GROWING a business can include anything from taking on your first employee to moving into bigger premises and developing your customer base, and in today’s competitive world businesses need to be able to keep pace with their peers. But how do smaller businesses make it happen?
Some businesses are reluctant to take those first steps towards growth because they feel hampered by skills gaps or financial constraints. Others are taken by surprise and are not ready to deal with rapid growth. Sadly, both types of business often put themselves at risk of being left behind by more agile competitors.
The Growth Hub offers to eligible Northamptonshire businesses and individuals a variety of European Regional Development Funded projects which can help them overcome some of the skills gaps and financial constraints which can hold them back from growing and being more innovative. These projects include access to experienced business advisers for one-to-one support, information, advice and guidance as well as a range of business support services including workshops, masterclasses, forums, webinars and events.
All of our projects include a series of workshops covering a variety of subjects which are designed to fill gaps in a business owner’s knowledge, helping them to develop their skills and grow their businesses. These workshops not only provide relevant up-to-date knowledge and information, but they are also an excellent networking opportunity. Each workshop is typically attended by up to 20 businesses, usually all at a similar stage of development. In many of these workshops it has been the case that positive business relationships have been established between clients who attended, resulting in effective collaboration and mutually beneficial outcomes.
A summary of the workshops offered as part of the current business support projects provided by the Growth Hub can be found below.
Ready2Grow – Established businesses
* Developing a sustainable organisation
* Developing new markets and new customers
* Building a team for success
* Funding for business growth
Innovate Northamptonshire
* Franchising and intellectual property for business growth
* All about crowdfunding
* Building brands that grow businesses
* Customer experience design
* Creating a B2B marketing strategy
* Creative thinking for competitive advantage
Northamptonshire Digital Enhancement Project
* Grow your Business in the Digital World
* Digital innovation and product design
* Cyber security and GDPR
* Digital marketing essentials
The Growth Hub regularly organises networking events and other support workshops, webinars, and forums open to all businesses in the county of Northamptonshire and each of which is advertised on our website, www.northamptonshiregrowthhub.co.uk
The website is also an excellent source of information to help business owners explore the range of support options that are currently available and in addition, our business advisers are also available to provide further information, advice and guidance.
To enquire about assistance for your business call 01604 212696 or email