support network has not been available. Businesses have had to seek other support that often has a high consultancy fee attached to it.

The Newark Beacon has the solution to this dilemma by providing businesses not only with low risk office space on a rolling monthly contract, but also invaluable business support from Oxford Innovation. With business coaches to hand specializing in topics from sales and marketing, managing finance and business planning, the coaches support and advise within the Innovation Centres, helping businesses to develop and grow profitably.

PrimarySite is a company that has benefited from office space and the guidance from Oxford Innovation at the Newark Beacon. Starting out as a husband and wife team passionate about developing learning technology for primary schools, they now have a vision of being a £2 million turnover company by 2015.

The company creates websites for primary schools and has rapidly grown with the help and support of Oxford Innovation, who helped the directors undertake a comprehensive review of the business and develop a new strategy that maximizes company performance whilst supporting their core aim of increasing the utilization of web technology by school teachers and children.

"The coaching sessions we had made us step back from the business and challenge the way we did things, as well as set some clear goals for the short, medium and long term." says Rose Millington, co-founder of PrimarySite. "We feel refreshed and inspired, and are determined to move forward with a clear vision and the tools we need to achieve our goals."

Oxford Innovation developed a set of new goals including profitability targets and customer satisfaction metrics, and plans were developed to improve the marketing of new and existing products and services with the aim of increasing customer numbers and revenue.

PrimarySite now has a new business plan, and the directors are confident that by following the new strategy, they will achieve both an increase in revenue and profits of 25%, and  embed the company's core values associated with service excellence and being customer orientated in everything they do.

"All sectors of business are catered for in the centres, and there are a range of units available to suit all sizes of businesses, whether it be sole traders or companies employing 20 staff," explains Rue Moss,  Centre Manager. "The centre team manage not only manage the facility but offer a range of additional secretarial and administration  support to allow customers to fully focus on the needs of their own business,. For some entrepreneurs who have never experienced office-based employment before, this is a great introduction for them, as they have the support of the Centre Management team and the Oxford Innovation business support team too."

The Newark Beacon has its own ready-made business community that businesses can benefit from. These are great for inter-trading, or to simply use as a forum to ask for and give advice. With an on-site café as the hub of the centre, there's also an ideal place to meet for coffee and chat, and to also hold client meetings. Parking is no problem either with a spacious car park on site. Everything you would want from a business location and more!

"We decided to bring all the Council's innovation centres in to line and managed by one organisation so that we could provide high quality business support as well as an excellent working environment," explains Keith Girling, Nottinghamshire County Council's Business Engagement Champoin. "These centres give new business the best possible opportunity to succeed and I am delighted that Oxford Innovation are meeting our aspirations"