HUNDREDS of business owners have signed up to a business growth programme during its first year.
The fully funded Boost Your Business residential course was launched last April by East Durham Business Service (EDBS) and a consortium of other North East enterprise partners.
To date, 600 people have signed up, with the vast majority of those having already attended the three-day course.
The course is part of a series of funded programmes which allow participants to gain recognised qualifications – on Boost Your Business those that complete and pass the course gain two recognised enterprise qualifications and a non-accredited college certificate.
Denise Fielding, Operations Director at EDBS, said: “Boost Your Business is the perfect programme for business owners who want to learn more about growth and the tools available to help you take those next steps on your company’s journey.
“It also offers participants the chance to gain qualifications and skills which they can certainly utilise back at the office, and as it doesn’t cost them anything is such a good opportunity to personally develop without it costing you or your business anything.”
One business owner who attended last year is Ann Ball, owner of two Durham based holistic therapy businesses. She said: “I would highly recommend the Boost Your Business course, which is helping me put new ideas into more structured and focussed space for my pregnancy and post-natal work with Love Bump Baby and Guru Holistic Therapies and Training.”
Alan Sawyers from LEC Communications and Design also completed and passed the Boost your Business course. He said: “The course encouraged us all to think about our business in different ways. It was all about thinking how as directors and owners we grow our business, and by sharing ideas we all came away better equipped to achieve our aims and objectives.
“It was really refreshing and encouraging to see so many people from different walks of business life, from micro firms to SMEs, working together, sharing ideas and taking time out from daily life to gain focus and clarity.”
In June organisers of Boost Your Business are hosting a reunion course, which gives past participants the opportunity to network and also enhance the skills they’ve already learned.
The Boost your Business courses have been put together by the North East Enterprise Agency Limited (NEEAL) in conjunction with the European Social Fund, Skills Funding Agency, Gateshead College and New College Durham.
Areas covered will include:
- Exploring Enterprise Skills
- Planning an Enterprise Project
- Evaluating Enterprise Project and Skills
- Producing Digital Promotional Content for Business
- Understanding Social Media
- Tender writing, developing a PQQ and identifying routes to tender for a business.
- Introduction to the Business Chassis
- Introduction to sales pitches
Boost Your Business is taking place at locations across Tyne and Wear, Northumberland and County Durham.
For further information, or to book your place, please contact Hina Joshi on email hina.joshi@edbs.co.uk or call 0191 5863366.
To qualify, your business must fall within the North East LEP (North East Local Enterprise Partnership) area, which covers County Durham, Gateshead, Newcastle, North Tyneside, Northumberland, South Tyneside and Sunderland.