A natural openness and honestly means online businesses in the North-West are clubbing together to drive enterprise in the region, according to Carfinance247 MD Reg Rix.
In an exclusive chat with Growth Business, Rix said business leaders from across the region benefit from “a sense of being in the right place to innovate and excel within our markets and sectors”.
He added however that there is “always a bit of healthy competitive rivalry as we all strive to grow faster and bigger than our peers”.
Carfinance247 is an online motor finance broker based in the Ancoats region of Manchester and has just announced growth of 280% in the latest financial year. And Rix believes this impressive financial success comes against the backdrop of “exciting new business ventures choosing to invest in the region”.
“Our section of the city now boasts new build city centre dwellings and great office spaces, breathing new life into old industrial warehouses and commercial buildings,” he explains.
>See also: How SMEs are making a home in the Northern Powerhouse
He also credits the arrival of a large part of the BBC’s operations to Salford’s Media City with “helping to strengthen Manchester’s reputation”
“It brings an influx of exciting new opportunities talent, and there is a general positive vibe in terms of the region’s continued success and growth,” he continues.
“This is helping to attract a top quality talent pool so we can excel quicker.”
The work done by associations such as Manchester Digital is also key to fostering a culture of collaboration and openness among the digital community, according to Rix.
The “concentration of digital capability” in the city leads to a tight knit group with plenty of meet-ups and events for sharing ideas – aided by the relatively compact nature of the city.
Ultimately Rix believes a cultural willingness to be open with others remains one of the biggest drivers for innovation and collaboration in the North-West and across all parts of the top end of Britain.
“I think there’s also a bit of it ‘being the northern way’ – on the whole we’re pretty open and honest and like to get together to share experiences and help each other out where we can,” he concludes.
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