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Growing a Business
Growing a business can be quite a challenge, requiring a number of important decisions on how to expand. It is also often the first time new business owners have to think about hiring staff.
Our advisers are uniquely equipped to support you through this exciting stage of the business process. Experience has taught us how best to do this and as every business is unique we are able to tailor our support specifically for you.
Business Planning – If you haven’t developed a business plan (or updated yours in a while) then it is a vital starting point to gain an overview of your business activities and create a strategy to achieve your goals and ambitions. Our advisers can call on their years of experience in order to quickly assess areas of potential growth and help you avoid costly mistakes as you take your business to the next level. As well as helping you to develop a strong business plan they can also assist in any funding requirements from banks and other financial sources.
Business Funding – The availability of business growth funding changes regularly whether in the form of grants or loans and often depends on specific criteria being met. If you are interested in what growth funding your business may be eligible for and how we can help you with the application process go to our business funding page to find out more.
Growth Support Programme
The European Regional Development Fund and local authorities have made funding available to support businesses across Devon. The Growth Support Programme will allow you to access a wide range of expert business support and advice at no cost to you.
The support is offered as a 12 hour package that gives you tailored one-to-one advice with an experienced business advisor as well as access to free business skills workshops and telephone and email support.
The value of this support were you to pay for it would be £600 but the only cost to you is your commitment to the full 12 hours. The more effort you put in to applying and engaging with the advice and support given by your business mentor, the more you will gain from it.
Your support is broken down into specific sessions covering all the major aspects of your business. Starting with an initial consultation to get to know you and your business inside out the advice is then tailored to you and your specific requirements so that you receive practical support and recommendations that you can apply immediately.
After your initial one-to-one meeting you will work step-by-step with your business advisor through the following modules: marketing, digital innovation, financial planning and human resources. In some cases support is delivered in a workshop setting and the digital innovation module is delivered by our partner Cosmic who are digital marketing and IT experts based in Honiton.
By the end of the 12 hour programme you will be very well prepared to take your business to the next level of success.
The support can be offered to anyone in the Heart of the South West LEP area except for businesses in the following sectors: fisheries and aquaculture, processing and marketing of agricultural products, shipbuilding, schools and education establishments, insurance companies, primary production, coal or steel, synthetic fibres and banking.
Download our free beginner’s guide to creating a marketing plan.
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