Partner Article

NBSL funding enables Red Square Design to grow

Paul Rea started Red Square Design in 1995. The company is a graphic design agency based in Newcastle upon Tyne offering print, corporate identity, packaging, branding, exhibition and display services. After 16 years at the helm he felt that he needed to look towards developing the business and broadening his leadership and management skills to allow him to expand the company. Paul’s aim was to secure the future development of the business, ensuring growth, profitability and potential employment opportunities.

Paul therefore turned to NBSL for support. NBSL is a D-BIS (Department of Business, Innovation and Skills) approved and regulated Local Enterprise Agency. Over the last 8 years NBSL has delivered the North East’s Leadership & Management Advisory Service, funded by D-BIS’s Skills Funding Agency. Under NBSL this programme has gone from strength to strength, engaging directly with more than 1,000 SMEs each year.

NBSL has secured ERDF investment of £2.38 million to deliver support to the North East’s private sector businesses employing between 2 – 249 employees, and funding is still available which provides grant support of up to £1,000 for business leaders like Paul who need coaching for growth.

Marian Bassam, a Leadership & Management Specialist Adviser from NBSL worked with Paul to define his objectives. These included taking on new contracts, launching new products and moving into new markets. To achieve these outcomes Paul also needed support in developing his own personal management style including strategic thinking and effective communication and he required assistance with planning and developing a more effective organisation.

After considering a variety of consultants from the NBSL register of approved providers, Paul decided to engage David Steel of Facet Solutions to work with him. David prepared a proposal that would offer Paul one to one business coaching and mentoring as well as behavioural profiling and development. The techniques proposed would enable Paul to develop his strategic thinking to allow the development and management of strategies and tactics to facilitate the desired business growth. In turn this would enhance Paul’s personal leadership and management style to enable him to engage with employees and customers and create a joint enterprise culture and the ability to offer diversity and additional services.

The coaching took place over a period of three months after which Paul felt that he was now ‘en route’ to implementing and achieving a focused and structured approach to creating business growth.

NBSL still has limited funding available to support businesses, so if you would like to benefit from grant funding of up to £1,000 towards the cost of developing a strategy for your business, and get your business on the road to growth, contact NBSL now on 01670 813322 or apply online at www.nbsl.org.uk

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Phil Langton .