Free to text services has given more than 200 potential entrepreneurs in one of Britain’s most deprived communities frontline access to advice and grants in creating and building their own businesses
Marketing agency Fresh Consultants has contracted mobile messaging company Mediaburst to provide its groundbreaking free to text services to people in North Liverpool and South Sefton as part of a £30 million local government sponsored enterprise creation initiative called StepClever.
The initiative is using the power of enterprise to regenerate one of Britain’s most deprived neighbourhoods and aims to create 500 new businesses and 1500 jobs in the area over the next two years
Under the patronage of the City of Liverpool and Sefton Metropoliton Borough Council, the enterprise creation initiative was launched in late 2007. In the first six weeks over 200 potential entrepreneurs in Everton, Anfield, Kirkdale, County, Derby and Linacre contacted StepClever to gain early access to a range of free enterprise creation services including business advice, support and grants.
The scheme was the subject of a community-wide radio, public relations, poster and print campaign encouraging residents in the area to contact StepClever by phone, email or SMS to obtain enterprise creation support. Over 60% of repondants chose SMS as the initial engagement route with StepClever and are now well advanced in setting up their businesses. Residents were able to text StepClever with their mobiles at no cost using a dedicated shortcode.
“Free to text shortcodes has proved the prime tool for StepClever to engage and interact with residents in the deprived North Liverpool and South Sefton area and we see Mediaburst’s technology being widely used in similar government initiatives going forward,” says James Dunningham, a director of Fresh Consultants.