South Cheshire small businesses to benefit from specialist management and digital innovation programmes this winter
In February, Manchester Metropolitan University’s Centre for Enterprise will launch SMART Cheshire Digital and Help to Grow: Management, programmes to help small businesses develop, innovate and grow.
Sitting within the triple-accredited Business School, the team at the Centre for Enterprise transforms academic research into practical toolkits, empowering small businesses to evolve and adapt. The programmes help businesses to become more productive, resilient, and sustainable – and are either fully funded or majority funded, enabling small businesses to take advantage of the latest growth techniques.
Louise Hilder, director of Cheshire Surveys Limited, recently completed both programmes. She said: “Help to Grow: Management was a great opportunity for me to review our business model, actively consolidate our systems and processes, and engage better with our staff to allow us to move forward and grow our traditional services.”
Louise valued the opportunity to step away from the day-to-day operations and added: “It encouraged me to look at my role and revaluate this for the next stage of our growth.”
Following Help to Grow: Management, Louise progressed onto SMART Cheshire Digital.
“It allowed me to test our growth strategy and clarify how Cheshire Surveys should grow in the next few years, including the need for innovation to allow this to happen,” she said.
Louise is looking forward to implementing her learning from both programmes and is now looking to launch a consultancy arm:
She said: “Help to Grow: Management showed me the importance of both working ‘in’ the business and ‘on’ the business. It set the baseline and provided great tools that were developed further in the SMART programme, which allowed me to continue my development.
“The journey has really highlighted the importance of spending time ‘on’ the business to allow it to thrive and grow.”
Participants can apply for either or both of the programmes, depending on their business goals.
SMART Cheshire Digital – starts February 8
SMART Cheshire Digital is for small businesses in Cheshire and Warrington to explore, adopt, and implement new digital services, products or processes. The programme aims to help increase performance, productivity and harness the digital future:
Phase 1: A two-day launchpad to identify and analyse your business idea.
Phase 2: The Challenge, to delve deeper into making the idea a reality. You’ll build a digital roadmap, and selected businesses will receive specialist technical assistance.
Small businesses should act now to take advantage of this fully funded programme as this will be the last in the series.
Find out more or register your interest
Help to Grow: Management – starts February 15
Help to Grow: Management is a 12-week executive development programme that aims to help local business leaders develop a tailored growth plan.
It consists of five in-person workshops, seven online sessions, and one-to-one tailored support from a business mentor.
The programme is 90% funded by the Government, and costs just £750 – around £60 a session.
Find out more or register your interest
To book an informal chat to discuss your business goals, get in touch with us at [email protected]
