Case Study
Durham Startups: Building a Scalable Digital Platform to Empower County Durham’s Entrepreneurs
Client: Business Durham
Introduction
Across County Durham, there’s no shortage of ambition. Every year, hundreds of people take their first steps towards launching a business, many for the very first time.
To strengthen this momentum, Business Durham, part of Durham County Council, commissioned Candle Digital to create a digital hub that would guide aspiring entrepreneurs through those crucial early stages and extend the reach of the region’s invaluable in-person business support.
The Challenge
Supporting new business owners is a priority for Business Durham, but doing so at scale isn’t easy.
County Durham covers a large and diverse geographical area, with entrepreneurial ambition spread across its towns, villages and communities. Reaching and supporting every potential business owner face to face isn’t always practical, especially at the earliest stages when ideas are still being formed.
Business Durham wanted to ensure that its in-person startup support could be used where it would have the greatest impact. That meant finding a way to help individuals shape and sharpen their ideas digitally first, so that when they did engage with a business advisor, they would be ready to make the most of it.
New businesses are the lifeblood of the local economy. This project was about giving more people a starting point and setting them up for success.
Having procured Candle Digital to develop Durham Startups portal we are delighted with the result.
The team have been great to work with and have succeeded in bringing the original specification to life without any issues, within a tight deadline and on budget.
They have added value in their support and have the insight to understand requirements quickly, with a focus on the end user.
The Process
Turning a strong vision into a practical, high-impact solution required a clear plan and close collaboration.
Working closely with the team at Business Durham, we led the development of the platform through our proven five-stage process, from early discovery all the way through to launch.
We began by aligning on a clear, shared vision: to create a single digital hub that could act as the first point of contact for anyone in County Durham thinking about starting a business.
We scoped and designed every element of the hub, from the user journey and content structure to the technology platform that would power it. The result was a platform that is scalable, user-friendly and built to evolve as the needs of local entrepreneurs change.
Throughout the process, we worked as strategic partners, challenging ideas, refining plans and always keeping the focus on creating something that delivers real, long-term impact.
The Product
A digital startup journey, built for Durham’s next generation of entrepreneurs.
At the heart of the platform is the Startup Roadmap, a step-by-step guide designed to help aspiring business owners move from idea to action with clarity and confidence. It provides a clear view of what to focus on, when to do it, and how to keep moving forward.
Each stage of the roadmap features a rich mix of curated content, practical tools and Durham-specific insights, all aligned to the real tasks people need to complete in the early stages of building a business.
A built-in diagnostic helps aspiring founders sense-check where they are on the journey and focus their time and energy where it matters most.
To support deeper learning, the platform connects people to high-quality eLearning modules covering essential business skills. Inspiring case studies show what’s possible, and a live event calendar helps entrepreneurs plug into the local business community and learn from others.
Everything is designed to be clear, accessible and search-friendly, so more people can discover and benefit from what the platform offers.
By creating a profile, aspiring business owners can track their progress, unlock achievements and receive support that feels relevant and personal.
The Platform
A powerful, custom platform designed to support, scale and stand out.
The Durham Startups hub is built on a bespoke digital platform that combines striking design with smart functionality. It balances the professional clarity of Business Durham’s brand with a fresh, energetic startup feel – designed to inspire action from the first click.
The platform is fully mobile responsive and built to meet modern accessibility standards, ensuring aspiring business owners can engage wherever they are, whatever device they’re using.
Behind the scenes, a built-in CRM helps Business Durham and its delivery partners support individuals more effectively by tracking engagement and progress. This gives advisors valuable context and enables more personalised support when people are ready to connect in person.
The system is flexible and future-ready, with a modular structure that can easily evolve to support new content, tools and features as the needs of the community grow.
The Rollout
Immediate impact and lasting engagement from day one.
The Durham Startups platform launched smoothly and is already supporting hundreds of aspiring business owners. From across the region, individuals are using the hub to kickstart their business journey and build momentum with confidence.
The platform has become an essential tool for the region’s entrepreneurial community, providing accessible, high-quality support that adapts to the evolving needs of those taking their first steps into business.
The response has been strong. We’re seeing high levels of engagement, with many aspiring founders returning to the platform to continue their startup journey, assess their progress and get valuable guidance on the next steps.
It’s a clear sign that the platform is doing its job – guiding, supporting and motivating the next wave of County Durham entrepreneurs. With more content and functionality on the horizon, the foundations are set for even greater reach and long-term impact.
We now have a portal that provides additional assistance to County Durham startups in line with the great service we offer. We’ve received excellent feedback from startups and stakeholders since its launch this year.
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