Local enterprise to benefit from advice.
A new programme to support small businesses across the West Midlands has been launched by the Aston Centre for Growth at Aston University.
The Aston Programme for Small Business Growth will run from February–June 2015 and is currently inviting applications from small business leaders across the region.
Modelled on the successful Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Programme, which has been delivered by Aston Business School in the Midlands since 2011, the new programme has been specifically designed to support owner-managed companies with one or more employees.
Delivered by leading practitioners and faculty members from Aston Business School, the free programme draws on the expertise of leading visiting speakers and case studies from Aston’s network of over 200 growth business leaders.
Participants will attend a series of workshops covering a range of topics including marketing, innovation, leadership, HR, operations management and finance. They will have access to one-to-one support from a business mentor, develop a Plan for Growth for their business and have the opportunity to network with like-minded business owners.
Commenting on the launch, Professor Mark Hart from Aston Business School said, “High growth businesses are the lifeblood of the UK economy and supporting small companies to grow is essential to the prosperity of the West Midlands region. Our latest research has shown that, on average, companies that have completed our Goldman Sachs programme have increased their growth by between 10% and 25% relative to what their growth would have been without the programme. This boost comes on top of the relatively high growth that the participating businesses were already experiencing.
“We are delighted to be able to give the opportunity for more businesses to benefit from support that we know will accelerate their growth, and we’re looking forward to welcoming some of the region’s most innovative and ambitious small business leaders to our new programme in 2015.”
The Aston Programme for Small Business Growth is open to registered businesses or social enterprises based in the West Midlands that are making trading revenue and have at least one full-time employee.
Interested businesses need to apply before 12 January 2015. For further information visit www.aston.co.uk/smallbusinessgrowth or email smallbusinessgrowth@aston.ac.uk.
The Aston Programme for Small Business Growth is part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund.