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Interview: Gary Shipsey, Managing Director at Protecture
We spoke to Gary to find out about the journey from using the Saloon Car co-working space at Engine Shed to moving into Boxworks last month.
"Protecture were expanding and I’d been working out of my home office. We were looking to take on some more staff, but didn’t have the resource to take on a full office. I’d heard of Engine Shed, so when we came to have a look; it was exactly what we needed. The price for using the co-working space was just £20 a day per person, and if we weren’t there a whole day, it would charge by the hour. It worked really flexibly for us – the free drink in the business lounge café, along with the helpful staff was great too!
We felt like we were part of Engine Shed, but our growth led to regularly using three desks, alongside other users. Everyone was friendly, you’ve got people who are on a journey like you are and you get a sense that there’s lots going on. Something I have learnt is to not lose heart, you are on a journey that lots of people are doing, so being part of the wider Engine Shed community is good for that.
We decided to look at Boxworks because of our expansion, and they looked quite quirky. It was quite interesting to see what they were. To have access to the facilities of Engine Shed, it made it a very attractive venture. We regularly use the Engine Shed for the business lounge and kitchen. We’re running an event in December, and we have the discount rate for being tenants here. To have that functionality and approach, but to still have your own space, is brilliant!
It’s been great moving in. The time has flown by – we’ve been here a month already – and it feels like we’ve been here forever. They’ve fitted out the containers with plenty of plug sockets, so you can set up the room however you like. The Wi-Fi is great too, having your own router makes for a secure, fast internet connection.
By having the Temple Quarter Enterprise Zone business rates, we have a set figure for the bill each month. We don’t have to worry about any other bills or rates. All these things have helped ease us in, so we can get on with the other 101 things to be done. To know that the initial term is 6 months, then ongoing from there, you don’t feel like you’re committing and getting tied in. Our business is going very well, but we don’t know the full impact of Brexit yet, so to have the flexibility is very useful.
In the future, we hope to keep expanding – there’s so much opportunity, and my board have been asking how many people I can fit in here! There are so many ways you can move things around in here to accommodate more people, so there’s definitely the chance to grow within this space".
Protecture are running their next event, looking at Data Protection and the impact of Brexit, on 8 December 2016. Join them at Engine Shed.
Drop in with London Stock Exchange - 9 November
Do you want to know more about growing your business and accessing long term equity capital? Would you like to understand more about how some of your peers have grown their business on the stock market?
On Wednesday 9 November, Claire Dorrian and Marcus Stuttard from the London Stock Exchange will be available at Engine Shed for an informal conversation about the finance options available to you, to support the growth of your business. You can gain an insight into recent market activity on AIM, the London Stock Exchange’s growth market and the Main Market and see the types of business that are raising capital. We also run a business support programme called ELITE which is designed specifically for founders of high growth UK private companies. We are very open to having early stage conversations with companies about the growth of your business as it is worth you understanding all the options available to you.
If you would like to book a drop in session for half and hour on Wednesday 9 November between 2.00 - 5.00 pm then please email Claire Dorrian.
Social Media Week, 14 - 18 November
Come and hear from Facebook, Buzzfeed and Twitter as well as locally agencies running sessions on how to be the best at social media. Bristol Media have pulled together some highlights of the schedule and booking with several sessions happening at Engine Shed.
Engine Shed finance briefing - 6 December
Come along to the next Finance Briefing: Socialising the commercial from 4.30 - 5.30 pm. “It’s easier to socialise the commercial than it is to commercialise the social” - Discuss with a great panel including;
- Ed Rowberry (Chair) - Chief Executive at Bristol & Bath Regional Capital CIC
- Sue Turner - Chief Executive Officer at Quartet Community Foundation
- Oliver Mochizuki – Fintech & Social Enterprise Innovator, co-founder Fundsurfer.com & Ghost Rain Pictures
- Karl Belizaire – International Agent of Change & Managing Director, Social Enterprise Works
- Nick Davies - Founder, Neighbourly - a B-Corp
Followed by SETsquared festive drinks.
Order in the business lounge with Ordoo
Engine Shed is proudly the first venue to partner with Ordoo. We were early adopters of their mobile ordering and payment app - enabling busy people to save time ordering at the cafe.
We've been supporting them through their name change form 'Ordable' to 'Ordoo' and over their launch in Bristol in April. Ordoo are now launching in London and moving quickly. We wish them the best of luck as they expand and hope they reach their goals. Please feel free to give the app a go at the Engine Shed cafe - where it all began!
Seats for Startups
Want free flights to help your business grow in Europe? Engine Shed is working with bmi regional and UKTI to support businesses based within 50 miles of Bristol with a turnover of less than £500,000 which have been trading for less than five years. Find out more and apply.
Europe on Sale! Why not make the most of bmi regional's sale this week with fares to Europe from £59 one way. Book at flybmi.com
West of England Growth Hub
The growth hub offers access to an extensive, connected network of business knowledge and skills partners, supporting local businesses to confidently expand and grow. We can help all businesses looking to engage with any publicly funded business support project. The range of services we offer includes; finance assistance, support for high growth businesses, access to skills packages, manufacturing, innovation and research advice and export support.
Through one innovative, intuitive web portal, you have instant access to an extensive, connected network of business knowledge and skills partners. Based on a fundamental ethos of community and relationships, the West of England Growth Hub offers benefits to both support providers and businesses looking to grow, establishing a stronger local economic region.
Contact us at info@wearegrowth.co.uk
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Events at Engine Shed
- 15 November, 08.15 - 10:00 am - Techie Brekkie: Health Tech - the next big tech opportunity?
- 6 December, 4.30 - 5.30 pm - Finance Briefing: Socialising the commercial, “It’s easier to socialise the commercial than it is to commercialise the social” - Discuss. Followed by SETsquared festive drinks.
- 7 December, 12.30 - 1.30 pm - Temple Quarter Enterprise Zone Introduction please note that this session is intended for local businesses working at or from Engine Shed. If this does not apply to you but you would still like to attend, please email btqez@bristol.gov.uk
- 8 December, 9.00 am -12:30 pm - Data Protection: The path through the post-Brexit maze, How can you meet the rising expectations of donors, service users, regulators and the wider public? Protecture host.
- 15 December, 12.00 - 5.00 pm - Celebrate the Season with Ignite Digital Talent @ Boxworks #7. All from the Boxworks and Engine Shed communities are welcome to drop by for festive drinks, nibbles and good cheer so pop the date in your diary and join the party!
Contact Anna@ignite.digital for more information.
SETsquared Workshops (small fee for non-SETsquared members):
Public events held at other venues:
- 15 - 19 November, Festival of Economics, in Bristol Festival of Ideas fifth Festival of Economics, programmed by Diane Coyle (University of Manchester and Enlightenment Economics), economists and other experts from around the world will be debating with each other – and their audiences – some of the key economic questions of our time.
- 17 - 20 November, Feel It Festival, The Elizabeth Blackwell Institute and Life of Breath present four exciting days of events investigating pain, breathlessness, and the experience of being human. This weekend long festival weaves together research from the University of Bristol with explorations by visual artists, dance and theatre-makers, poets, aerial performers and musicians…Experience cutting edge performance, craft your pain with interactive workshops and installations, debate with experts, and immerse yourself in a host of screenings, talks and exhibitions exploring themes from domestic violence to pain in cycling.
- 1 December, 11:00 -16:00 - SPARK Skills Festival, Coming to Bristol’s Watershed at the start of December 2016, TechSPARK is pleased to present the SPARK Skills Festival, the largest independent recruitment event dedicated to the South West Digital Tech Cluster.
Also keep your calendar up to date with these resources:
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The components at Engine Shed are:
Bristol SETsquared Centre
boomsatsuma
Co-working open to all
Invest Bristol and Bath
TechSPARK
WebStart Bristol
West of England LEP
Brunel's boardroom suite meeting rooms for hire
Business lounge
Boxworks (operated commercially by Forward)
Bristol SETsquared Centre
Some news from our member companies
Well done to Zeetta Networks, our member based at Engine Shed, who has signed an agreement with ‘Bristol Is Open’ (BIO) for the deployment of Zeetta’s NetOS® on the BIO Network in a first-in-the-world use of open networking technologies orchestrating a diverse Smart City network. Find out more.
Fantastic news that tech start-up YellowDog has become the first business to secure investment from the Bristol-based private equity club. The funding will help YellowDog to deliver their business plan and achieve their ambitious growth plans by extending usage and finding new market opportunities. Read more via Insider Media. YellowDog has also just scooped the prestigious Oracle Platform Innovation award award for ‘Excellence in Innovation’ at the Oracle OpenWorld event.
We are also pleased to announce that Virtual SETsquared member Graphix Asset has recently secured angel investment to drive sales and development of its Electronic MAR medication recording platform to the Health and Social Care Sector. eMAR is a hand held electronic medication recording solution that helps ensure medication is administered reliably. Working as an App on tablets and Android smartphones, it is perfect for residential and supported living environments where compliance and security are paramount.
Great to hear that Screen Time Labs, has teamed up with Australia’s biggest selling fruit juice brand, Golden Circle, to deliver a multi-platform campaign encouraging Aussie families to get back to their outdoor lifestyle using Screen Time Labs parental control app, which limits the amount of time kids spend on mobile technology.
Read an interview with Sarah Bolt, founder of Fourth, a start-up who use the latest advances in clinical testing and digital technology to gain deep insights into unique biomarker profiles to enable people to gain deep insights into their wellbeing, fitness and performance goals, to put you in control of your health.
Invest Bristol & Bath
Venturefest - Invest Bristol & Bath will be hosting Venturefest again in 2017 and are going one step further to deliver a series of events, rather than just one day. The series will explore and showcase the technologies that will transform cities and the places we live into Future Cities.
Venturefest 2017 will begin with the Series Opener in February, providing a forum to debate the challenges inherent in developing the Bristol and Bath of the future. This will be followed by a seven-month programme of workshops and professional support events to respond to those challenges and nurture companies scaling up, then the whole series will culminate in a large, one-day event finale in October 2017.
www.venturefestbristolandbath.com / @venturefestbb
Invest Bristol & Bath provide a soft landing space for new investors to the region based at the Engine Shed. In the last few months they have successfully located two companies within the space;
Cookpad Japan's largest online recipe platform (with over 60 million unique users per month) have moved their European HQ to Bristol. Invest Bristol & Bath have assisted them with this relocation and are currently supporting them with their recruitment.
Coup Media have located their OiConference team in to the space. Last week they held their second consecutive event in the city attracting over 150 delegates, which included key speakers from IBM, Adobe and Social Chain. Invest Bristol & Bath will continue to work with the team, whilst they look to expand the conference in the city.
TechSPARK
1 December at Watershed SPARK Skills Festival
Looking for your next hire in Tech? TechSPARK is hosting the SPARK Skills Festival, the largest independent student and graduate recruitment event dedicated to the South West Digital Tech Cluster.
Not only is it a great way to recruit fresh student and graduate talent into your business, it is an opportunity to show the next generation of digital talent that there are great career opportunities with cutting edge businesses right on their doorstep.
Supported by major digital companies in the region, including our sponsor, JUST EAT, the festival will gather 40 large and small technology businesses all in one place showcasing the latest technologies and job opportunities to students and graduates from across the South West.
If you are a digital tech company that would like to exhibit at the SPARK Skills Festival and connect with up to 3,000 'STEM' students and graduates – we have a limited number of exhibiting spaces left, please contact us at skillsfest@techspark.co for further info.
If you are a graduate and are looking to find a future in tech, sign up to the SPARK Skills Festival here.
Boxworks #1
Protecture is a team of data protection specialists whose aim is to help organisations ensure data protection and privacy compliance in all areas….and prepare for the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Protecture works with organisations of all sizes and sectors, supporting them with up to date policies and other template documents that are tailored to suit their needs, backed by on-going support, training and external audit.
We have over 12 years of practical experience turning the law into practice for charities, schools, local government, corporates and care providers. If you are interested in how we can help your business, come and say hi in Boxworks #1.
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We want to make this email as useful as possible so welcome your comments and items for inclusion in next month’s email. Send submissions to Catrina by 30 November 2016.
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