BUSINESS COMMENT: A Generation of Opportunity, Celebration and Vibrancy

In the run-up to Enterprise Week, Derry News Business Columnist RYAN WILLIAMS salutes Derry's emerging new leaders and urges legions more to follow their lead

Like much of Derry and the North West generally the Derry and Strabane Council led Enterprise Week has been given a refreshing revamp. Quite apart from positive peer exposure, solid practical advice, networking and inspiration, the week is a great litmus test of just how vibrant and diverse the North West Entrepreneurial ecology has become. However we have just started down the road – we need greater sustenance for the journey ahead.

A number of analysts have commented on the re-birth of the city – yes, it's more than common knowledge that 'there is always more to be done' – however having lived and worked here for almost 20 years, there is a deep-rooted sensation that the planets are starting to align – and that alignment starts with the right people, in the right positions and the right time… and with the bright, right attitude.

In addition, there has been a deeper realisation that no one is coming to save us – that demands and conjures a steely resolve amongst those who do have access to resources, effort and policy influence to move heaven and earth to make this a better place for our families and community. The North West of the next generation needs to be one of opportunity, celebration and vibrancy. Its achievable – we are only a few moves away from success.

We also finally have the kind of leadership across significant parts of our public, educational and local Government sector infrastructure who are genuinely invested in and committed to radical change: North West Regional College, Derry and Strabane Council, LYIT, University of Ulster, Catalyst Inc, C-Tric, Western Health Trust, Invest NI, and the many outstanding schools across the North West.

We have never been at a period in our history where the 'people capital' within the leadership of these organisations has been as laser-focused and animated about bringing positive change that is badly needed. That’s not to say they always get it right – the public sector, like every sector, make mistakes … they are usually just more visible than those made in the private. I could write lengthy and critical articles about many of the organisations above – it won’t bring or grow a single additional job or penny to the City. That’s a fact.

In tandem the private sector is having a renaissance. Lets examine the unfettered success and growth of locally grown exemplar businesses like Learning Pool, E & I Engineering, Fleming Agri and O’Neill’s. These are complemented by high growth start ups like Elemental, led by two of the North West's most dynamic female entrepreneurs (Leeann Monk and Jennifer Neff), Bubble Bum exporting their excellence globally and sexy new starts ups and University spinouts like Qubizm and the next powerful generation of the Canavan’s in the form of the effervescent Megan Canavan from Scattr.

There are many more – but at the moment it’s more like the 300 Spartans fighting at the Battle of Battle of Thermopylae – yes we have the ability, attitude and guts… but the Spartan’s ultimately lost at Thermopylae because they were fighting against much larger forces and they were exposed by just one weak link in the chain – inadequate knowledge and understanding of the terrain.

Thriving

We also forget about the unique North West proposition that brought established stalwarts such as Du Pont, Seagate, Invista, Kainos, O’Neill’s, OSV and Fujitsu to the City. We almost forget about these businesses at times – particularly Du Pont who have been a success story for over half a century. For the life of me I don’t really know why this is case.

Perhaps, like most things in our lives, we forget those things which help us most – like treasured and loved family members - we think we will always have them in our lives. The reality of business and markets is a much more raw eventuality. Everything can end in a capitalist heartbeat and resuscitation is often impossible. However lets get back to the fact the businesses listed above stay and thrive in Derry for a reason. Let’s bottle that and go get some more.

In order to become a true start up community and ecology Derry must develop its own Roman Legion. The Roman Empire largely succeeded because it focused on continual expansion – a combination of advanced military tactics, global diplomacy and political discipline.

Derry has long standing City Guardians – it is unlikely they will want to pillage, conquer and bring home bounty for the benefit of the city. The new City Entrepreneurs, to be successful in this city need to realise that exploiting the local market for hyper business growth is largely wasted endeavour. In short the market is too small… we are not big enough to sustain ourselves.

That maturity is often hard to instil in the next generation of entrepreneurs and city leaders. You may have to leave or travel to deliver transformational success. Every business listed above could not succeed if focus remained local. This takes grit, determination and drive – it’s not for the fainthearted. Everyone wants to be a lion until there is lion stuff to be done.

Testudo formations

The city needs its own ‘Entrepreneurial Testudo’ - the testudo or tortoise formation was a type of shield wall formation commonly used by the Roman Legions during battle – essentially where the troops form a wall of shields across all sides and create a protective roof for the troops beneath. Then they advance, as one, protected from arrows and the anything else cast their way. Entrepreneurs in the City at an early stage of their development are most exposed to early fatal blows. Seed finance and access to tried and tested mentors who understand their sectors are both often difficult to secure.

The VC and Investment community right across NI is relatively non-existent and within the North West the VC community is more rare than a Unicorn ridden by a dodo across the Elysian Fields. That said we have had some successful scouts who have proven that the recipe is attainable.  These early success stories provide motivation, inspiration – they have exposed many of the bear traps, where opportunities really lie and how with the right navigation the business support organisations like Invest NI can come into their own.

The formal formation of ‘Your Derry’ as a Community Interest Company is another step along the way of providing a more protective and ambitious ‘Testudo’ for this Derry outward invasion of national and international markets.

The movement which began in November 2017 has already grown to over 6000 members across Facebook bringing vibrant debate across multiple issues, the initiation of practical projects benefiting the local community as well as a growing focus on how we drive entrepreneurship and private sector growth.

The ‘Take Over’ of one full day of Enterprise Week is one of the initial projects embraced by a number of members of the Your Derry team – the day has embraced global champions such as Craig Thompson from Mini Ladd, Peter Casey from Dragons Den and Ronan Stewart from Roco for 3 special keynotes - plus a host of other successful business local people and practical masterclasses. All people who will help guide us in the formation of our new Entrepreneurial Testudo for the City and Region!

Laser focus

In the words of Publius Flavius Vegetius Renatus (who often struggled with his Starbucks Coffee Cup naming of a morning) one of Rome’s most famous military historians:

‘We find that the Romans owed the conquest of the world to no other cause than continual military training, exact observance of discipline in their camps, and unwearied cultivation of the other arts of war’.

In the North West, we need to become more laser focused on those things which equip and build our entrepreneurial army in the right way. Focus on those things which give us the best ‘bang for buck’ and move forward as one mighty, forthright and ambitious testudo unit.

Entrepreneurs are often viewed as hungry lone wolves - but as wolf pack (not in the Hangover movie way!), with specific skills, talent and experience we can be a force to be reckoned with. I would encourage everyone to get out and stuck into everything that is Enterprise Week – the military training starts today!