Tony McDonough meets FARHAD AHMED,executive director of Liverpool-based MEDS

THERE is a line from the US political TV drama, The West Wing: “Free trade stops wars.”

It alludes to the idea that business growth and development is about much more than the bottom line – that a vibrant, prosperous economy is the key to social mobility and community cohesion.

That seems very much the philosophy of Farhad Ahmed, executive director of south Liverpool-based business support organisation and social enterprise, MEDS.

MEDS stands for Muslim Enterprise Development Service, and it was set up 10 years ago initially to help members of the Muslim community looking to start their own businesses.

However, such has been its success that it now caters for all – more than half of its clients now come from the white British and Afro-Caribbean sections of the community.

In the last 10 years, MEDS has assisted more than 400 businesses and helped create over 550 jobs.

These businesses have ranged from newsagents and takeaways to high-growth enterprises such as plastic surgery, pharmacies and a restaurant in the Albert Dock.

Ahmed, 32, claims that, partly thanks to MEDS, the L7 and L8 areas of south Liverpool are now only second to the city centre when it comes to small business growth.

“Research shows small businesses represent the biggest employers and contribute more new wealth to the economy,” he said.

“MEDS is about promoting enterprise, but it is enterprise in a much broader sense.

“Enterprise has a very broad definition and one of its benefits is how it can promote social cohesion.

“It can bring communities together.

“As a port, Liverpool has always been a place where people from different places and backgrounds come together.

“It’s a place where different communities have come together to share ideas.”

Ahmed admits cutbacks in public spending present a challenge for organisations like MEDS. It gets funding from various places, but, like many organisations in the last few years, the Northwest Development Agency (NWDA) has been a major source of funds.

The NWDA’s demise has left some uncertainty, but Ahmed says he is “confident with a small ‘c’” there will be enough funding available to continue and expand its work.

He said: “There is currently a hiatus around funding.

“There is a bid in with the European Regional Development Fund, in which we have joined with other organisations to form a consortium.”

And there is more need than ever for the service MEDS provides, as Ahmed says that people’s appetite for setting up their own businesses has actually grown during the downturn.

“There is no shortage of people wanting to start their own business,” he added. “When there is an economic downturn, I think people become more resourceful and we have a steady flow of clients coming through the door.”

Ahmed is clearly a little frustrated at some of the restrictions placed on MEDS and its seven staff by funders.

He said: “I think the system we work within is very output-driven and not driven enough by quality.

“Once we have worked with a client, we are supposed to cut them loose after a couple of sessions.

“Funding we get is performance-related, but we still try to offer ongoing support to our clients – I think we do offer very good value.” Ahmed was born and brought up in Crosby. His father was a successful Merseyside restaurateur, and he had it in mind to maybe follow in his footsteps.

However, he went instead to university to study English literature, at first in Manchester and then Liverpool, where he achieved a Masters.

He then qualified as a post-16 teacher, working at Greenbank College, in Wavertree.

Ahmed then went to work at Edge Hill University, in Ormskirk, in a “widening participation” programme.

“It was an outreach programme where I would go out to schools to talk to young people and encouraging them to consider university,” he said.

He eventually joined MEDS in 2006, and now he sees great potential to expand the range of services on offer.

It is launching a range of new services, including an enterprise club, business improvement club and initiatives to develop L8 and L7 as a “cultural quarter”.

The enterprise club will give people who want to set up their own businesses, together with those people who have just started, the chance to share experiences and access professional advice.

The business improvement club will provide on-going after care support to existing businesses through mentoring from business experts.

Ahmed seems most excited about the cultural quarter plan.

He said: “Around the Smithdown Road, Lawrence Road and Lodge Lane areas, there is a massive number of businesses.

“It is diverse and multi-cultural, with everything from boutiques to takeaways – a lot of people from outside the area may not automatically think of it as a place to come to, but we think it has huge potential.

“What we do need in that area is more infrastructure improvements and we would like to see a commitment from the council to work hand-in-hand with the local community. We can bring investors to the area, but we do need that improvement to the local infrastructure.”

Ahmed also believes there is much potential in seeking investment from people and businesses in other Muslim countries.

His ambitious plan is to organise an international Muslim business expo at Liverpool’s Echo Arena and BT Convention Centre.

“We can be a gateway into Merseyside for international Muslim businesses,” he added.

“MEDS seeks to connect more new entrepreneurs with existing small business owners to swap ideas and broaden their business networks and create new opportunities.

“We hope to create even more employment and businesses in the next few years.”