How Alison is making a business from her passion
Alison Stanley dreamed of sharing the power of performance and the arts with her community. Now, after working with The Business Factory, she’s launched her own business to break down barriers and benefit more people. Alison tells us more…
I’m a working actor and a writer for theatre and screen. I’ve created content for the likes of the Edinburgh Festival and The Vaults in London as well as our cherished local theatres.
I believe passionately that everyone should be able to have access to good quality performance because the arts are such a powerful way to connect people of all ages. I’ve seen the way it inspires young and old alike. But barriers like location and cost often mean people miss out.
That’s what gave me the idea to create a theatre and events company that brings performance out into the community. By taking theatre to non-typical environments like libraries and community centres more people can be reached.
I came together with two others who are passionate about the arts and we started to work out the details. We also wanted to support new writing and using performance as an important part of training programmes that will benefit organisations and businesses. And that’s how Stanley Creatives was born.
I got involved with The Business Factory a few years ago in my capacity as a freelance artist and I knew the advice was great. So, it was my go-to place for support for my new venture.
The first thing we discussed was my aim to set up as a social enterprise. I wasn’t sure of what that meant in terms of structuring the business so the discussion around this was incredibly helpful. We got a plan together and put my vision down on paper. I decided to set up as a Community Interest Company (CIC).
By working together we’ve created a roadmap of where I want the business to go and now, I just need to follow it!
The advisers have helped me to realise how important it is to consider how to get from A to B in a way that gives my business the very best chance of success. I had a CIC in the past and resigned from it so I could easily have dismissed the idea of doing it again by thinking that I had failed once before. But the advice I’ve received made me realise instead how much I learned from that first experience and highlighted new opportunities to do things differently.
I’m a very creative person and business is not my forte so to sit down with someone who can explain things clearly is absolutely invaluable.
They make me realise that I can do it. They dissolve the mystery that sometimes surrounds business and by simplifying it all, they make it feel very achievable. When you’re starting out it’s easy to overthink things and imagine they’re bigger than they are but sometimes you just need a little help to decipher the language.
There’s a risk when you talk to family and friends about your business ideas that they will put you off.
Even though they mean well, if they don’t have a self-employed mindset themselves then the concept is alien to them and they can put barriers in your way by sharing their hesitations. But when you talk to the advisers at The Business Factory it’s like a breath of fresh air for your ideas. They are experts in this and know how to knock down the barriers.
No question is too silly to ask and that non-judgemental approach is incredibly reassuring when you’re setting up.
It can be quite an isolating experience and to hear that you’re not the only one struggling with this stuff is so helpful. You cannot underestimate the value of clarifying your ideas by talking them through with someone independent and knowledgeable about the world of business. I’d recommend the service to anyone starting up or growing a business.
The future is very exciting for Stanley Creatives. Our next step is to secure funding to really get off the ground.
Our longer-term plan is to be self-sustaining. In the next five years we aim to have our own theatre space for performance and workshops and be self-sustaining through ticket sales, a café and hiring out the space.
Has Alison's story got you thinking?
Find out how we can help your business by calling us on 0191 643 6409 or drop us an email on info@businessnorthtyneside.co.uk
