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FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions about Fusion

Q1. What makes you different from the Chamber of Commerce? 
Our purpose. Chambers of Commerce (and similar organisations) play a very important role in connecting suppliers with customers, and in lobbying for better trading conditions.

Fusion doesn't do any of that. Fusion's approach is quite different, and focuses entirely on helping businesses make the internal changes necessary to make them more competitive. 

We do this through: 
Linking them with individuals and organisations that can help them. That may be through :- 
Ideas exchange; or through creating a :
Network of supportive entrepreneurs in the region; through sharing : 
Knowledge, whether from official bodies such as government schemes and university research departments, or from other entrepreneurs; and through :- 
Stimulating entrepreneurship through all of the above, as well as by championing entrepreneurs by drawing public attention to their success stories. 

We are public-sector funded, which means that, unlike private sector business organisations, all our activities are open to everyone on the same basis, regardless of whether they are members or not. 

Chambers of Commerce are location-specific, whereas we cover the whole of the Highlands and Islands, which means that we can link you with people across the whole region.

Q2. What exactly do you do?
We link business leaders/owner managers/ entrepreneurs with organisations and individuals that can help them make the internal changes that are needed to make them more successful.

We do this through events, our annual conference, our regular newsletters keeping you informed of other entrepreneurship-related events and schemes, and also through very specific, targeted linkages where someone has made us aware of a particular kind of input they would find useful.

The basic idea is that there is a huge amount of knowledge, expertise, know-how, energy, resources and contacts currently held by individual entrepreneurs and experts. Just think how much more effective and successful individual entrepreneurs could be if they could access even a fraction of that vital resource. Fusion helps create the links that make this possible.

Q3. Are you consultants? (/ funders / advisers etc etc)
No. We're not consultants, we're not advisers, and we are not funders. We simply link you with organisations and individuals that can help you make the internal changes that will make your business more successful.

Membership
Q1. Is Fusion still a membership organisation?
Yes, absolutely, though our membership model has changed. Membership isn't about buying privileged access to our services any more - it's about helping us by making a public declaration of support for what we're trying to achieve. It's about standing up and being counted by saying that the Highlands & Islands desperately needs to become more entrepreneurial if it is to have a strong, successful and sustainable future.

Q2. Do I have to be a member before you'll help me?
No, these are two quite separate issues. Fusion will help you in any way it can, regardless of whether you're a member or not. Membership is simply a public statement of support for the goal of a more entrepreneurial Highlands & Islands - it isn't a way of getting our help and support: you're welcome to those anyway.

Q3. I'm not really an entrepreneur. Do I qualify for membership? Absolutely! Membership is for anyone who believes, as we do, that a strong entrepreneurial community is going to be absolutely essential if the Highlands & Islands are to have a strong, successful and sustainable future. If that's what you believe, and if you want to be publicly associated with that message, and if you want to help us bring it about, then we'd love to have you as a member, whether you are an entrepreneur yourself or not.

Q4. What do members get for their money?
Well, that's really the wrong way of looking at it now, since membership isn't about buying privileged access to our services - you don't have to be a member before we will help you. Membership is all about publicly supporting what we are trying to achieve, and helping us to achieve it. That said, of course, we do hope you will get quite a lot out of it, and these are the sorts of things they might be: 

Members are our supporters, so we keep you closely informed about Fusion's activities and plans, and we consult you on the best way of achieving them. So you have the opportunity to influence what we do if you would like to. 

Most of our board of directors are elected by the members, and members may also stand for election themselves, which gives you even more opportunity to influence how we go about turning our vision into reality.

All members get a lapel badge and window sticker to declare their support for Fusion publicly. 

Being known to be a member of Fusion enhances your own credentials as someone who is serious about entrepreneurship and espouses the Fusion values of openness, co-operation and knowledge-sharing between Highland & Island entrepreneurs, for the sake of the region as a whole. Many members feel that this is a good message to give out about themselves.

Members have the satisfaction of knowing they are supporting something that is good for entrepreneurship and good for the region.

Q5. Are you fully funded by HIE? Why do you need my membership subscription too?
Yes, we are almost entirely funded by HIE, which is why all our services are available to everyone, whether they are members or not, and why we are able to keep our membership subscription very low (£60 p.a. including VAT). But it is still important to us to have as many members as possible, for a number of reasons: 

Although we are fully funded by HIE, our independence is extremely important to us and is a major factor in our ability to gain the trust of businesses across the region. Having a good, solid membership base strongly reinforces that independence and also gives us access to input from business people across the region, which greatly strengthens our case on the rare occasions when we may feel the need to negotiate with HIE regarding our strategy. 

Having a substantial number of members across the region helps to raise our profile and therefore makes it easier to keep our goal - a more entrepreneurial Highlands & Islands - in the forefront of people's minds. 

Membership is also a good way for us to assess how successful we are being in convincing people in the region of the importance of entrepreneurship.

The main reason, though, is that culture change requires the participation and support of a very large number of people if it is to be successful. We NEED the support of our members if we are to achieve our goal of a more entrepreneurial Highlands & Islands. Your support is therefore very important to us.

Q6. What does being a member involve?
It can involve as much or as little input from you as you like. Many members are happy simply to demonstrate their support through having joined. Others want to help shape our activities through responding to consultations or even by standing for election to our board.

All members support our values:

1. In Fusion we believe that entrepreneurship is the key to a strong, successful and sustainable future for the Highlands and Islands. Why? Because everything that society values and needs depends on it

2. In Fusion we believe that innovation is the key to entrepreneurship. Why? Because it is only continuous innovation that allows a business to stay ahead of its competitors and be truly successful.

3. In Fusion we believe that interaction between entrepreneurs is the key to innovation. Why? Because interacting with others enables you to identify people with the experience or know-how to enhance your plans for innovation and to help spark new ideas for your business.

Since the purpose of becoming a member of Fusion is to demonstrate your commitment to these 3 core values, membership is in a sense a pact with yourself to live up to them: to try to be as entrepreneurial and innovative as you personally can, to encourage others to do the same, and to take advantage of opportunities for interacting with others for the purpose of stimulating fresh ideas for business. "Fusioneers" are the founder members of a community of entrepreneurs in the Highlands & Islands.

Q7. Why can't my whole organisation join Fusion?
Because membership is now a very personal statement of support and of your own values, and of your own commitment to creating a more entrepreneurial Highlands & Islands. It simply isn't possible to make this statement and commitment in any meaningful way on behalf of someone else. This is why membership is now offered on an individual basis only. Of course, there is no limit to the number of individuals from an organisation who may become members, but it will always be the individuals, and not the organisation as a whole, who are in membership.

Q8. Why do you think the Highlands & Islands can't have a strong, successful and sustainable future without becoming more entrepreneurial?
Because everything that society needs depends on entrepreneurship: jobs, opportunities, affordable homes, schools, leisure facilities, health services, infrastructure. Entrepreneurship is what generates the wealth that makes all these things possible. Entrepreneurship means opportunities for local people - which reduces the problem of young people feeling the need to go elsewhere to get a foot on the career ladder. Entrepreneurship means well paid jobs - which means that housing becomes affordable. Opportunities and affordable housing mean that people no longer feel the need to leave the region - which keeps the population of rural areas high enough to justify the provision of local services such as schools and health care. Entrepreneurs are essential for our future.