AN innovative enterprise centre in Paisley is helping start-ups as part of a package of support for Renfrewshire businesses.
Start-Up Street is aiding more than 30 new local businesses by providing specialist support and low-cost workspace.
The initiative, created by Renfrewshire Council in partnership with youth enterprise charity Launch It, lets businesses rent commercial space for up to two years.
The lease costs are gradually increasing over that time until businesses are ready to move to another commercial site.
It's the latest council initiative to support local firms, alongside everything from grants and loans to retail shopfront improvement funds, a programme for creative entrepreneurs and a dedicated Business Gateway team.
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Artist Indie McCue is leasing workspace with Start-Up Street as he establishes his community interest company Bide.
Earlier this year, the 26-year-old ran a community art project, Scope, showcasing his work and the work of 20 other local artists at a pop-up gallery in Paisley town centre.
Indie said: "Start-Up Street has been phenomenal at connecting me with resources, directing me into business finances and funding and it's given me the opportunity to meet with people that have become very influential and vital to the success of Bide."
He is now running a monthly meet-up for creative-minded people in Renfrewshire to support local artists while securing funding and support for Bide, a company he hopes will have a positive and long-lasting impact.
Indie added: "As a creative with a varying background in community arts and arts-organising, I think that it is vital to creating and sustaining a place of lasting culture in Paisley and wider Renfrewshire to have a space that nurtures and supports local creativity in a well-developed, well-managed and genuine way."
Supporting start-ups and growing the local economy has been a key focus of Renfrewshire Council.
Official figures from earlier this month revealed 3200 fewer people are claiming unemployment benefits than during the peak of the pandemic.
Focused work to provide 250 paid placements and apprenticeships has also seen the number of young people claiming become lower than pre-pandemic levels.
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Renfrewshire Council leader Iain Nicolson said: "It's pleasing to hear how Indie and many other talented business owners and entrepreneurs are benefitting from the centre Start-Up Street in Paisley and I know our economic development teams are working hard to progress plans for further centres in Johnstone and Renfrew.
"The ongoing impact of the pandemic has been keenly felt by Renfrewshire's business community and we are doing everything we can to assist them at this hugely difficult time.
"We've approved and awarded more than £53million in lifeline funding and at the same time have put in place a recovery plan in partnership with our business community that takes every available action which can make the biggest difference locally and speed up recovery."
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