Scottish Enterprise Awards 2021

34 | Scottish Enterprise Awards 2021 management services, parallel to economic and social inclusion as well as environmental projects. Today, Create is run by a small, dynamic, close- knit team who share a wealth of knowledge and experience, with each person bringing their own expertise and skills to the table. The team is passionate about what they do and have a real dedication to running a successful organisation and growing a dynamic commercial property hub. “Our vision is to build on our reputation as a trusted and responsible provider of flexible business property solutions,” a Create Chief Executive, Sharron Stanton elaborates. We will do this by broadening our geographical reach in terms of tenants and opening up our sites to new and established businesses from Edinburgh as a whole, and beyond, into the wider reaches of Scotland.” Recently, Create was recognised for its diligence and hard work in the SME News Scottish Enterprise Awards 2021 and was bestowed with the prestigious title of Leading Champions of Business Development – Edinburgh. Chief Executive Sharron, who has been with Create since 1996, summarises, “We aim to maintain our proudly-held Local Enterprise status and continue working within the immediate locality with specific projects, while widening our remit and developing a flourishing business hub in and around the Castlebrae Business Centre. Our goal is to attract companies and entrepreneurs with our high-quality properties, value-added support, collaborative approach (our new Create Business Club, for example) and perhaps most important of all, the transformational spirit that is Create.” The future is looking extremely promising for Create as it continues to develop and thrive, supporting numerous local enterprises even in such difficult times. Company: Create Business Properties Web Address: www.createbusinessproperties.com Building a thriving business community in a great location, Create Business Properties is an independent organisation, providing affordable and flexible commercial property units while developing businesses and skills for people in the south east of Edinburgh. Here we find out more about the organisation, its background, and the work that it does in its industry. As a non-profit organisation with Local Enterprise status, Create Business Properties works to build a thriving business community in south east Edinburgh. It has a proven track record as a successful commercial property management company with an extensive portfolio of business units to suit young start-ups as well as established enterprises. But its work doesn’t stop there, Create also offers practical and proactive support for small businesses and individuals, enabling them to achieve their ambitions and sometimes radically change lives through the setting up of a viable business. The origins of Create date back more than 30 years and lie in the Craigmillar Opportunities Trust, which was set up in 1990. Back then, Craigmillar was a deeply deprived area (albeit one with a traditionally strong sense of community) requiring major investment and a radical regeneration programme. The principal aim of the Trust was to stimulate economic growth through the provision of affordable property alongside workspace and training of local people in the skills needed for employment. Neighbourhood trades and businesses were encouraged to establish themselves in the area, boosting the local economy and sowing the seeds of the thriving commercial hub we see today. There was another driving force within the organisation, which has strengthened over the decades – the strong support network that forms the backbone of its activity, enabling people to set up and develop their own businesses. In 2000, the Craigmillar Opportunities Trust changed its name to Create and three years later achieved Local Enterprise status. By 2009, Create’s remit had expanded to deliver services across Edinburgh and further afield, diversifying its range of services to include the introduction of a variety of business consultancy and project Nov21108 Leading Champions of Business Development – Edinburgh Create Business Properties