If you are an established and ambitious business ready for planned strategic growth, Boost’s Growth Catalyst service can help you ignite growth into your business. Aimed at businesses that want to grow turnover, transform profitability and create new jobs, the service focusses on empowering your teams’ energy, amplifying your professional network and helping you to overcome barriers holding you back from expansion.
Boost Growth Catalyst business adviser Matt Sheppard has over 15 years' experience as business adviser working with SMEs to help them start and grow. Here, he talks about his role in supporting Lancashire businesses.
I was working on a funded business support project in a back-end support role looking after the website and developing a CRM system in Access to manage clients. Through this I worked closely with our business advisers and began to go on client visits. I really enjoyed this aspect and with their help developed the experience to become an adviser myself when a suitable role came up in the team. I’ve never looked back!
The businesses in Lancashire have been my inspiration as they provide such a huge diversity of expertise, skills and specialities that makes working with each one so interesting, challenging and unique. It is also rewarding to work with small businesses that through their expertise can impact on a world stage.
Lancashire is quite large and as such has a great variety of locations, transport links, resources, networks and communities to support small business. There are also many great business support and advice programmes being delivered through Boost, the local authorities and organisations such as universities.
With a cup of tea and a banana. An odd combination maybe but it works for me.
Depends upon the business type but the current rising costs of living are a real challenge for retail and busines- to-consumer type companies. This combined with the rise in costs of materials and labour has squeezed profit margins for many.
1. Regarding new businesses and new business ideas: Try to test the idea in a quick and low-cost way to confirm your idea is viable and demand exists. A proof of concept will unlock doors to potential partnerships, funding and give you some revenue whilst you build the idea fully.
2. Don’t be too afraid of failure. Knowledge gained from an idea that doesn’t work is valuable and can help you to develop it further or pivot towards an idea that will work.
3. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Make as much use as you can of the wide range of business support available in Lancashire through Boost, support organisations and business networks.
About the author
Matt started his career managing websites and data systems before taking on an advisory role in 2005 and has since worked with businesses directly through a wide range of support and funding programmes.
His main areas of specialism include supporting businesses to adopt new processes, develop growth strategies and overcome their barriers to growth. Through this he has worked with many business types, especially in the digital and manufacturing sectors.
If you’re looking to grow, scale or start your business, use Boost; Lancashire’s Business Growth Hub. We offer a range of funded business support services. Call our Business Support Helpdesk on 0800 488 0057 to find out more or complete our enquiry form.
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