This week saw the launch of the government’s “Start Up Britain” campaign. This initiative, designed to stimulate interest in British industry and promote entrepreneurship has been met with a mixed reception. Touted by PM David Cameron as “helping Britain’s future entrepreneurial talent by providing links to the web’s best business resources”, the jury is still out on whether this campaign is a genuine attempt to help start up businesses, entrepreneurs and inventors in the UK, or a hastily put-together scheme formulated by PR people with an eye for a story.
In particular, the UK design community was up in arms at the initial exclusion of any mention of UK design consultancies. Instead the Start Up Britain website offered a link to a US design consultancy where you could have a pre-made logo developed for a cost of $99. The dissatisfaction with a service initiated by the UK government, to then stimulate industry within the United States is understandable. It is however a credit to the Start Up Britain team that the oversight was corrected rapidly and the site now links through to a UK-based design association.
The initiative itself encourages the entrepreneurial spirit of individuals and businesses in the UK and it is a great time for inventors to come up with new ideas to stimulate Britain’s industry. Whilst questions may still be being asked of the scheme and whether the approach to the problem of Britain’s lack of entrepreneurial spirit has been the best one, it is important for people to get behind the concept. The likes of Richard Branson, Peter Jones and Theo Paphitis have pushed their support for the initiative but the proof will be in the pudding.
It is early days for Start Up Britain but any scheme that can help support the thousands of inventors, both young and old, in the UK, on their quests to take an idea to market at least deserves to be given a chance. Over the coming months, it is going to be an interesting time for British entrepreneurs. Whether the initiative succeeds or fails, inventors in the UK should be assured that companies such as Innovate Design will be there to support their ventures for the foreseeable future.
For more information, see Start Up Britain
