August was a busy month for North Tyneside Business Forum which meant we had a lot to talk about on our monthly show on Radio Northumberland!

 

Every four weeks Keith Newman hosts the show with Chair Karen Goldfinch, Amy Farrell and Rachel Laffey to talk about hot topics, events and share interviews we’ve had with our members throughout the month.  It is always a good opportunity to hear what’s been going on in our business community and what local businesses are up to.

The good news is there are daily re-runs of the show so don’t worry if you missed us, see times below and you can tune in online here:  Home – Radio Northumberland  

 

 

Featured member interviews

 

Barista Boho

Barista Boho have been extremely busy since they acquired The Alnwick Castle pub earlier this year and transformed into the vibrant Barista Boho coffee bar. If you’ve been in #NorthShields recently, you’ll have seen all the new signage up which is only the tip of the ice-berg! Co-owner Karen Weech spoke to us about what exciting plans she has for the future.

 

Mermaid Squad

When lockdown hit, our member Tracy Chandler spent the best part of her time down the coast while on furlough. It was on one of these occasions a business idea popped into her head and Mermaid Squad 🧜‍♀️ was born. Tracy tells us more about the mermaid themed beach photo shoots in Tynemouth, Whitley Bay and Blyth.

 

Plastic & Metal Profiles

Established in 1993 via an amalgamation between Plastic & Metal Engraving and Profiling Package & Print, Plastic & Metal profiles are specialists in both industrial and commercial print branding. Gavin Willis talks to us about how modern techniques and traditional craftsmanship are used to produce products.

 

Clare Money

Clare Money is a visual artist based in North Shields. We chatted to Clare about her working methods, where she will walk, photograph, and sketch multiple times to understand the nature of the places that her artwork seeks to connect with. Drawing in situ provides an intense experience of the surroundings.  Clare’s work has always been about places, not remote locations alien to her but known spaces that she revisits often.

 

Square and Compass Bar

Chris Wilson and his business partner opened the Square and Compass Bar in Whitley Bay last year and have started to host a meet and greet afternoons for Ukraine refugees providing free refreshments and a safe environment for other Ukrainian refugees to meet each other and integrate into the local community. We talked to Chris about his plans for Square and Compass Bar.

 

Aspire Digital Marketing

James Barnett talks to us about his business Aspire Digital Marketing which he set up in 2017.  Aspire provides digital marketing services for ambitious businesses of all shapes and sizes, from startups to corporate.  Specialities include paid media, social media management, SEO, and WordPress design and development services. Priding themselves on nurturing deep relationships with clients, Aspire Digital Marketing is going from strength to strength.

 

Business Saving Specialists / Energy Rebates UK

Darren Wilson set up Business Saving Specialists which provides audits for businesses on their overheads to identify cost savings on overheads.  This has especially been in the spotlight with the current energy crisis we have at the moment.  Recently Darren set up Energy Rebates UK and has been successful in claiming 5 figured rebates for some clients.

Be on our next show?

If you’d like to be interviewed as part of our next show then please e-mail us at [email protected] and Rachel or Keith will be in touch!