Work for free and beat the recession

BUSINESSES in Stafford are being urged to give away services for free in a bid to pull the town out of recession.

The call comes from a web and software development firm which wants to replicate an innovative scheme credited with helping Japan return to growth.

Outsource3 is offering free website advice and it wants other companies to get involved.

Graham Phillips, account executive at Outsource3, met representatives from Stafford Borough Council on Friday and the authority has agreed to back his idea as part of its Think Local campaign.

Mr Philips said: "I remembered reading something about all the amazing ideas that Japan had come up with to get themselves out of recession.

"They included mad things like people working 24 hours a day and sleeping in the office.

"But there was also this idea of firms offering a service for free.

"For example a solicitor might help a website company for free and, in return, the website company would revamp the solicitor's website.

"It really caught on over there and stimulated the economy and I thought: wow, that might just work in Stafford.

"If enough local businesses were to offer just a small free service to their fellow traders in the town, I'm convinced that Stafford will be out of recession well before the rest of the country."

Mr Phillips is sure relationships built on the exchange of services will lead to paid contracts when the upturn comes.

He said: "It's good publicity for the companies involved and it helps keep costs down. It brings companies together and when the economy picks up it will hopefully lead to more traditional commercial arrangements."

Outsource3 co-ordinates offshore web and software development and claims having work carried out overseas saves its clients significant sums of money.

It employs four people at its Stafford office and there are also bases in London and Birmingham.

Eastgate Street law firm Frisby & Co has already launched a free legal 'health check' service and now it is to receive website advice from Outsource3.

Frisby solicitor David Bayliss said: "I'm new at the firm so it's good for me because it means I can introduce myself to existing and potential clients.

"The reaction and take-up has been really good."

The Frisby health check includes issues such as terms of trade, employment contracts and policies, and property-related matters such as leases.

How is your business beating the recession? Email us at businessdesk@thesentinel.co.uk