The West of England Combined Authority (WECA) is launching a new business support programme for businesses and individuals working in the creative industries, as part of its Regional Recovery Plan.

The programme is aimed at small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) working in the creative industries, including creative freelancers, that require support as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The sector specific business support programme is designed to build resilience and support change in response to Covid-19. It will offer support for individuals and management teams to reformulate operating and financial models and business plans through mentoring, peer networks and training and workshops.

There will also be grants for creative projects that support recovery and resilience. A grant fund for creative freelancers will give self-employed people the opportunity to become more resilient by developing their own creative product, practice or service, in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. A grant fund for creative businesses will fund creative projects that support recovery and resilience, employ freelance creatives, engage local communities and advance diversity and inclusion.

Grants will range from £1,000 to £3,000 for freelancers and £5,000 to £10,000 for businesses.

Regional Mayor Tim Bowles said: “Our cultural and creative industries really are the soul of the West of England and are an important contributor to our wider economy. As we secure our recovery from the impact of Covid-19, this much-needed support will help ensure that our creative businesses can continue to provide exciting and engaging jobs, attract new commercial opportunities and help ensure the West of England remains an exciting and vibrant place to live and work.”

The business support programme has been designed in consultation with members of the creative and cultural sector, with a focus on recovery from the pandemic and the priorities of inclusivity, diversity and community engagement.

The programme also fits with WECA’s ambitions to establish a West of England Cultural Compact, an initiative jointly funded with Arts Council England. This will involve the creation of a new strategic cultural partnership which will lead on the development of a Cultural Strategy and new activities to help increase investment across the creative and cultural sectors in region.

Professor Sue Rigby, Vice-Chancellor of Bath Spa University, West of England LEP board member and interim chair of the Cultural Compact, said: “Culture is part of our DNA in the West of England, and so many of us value it and earn our livings from it.  The pandemic has highlighted our need for culture as a key part of our recovery, and the Cultural Compact will help us to bring this about as a region.

WECA will also be running the fourth cohort of its successful Creative Scale Up programme, which is already providing almost 60 creative businesses with online peer and mentoring support to help them respond to the impact of Covid-19.

Since joining the programme in January 2020, Bristol-based independent development studio and games consultancy Auroch Digital has secured a new publishing deal and taken on 15 new members of staff.

Dr Tomas Rawlings (pictured), Chief Executive of Auroch Digital, said: “The Creative Scale Up programme, particularly the mentoring process, was great – we were able to pick mentors targeting specific needs we have. We got direct support with business questions as they arose and that helped us deal with them and move forward.

“As a result, we’ve been able to advance some key areas of the company. We’ve landed one big publishing deal for a new IP game and are circling a second big project, and that mentoring advice has been part of the mix of positives getting us there. Information provided by the Creative Scale Up team also led us to a UWE Digital Innovation Fund grant.”

Creative businesses wanting to find out more about the new business support programme, grant funds and the Creative Scale Up scheme should visit WECA’s Growth Hub page.

The Culture and Creative Industry Business Support Programme and grant funds are a key part of the West of England Recovery Taskforce’s regional action plan to protect and secure jobs, creating opportunities for all residents to share in the recovery. As part of this, WECA’s Together West of England campaign is connecting businesses with the support and guidance they need to adapt, build resilience and prepare for the future, as well as helping residents to access new skills, training and employment opportunities.

Through the West of England Growth Hub businesses of any size in the West of England can access free information and guidance on a variety of issues including workforce planning, HR advice and guidance, employability support, training and skills development and coaching.

Almost without exception, agencies are embracing a more flexible attitude and approach to work and an overwhelming majority of employees would like to see this continue. But as you get to grips with what the future of work might look like, some aspects of agency life should become less flexible and even non-negotiable. And this is actually a good thing.

Flying in the face of constraints, the winning agencies will be the ones with an uncompromising focus on their culture, focusing on how they can support their people to be their best selves and do era-defining work. An awakening for some perhaps, but really just smart business as the battle for talent ramps up. The quality of agency culture is topping the list of reasons for the top talent to stay or go.

So where does an uncompromising approach pay when it comes to the codes you set, the teams you build and the way you work together?

We know from recent research and extensive work with our clients that a new cultural contract is emerging. Operating with a clear purpose, solid values and an unwavering commitment to wellbeing, diversity and open communication is non-negotiable. Structuring and supporting teams to play to their strengths, build healthy habits and be impact-driven is non-negotiable. Creating a connected working experience that makes the most of time and space wherever you might physically be, is non-negotiable.

We explore this new cultural contract and more in the Future Positive Talent guide, which you can download today. Find out more about what a new era of work demands and gain some critical advice on how to master it.

You know the world has changed significantly and that agencies need to change too. Agencies have to meet the new standards that will impact more and more as we move into 2021. We’re sure that you’ll have made some changes to your business – but will they be enough to drive the success you’re looking for?

When it comes to your own business, identifying and implementing the changes that will really make a difference isn’t easy. There’s a need to know what’s really going on, to rethink your approach and be brave about it. And that’s much easier to achieve when armed with new insights and prompted to look at things differently. Our Future Positive guide will provide an understanding of what it takes to achieve agency success when there are new standards at play. It covers all the fundamentals relating to clients, talent and how to create value – and provides critical advice on many different actions you should consider.

We know that clients’ structures, knowledge and expectations are changing significantly, so agencies can no longer rely on historical relationships. Nor on their past approaches to winning new business. We know that top talent is also demanding more choice, flexibility and meaning, making it more challenging than ever to attract and retain good people. We know that high profitability is now an obligation not an option, and that value depends on many factors beyond the simple financials. So there’s a lot to think about and a lot to be positive about too, so take a look.

The Future Positive guide will encourage you to think bigger or do better in different ways in whatever areas are most critical for you. For example, how to sharpen your strategy, improve profitability, strengthen client relationships, win more business, optimise your team’s performance, create a winning culture. And we’re always here to talk so get in touch. We’ll share what we know and explain how other agencies have turned these current challenges into new opportunities.

Want to grow your agency but don’t know how?  Has growth plateaued? Are you struggling to find more of the right type of client? Are you trying to build an awesome team and are finding it tough to find the right people?  Or perhaps your agency is growing but you’d like a refresher, tips and advice on how to accelerate your growth?

If any of these questions resonate then why not join a bunch of highly motivated agency owners and Janusz Stabik, a coach and mentor to agencies across the globe and lead coach for Google across numerous agency growth programs to help find the answer.

Workshop 1 – Grow Your Agency

Audience: Agency owner/founders

What’s holding you back from running the agency you want to run? What do the high performers do differently from the rest? How good is your agency?

Janusz will take you through the strategy, benchmarks, tips and templates you’ll need to run an efficient and effective agency to accelerate your growth in 2021.  You’ll meet other agency owners and gain fresh perspectives, you’ll feel the weight lift from your shoulders, you’ll be energised and excited about the future and you’ll have gained clarity on how to get there.

By the end of the workshop you will:

Workshop 2 – How to build an awesome agency team

Audience: Owner founder + Directors

Running and growing agency depends entirely on recruiting and retaining good people who do great work. You work hard to attract great employees, you want the best! But what does the “best” really mean?  Good cultural fit?  Good at their job?  Experienced?  Passionate about their work?  All of this?

If any of the following rings true, this workshop is for you:

At the end of this workshop you will:

Workshop 3 – Increase the lifetime value of your clients and 7X the value of your business over 5 years

Audience: Agency owner founders, sales/marketing teams, account managers/client service execs

The average agency loses 20% of its revenue every single year through client churn.  The sobering fact is, this is the average and it’s not uncommon for churn to be closer to 45% (a HUGE hole to fill).  This results in unhappy teams, unhappy clients, lost marketing spend, lost time, lost effort, lost money – no wonder growth is so difficult?

What if:

Sound like a pipe dream?  It’s not and it’s eminently achievable.

At the end of this workshop you will:

Join this workshop to find out how to kick-start your growth by focusing on your most important asset – your existing customers.

Book your place

You can book for each individual session via the links above or, for the most value, book all three sessions as a package by emailing alli@bristolcreativeindustries.com.

Individual sessions are £45+VAT per session for BCI members or £70+VAT for non-members.

Book all 4 sessions for £100+VAT (BCI Members) or £160+VAT (non-members).

About Janusz Stabik

Janusz is a coach and mentor to agency leaders across the globe through his coaching practice and consultancy, Digital Agency Coach, where he helps helping agency owners to run better businesses, lead better teams, make more money and have fun doing so. He’s an ex-agency owner, a trusted speaker for Forbes, head coach at the GYDA Initiative and a lead coach for Google across multiple agency growth programmes throughout EMEA.

Access Creative College (ACC) has begun work on Phase Two of its campus in Bristol City Centre, which will see it occupy the former site of legendary music venue, Bierkeller. The development represents an investment of £4.5m by the college, as it looks to give the space a new lease of life with a host of cutting-edge sound facilities and classrooms for ACC’s range of creative courses.

The Bierkeller site has remained unused since it closed its doors to music fans back in 2018. Over the years, the venue welcomed some of the biggest names in music to its stage, including Nirvana, The Stone Roses and Arctic Monkeys, to name just a few. At over 13,000 sq. feet, ACC’s Phase Two development will more than double the floor space of its Bristol Campus, as the college looks to develop the talent and skills that are so vital to the future growth of the creative industries in the city and beyond.

Mark Smithers, Access Creative College Bristol Centre Manager commented, “Bristol has a rich heritage of creativity and it is an exciting place to be teaching the next generation of digital and arts professionals. As we break through into the former Bierkeller site next door, it will soon be home to some of UK’s leading creatives of tomorrow as we bring it back to life as an education and state-of-the-art events space.”

ACC’s Phase Two facilities will include an events space and stage, a music studio and production pods, where students will be able to mix music, create podcasts and record video and sound. There will also be a range of classrooms equipped with all the latest tech, as well as a number of breakout spaces and student collaboration areas.

Smithers continues, “As an organisation we have been in Bristol for the best part of two decades now. The opening of the first phase of our city centre campus meant we could expand our offering to students, providing a broader range of courses with cutting edge facilities for the very best learning experience. We couldn’t be happier to now take that to the next stage with this new development.”

Following an initial investment of £5m, Access Creative College launched Phase One of its new digital and games campus back in March 2019 and has since rolled out a range of courses including Esports Management, Creative Computing, Software Development, Games Art, Games Technology, Film, Video & Photography and Graphic & Digital Design.

Jason Beaumont, Chief Executive at Access Creative College, added, “As we approach our 30th academic year, this Phase Two development is proof if our intentions for further growth. We understand that by listening to the needs of our students and the wider industry, we’ll be in the best position to provide meaningful education and continue our track record of high student achievement and progression.’

“We are continuing to adapt our curriculum to support the increasingly digital market and of course working closely with industry and employers to best prepare our learners for careers remains a core focus of ACC’s approach to Further Education.”

Having previously operated out of its campus in Hengrove for over 18 years, ACC was Bristol’s first college with a sole focus on the creative industries. Artist Development, Music Technology & Production and Vocal Artist courses, which were previously run from the South Bristol site, will now be brought into the main campus in the city centre, where ACC’s Phase Two facilities will play a pivotal role in skills development.

This announcement follows a significant year for Armstrong Learning group, the owners of the College, during which it secured investment from Apiary Capital and welcomed the National College for the Creative Industries (NCCI) to its portfolio. ACC has also recently announced a number of new senior appointments, including former Minister of State for Universities Jo Johnson, as the college’s new chair, and former Ofsted inspector and Adult Learning Inspectorate Steve Stanley as Director of Evaluation and Impact.

For more information on the development, please visit http://www.accesscreative.ac.uk/bristol

 

 

 

As joint leader of an independent agency, 2020 has meant sleepless nights. But it has also provided opportunities to inspire others and galvanise our team.

1. There are no perfect leaders

There never has been and there still won’t be perfect leaders in 2021. Throughout 2020, leaders have been pushed and tested in completely new ways. Moving forward it’s important to focus on our strengths as leaders, rather than our weaknesses. Reach out and work alongside other leaders to delegate some of your leadership tasks and remember that in areas you struggle, someone else will excel. It is a positive thing to learn from this. We as leaders are always learning. In an effort to continue our development and competence in this area, with my fellow Director, Chris Thurling, we recently took part in a two-day course run by the Institute of Directors entitled Leadership for Directors. Be open to new information and to adapting your preferred methods and means as necessary.

2. Demonstrate what it means to be a good follower

As a leader you are also a follower, likely following other leadership team members within the business. Demonstrate what it means to be a good follower through asking the right questions and having the right attitude towards a mutual goal. Praise and reward good following within the business and cultivate an atmosphere of support and trust. This will be crucial in tackling the upcoming year.

3. Managing expectations about risk and innovation has never been more important

Staff will need to know what level of risk is acceptable within the business, especially coming out of the complex year that was 2020. It’s important that as a leader you communicate if risk and innovations are rewarded or if in the current period the aim is to avoid risk within the business.

4. Understand different motivations and work out how you provide them

We’re all motivated by different means: money, autonomy, flexibility etc. These motivations also change throughout a person’s life. Many of our motivations have changed in 2020 in particular as our lives have shifted emphasis. It’s vital that moving forward you have empathy with your team and ask individuals what it is that motivates them. Don’t waste your time offering flexibility to an individual who is focused on financial gain for example.

5. “Leaders are usually unaware, or at least underestimate, the motivating power of their presence.”

Sir Alex Ferguson got it spot on when he said this. Good leaders can inspire people simply by being around them, and often have an energy that people want to follow. This has increased in difficulty this year as a leader’s presence is significantly diluted on screen. The minute I as a leader press that ‘leave meeting’ button online, my presence has gone. This is an obstacle that needs to be overcome and one of the reasons I believe that, to misquote Mark Twain, the death of the office has been greatly exaggerated.

6. Change management

Understand, share and coach people through the change management process, and Elisabeth Kubler-Ross’ change curve, so they appreciate the emotional journey they are likely to go through when faced with change, especially big or unexpected sudden change. We might go through stages of shock, denial, then anger and frustration, through to uncertainty or depression, before starting to feel more positive with acceptance, problem solving and finally commitment. Following the difficult year that has been 2020 it is vital that as we move forward, we are able to do so together.

7. Organisations need to nurture their social capital

It’s important to see connections and relationships develop across different levels and skill sets within the business. This is why, in normal times, colleagues enjoyed lunches and trips to the pub together. These obviously haven’t happened in 2020 and businesses will need to figure out how to maintain social connections whilst the virus still rages and how to rebuild them post lockdown.

8. Transparency

With communication, people want to understand WHY something has been decided – as much as possible, if you can share the raw or primary data that has influenced decisions, people will find it easier to contextualise and understand the reasons for decision-making. We’ve learned this year, when we haven’t felt the support of our team in a direction we propose, it might have been because we haven’t been transparent enough with what we were seeing, and why we thought the proposal was the best solution. Clear language is vital moving forward as the conversations that usually happen between staff in the office to provide clarity aren’t always happening remotely. Leadership styles are also contextual so bear in mind that what worked in the office may not work online. Perhaps a more direct approach will be needed. A greater emphasis on clarity will be necessary no matter what your chosen leadership style.

9. Communicate, communicate, communicate

In 2020, we have seen more than ever before the truth in the saying “Repeat yourself so often, you get sick of hearing yourself. Only then will people begin to internalise what you’re saying”. With so many changes, and also real or perceived threats, people want to know what that means for them. Even if there is no-change, communicating that gives reassurance. This remains crucial as we move into the uncharted territory that is 2021.

10. Leadership won’t change. It will evolve

Leadership principles go back centuries in history and remain relevant today. Moving forward, leaders will continue to build on these principles alongside an ever-evolving culture.

A lot has changed in 2020 but good leadership principles have not. Leaders have simply had to adapt.

 

This article was written by Andy Brown, Chief Financial Officer at Armadillo, and first appeared on Business Chief.

At this time of year, our marketing team asks people around the business for their predictions for the following 12 months. Whilst we can usually have a good stab at what the next year will hold, 2020 has thrown everything up in the air.

This time last year, very few people would have predicted a global pandemic, or the impact it might have.

So, who knows what next year will bring. But as I look ahead to 2021, I hope we will value bravery, of ourselves and those around us, and appreciate those who encourage us to be brave. A character trait that doesn’t always get the limelight, I think there are at least three specific areas where it will be valued even more than it has been in years gone by.

Creative and strategic confidence

Marketeers across the board, from senior decision makers at brands to the agencies they employ, need confidence to follow the courage of their convictions. To be brave embracing new technology and risky creative ideas for their message to resonate in a crowded landscape.

Vulnerable and trusting with relationships

Many of us have heard the adage “we’re in the same storm, but not in the same boat” this year. With friends and colleagues working from home, and at times physically isolated or in quarantine, we need to be brave for our friends’ sake. Brave by dialling down our own fear of rejection or being excluded and reach out to them. Demonstrating compassion for others, and making an effort to listen with empathy may for some be like rays of sunshine in their day.

Back yourself

And we need to be brave in believing in ourselves. To have increased confidence that we can do something which may feel challenging. Bravery in the hope and faith that tomorrow will be brighter, and we’ll get through this if we look out for each other and stick together.

If this thought resonates with you, and you want to wear your heart on your sleeve more than just figuratively, Relabelled Clothing is a local independent ethical business with some apt ‘Brave’ apparel for adults and kids.

 

This article was written by Andy Brown, Chief Financial Officer at Armadillo.

It’s time to break the holding pattern

You’ve worked hard to build a great culture and support your people during the most challenging time. Your team has shown the same commitment and done their best to rapidly adapt. Your leaders, many new, have stepped up, shone through and realised what they are capable of.

If you can relate to any or all of the above, then you’re in a good place. But like many agencies you may also be stuck in a holding pattern when it comes to how day to day working and culture will function in the future – particularly if you’re used to a more traditional set-up.

So how do you maintain momentum and not get held back by what you can’t control? How do you motivate and manage people across teams and locations?  And how do you start to be more intentional about designing a working experience and culture that supports your future goals?

Answering these questions starts with recognising that there’s no looking back and no point in transferring old ways to new realities. The future of work isn’t about being remote from one another, quite the opposite, it’s an opportunity to be more meaningfully connected than you were before – in every respect.

You’ll now need to think differently about how you transition from one working era to the next, so here are some initial prompts to help focus your approach:

  1. Clarify the vision for your agency and how it will shape how you do things your way in a new era. This you can control, and it will give everyone a shared sense of direction.
  2. Prepare your leaders for the challenges and demands of a different way of working and collaborating. Help them to be the compelling communicators, good listeners, everyday simplifiers and the role-models their teams will need.
  3. Look critically at your workflows and employee experience through the lens of your vision and what your clients really need from you. Minimise the pain points, value in-person engagement differently and reframe the role of any physical space you may hold on to or invest in.
  4. Create pathways for people to transition to new ways of working. Readiness and confidence will vary across your team and it’s important to get close to that and to know where flexibility really matters.
  5. Role model the behaviours and balance you want your teams to follow. Don’t pay lip service to work-life balance if you’re not openly setting the boundaries that will show you mean it.
  6. Measure performance not presenteeism, and match performance metrics to changing client expectations. If KPI’s were once dependent on different ways of working, or if return on investment looks different to your clients now, rethink them.

Uncertainty remains but a new year deserves a new outlook. Start as you mean to go on with a clear plan for how your agency and your teams will work together. Be deliberate about it and create the conditions for your business and your talent to do their best work.

If you’d like to know more about any of the points we’ve raised here, or just chat about any of the issues you’re facing in your business, we’re here and ready to talk.

Here at Armadillo we’re excited to announce that we will now be offering all staff external coaching with renowned confidence coach, Jo Emerson.

The introduction of external coaching follows our decision to move away from a traditional line managed structure. We have chosen to replace line managers with networked support; task-based support to bring clarity to deliverables, skills-based support to build expertise in key specialisms, and growth-based support. This is where the coaching will come in. We hope that this move will give people the headspace to work through their challenges, ambitions, frustrations and ideas, as well as empower staff to seek their own solutions and decide their own actions.

Fiona Craig, our Strategy and Planning Director, explains why external coaching was a must-have for us: “Internal support is very much focused on the work we do for our clients – you could say the client is the key stakeholder here, and all efforts are focused on doing a good job for them.

Fiona continues: “The support offered by external coaching is centred exclusively around the individual – often there can be a tension between the two areas of focus, and in a traditional structure, line managers can struggle to do a really good job of supporting on all fronts. So, this allows those who are exceptionally skilled in one area to excel, while the individual still gets supported on all sides.”

Jo Emerson is a confidence and human behaviour expert, author, and the winner of International Executive Coach of the Year (2019-2020).

Fiona goes on to say “Jo is highly experienced in dealing with change and confidence, and has a wonderful energy that felt right for us here at Armadillo. She will spark some great conversations and even greater ideas, we feel sure.”

Jo adds, “It’s a real privilege to be working with Armadillo at such a critical time and to support team members as they grow and develop within an incredibly fast-paced industry.  Armadillo’s new networked-support structure coupled with external and objective coaching shows what an innovative and agile company they are!”

We hope you will join us in offering Jo a very warm welcome. We thoroughly look forward to working with her and cannot wait to see members of the Armadillo team succeeding in their career and self-development goals.

What can you do to create a stronger future for your agency?

The world has changed significantly, and agencies will need to change with it. Just because you’ve been successful in the past; you won’t have an automatic right to thrive in the future. But the pressures are more fundamental than just this crisis. The agency world has been at a tipping point for many years and it’s time to move to a better model. One that shifts focus away from what agencies ‘do’ to the value they can create in all respects – uniquely solving genuine problems for clients, empowering great talent and running businesses more sustainably so that everyone succeeds.

At Tonic, we’ve invested significantly in developing Future Positive to help agencies understand and respond successfully to the required depth and speed of change. The new guide draws together our frontline client experience, extensive research into changing expectations and a range of perspectives from an industry going through and seeking positive change.

Get your copy of Future Positive here.

Insightful, practical advice for all agency founders and leaders looking to emerge stronger and lead the way in a new era of business.