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Diversification and Business Development Advice
What ever kind of business you are, Earthly Ideas can help you develop your
business and identify new routes to take. For example you may be a
farmer or landowner looking to develop your business in alternative
directions, a manufacturing company downsizing and looking to use the spare
space or a tourism business who wants to identify a new market.
As the Diversification Partner of
Deepdale Farms, Jason designed, implemented and ran a range of
diversification projects. He has also been involved with projects for other estates
including Holkham and Sandringham.
Jason's main background is in
tourism, specifically in identifying the untapped markets. He
has long involvement with Norfolk Tourism, East of England Tourist, VisitBritain and other tourism organisations.
Some of the key diversification and business development areas that Earthly Ideas can help with are:
- Initial conception of ideas
- Planning applications
- Architect management
- Design problem solving
Earthly Ideas can also offer advice and
help on diversification and business development grant applications. With successful
applications to both EEDA and DEFRA for Deepdale Farms, Jason can help you avoid
some of the pit falls.
Below are four examples of the diversification projects
Jason has worked on.
Deepdale Backpackers
and Camping
Eco-friendly backpackers hostel and campsite on the
north Norfolk coast
www.deepdalebackpackers.co.uk
Deepdale
Farm has been farming for 4 generations, until now each generation has
doubled the farm. However as farming has entered a period of turmoil,
Jason took the decision not to double the farm, instead to invest in
diversification projects and make use of the disused farm barns and paddocks
creating a backpackers hostel and campsite. To knit these facilities together Jason created a tourist
information centre. The backpacker market wasn't a
market recognised in the East of England, however from Jason's experience of
the industry overseas and the many countries he's visited with his backpack
he knew Deepdale was a backpacker destination in the making. The
facilities now accommodate over 30,000 bed nights a year and turnover in
excess of £250k. For this
project, Jason made successful grant applications to the Rural
Enterprise Scheme and to EEDA. In 2007 planning
permission was received to expand the size of the campsite all year
round, allowing what were the overflow fields to be open all year like
the rest of the campsite. |
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"Deepdale Backpackers is chilled, superb to take a
moment between blasts. Great to escape the smog of the big city."
- Extreme Sports Channel |
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Dalegate Market
Retail site on the north Norfolk coast
www.deepdalefarm.co.uk/dalegatemarket
The redevelopment of a run down petrol station in the heart of a north
Norfolk coastal village. Now a very busy retail site including a
petrol station, supermarket, café,
retail stores, rural workshops and flats. Tenants include Fat
Face Clothing, Fine and Country Estate Agents and Costcutter.
There is now a waiting list for units. Jason
was the key designer of the site, supplying architects with the vision
to draw from, dealing with planners, day to day project changes and
problem solving. Jason also dealt with the negotiations with
tenants and carrys out the marketing, which has including a wide range
of press articles. |
Deepdale Jazz Festival and
Deepdale Food and Drink Festival
To put Deepdale on the map and fill out of season beds, Jason devised and ran the Deepdale Jazz Festival
that became the Deepdale Food and Drink Festival. Both events
were designed to draw in a new type of customer and to fill the
campsite and hostel at Deepdale Farm at a traditionally out of season
time of year.
Thousands of new customers were attracted to Deepdale
because of the events, many returning at other times of the year.
The press interest for both events was excellent and these drew people
into the Deepdale Farm website, which in turn promoted the other
facilities of Deepdale.
Jason was able to use these skills to put together his
wedding, where 200 guests enjoyed circus acts, dodgem rides and a
ceilidh. |
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Films and Events
Like all farms, Deepdale has space. Through the
website and other marketing techniques, Jason encouraging the space to
be used between crops. Films like James Bond 007, 'Die Another
Day' were filmed on the farm and events, including weddings and
corporate events, were held at Marsh Barn, the venue for the Deepdale
Jazz Festival and Deepdale Food and Drink Festival.
All these events promoted Deepdale further, giving
extra press coverage and further enhancing the reputation of Deepdale
Farm as a progressive, flexible business. |
Diversification and Business Development Advice.
What ever kind of business you are, Earthly Ideas can help you develop your
business and identify new routes to take. For example you may be a
farmer or landowner looking to develop your business in alternative
directions, a manufacturing company downsizing and looking to use the spare
space or a tourism business who wants to identify a new market. |
