By Isle of Wight Observer
In September 2022, I started running a programme called Go for Growth, providing business advice and expertise. Since then I have met with well over 100 Isle of Wight business owners.
Culture, attitudes, politics and behaviours are deeply influenced by the environments in which we live, but (as a non-Islander) I had not appreciated how important, evident and deep-rooted this is for those living on the Isle of Wight and very different to other places where I have run similar projects.
In the first few months it was striking how many people wanted to share their own interpretation of why things on the Island are different to the mainland. It was a fascinating insight that came from people born on the Isle of Wight; others who moved here many years ago, and some who are relative newbies.
For this article I was asked to reflect on the differences I have observed, from the perspective of an outsider looking in.
The multi-faceted and multi-tiered community spirit on the Isle of Wight is both inspiring and complex. Understandably people are passionate about living on such a beautiful island, but the level of passion and commitment people have for other communities, those that are a sub-set of the Isle of Wight community, was a surprise to me. This is evident through the number and range of amazing local community festivals, fetes and fairs, and a notable tendency for many people to want to stay ultra-local for work, leisure, entertainment and shopping.
The shortest stretch of water to the mainland may only be 1 1/5 miles, but the ferry-dependence does foster a stronger ‘we’re all in this together’ mentality, compared with many mainlanders who focus more on individualism and anonymity.
Knowing that the movement of goods, resources and people on and off the Island has an added layer of ‘friction’, and has resulted in people developing an incredibly strong sense of self-reliance and adaptability. This ‘can-do’ attitude leads to a willingness (even a requirement) to wear multiple hats.
However, as a small business grows and develops this can become an impediment. Growing businesses, especially those going from one or two people to employing a larger team, are typically looking to take on specialist skills. That process requires a division of labour and letting go of certain tasks and responsibilities. That is much harder to do when it’s in your DNA to do it yourself.
Initially many were reluctant to engage, which I thought was simply because I was not from the Island, but now realise it is much more nuanced than that.
It took me a while to develop a better understanding of that DNA, which has definitely helped in our mission to provide help and advice to local business owners, encouraging people to engage in open, supportive discussions to explore ideas and alternative approaches.
The demographic of the Island is another notable differentiator from other areas where I have run projects. The Island’s total population grew by just 2,200 people in the ten years to 2021, but the age profile has experienced a significant shift in that time.
The percentage of the Island population who are 50 or older is now higher than almost anywhere else in England, and the percentage of people aged 16 to 49 has declined. Ethnic diversity levels are also relatively low.
The depth of knowledge, expertise and experience amongst the Island’s existing workforce should not be underestimated.
Combining this experience with access to a wider, more diverse pool of young, educated people would be a powerful driver for innovation and growth for local independent businesses.