actnow Press Release
February 2008
actnow nets 10,000th business
Mullion fish firm takes broadband signups into five figures
actnow, the Cornwall Enterprise-led partnership project spearheading the growth of broadband in Cornwall, has just landed its 10,000th business.
The 10,000th business to receive support from actnow is Kelynack Cornish Fish, which is based in an industrial unit in Mullion. Kelynack Cornish Fish supplies top quality fresh fish to prestigious customers across the UK, including the famous Gleneagles Hotel in Scotland and an exciting new restaurant in Mayfair.
Owner Jenny Lewis, who set up the business 17 years ago, says: “We have used the Internet for a couple of years but broadband is so much better. It means we can use the telephone and the Internet at the same time, as well as email customers, pay bills and arrange deliveries online almost instantly.
“We also use the Internet to check which boats will be landing fish on Newlyn Market the next morning, so we can advise customers in advance on the availability of different species. Broadband will save us masses of time and money as well as improving the service we provide our customers.”
Kelynack Fish has received a £100 rebate on its broadband costs, as well as funding towards a new computer, through the actnow reach scheme, which is funded by the Rural Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Partnership.
actnow project director, Nigel Ashcroft, says: “We are delighted to have hit the milestone of supporting 10,000 businesses in Cornwall. This is more than three times the original project target when actnow was launched as part of the Objective One programme in 2002.”
Although some businesses, such as Kelynack Fish, are still taking their first steps into broadband, many of the companies that received support in the early days of the Objective One project are now running highly sophisticated systems, with broadband at the heart of their operations.
Nigel Ashcroft continues: “One example is Big Wednesday, a business in Penryn that is now one of the biggest eCommerce retailers of surfwear and equipment in the UK. actnow has helped Big Wednesday to install eCommerce systems and gear up to handle a very significant amount of online business, substantially increasing turnover and staff numbers.”
Director Wendy Brook, who owns Big Wednesday together with her husband John, says: “Investing in broadband technology has transformed our business and allowed us to take it to the next level.”
Carleen Kelemen, director of the Partnership Office for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, says: “actnow has been one of the real successes of the Objective One programme, helping literally thousands of businesses to reap the benefits of broadband and ICT, improving productivity and exploiting new opportunities.”
A limited amount of funding is still available to help businesses in Cornwall’s 40 broadband priority zones. For more information, call 0800 800 935 or visit www.actnowcornwall.co.uk.
