Member Article

Businesses planning for growth after attending residential course

Businesses who attended the latest in a series of fully funded development courses are utilising the skills they learned to plan for growth.

Another 40 businesses took part in the latest Boost your Business residential course, several of which are being held around the region.

The three-day course is part of a series of funded programmes organised and promoted by East Durham Business Service (EDBS) and a consortium of other North East enterprise partners.

From 202 sign ups to date, over 150 delegates have been booked on the course at various North East locations.

So far over 100 people have completed the course, with 100 per cent pass rate, gaining two recognised enterprise qualifications and a non-accredited college certificate.

Ann Ball, owner of two Durham based holistic therapy businesses, was one of the attendees: 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 Consultancy was also on Boost your Business, held at Kingston Park in Newcastle. He said: “The course was very interesting as it 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.”

Jo Long, a Barnard Castle-based business consultant, said: “I already use many of the tools on this course with my own clients but rarely take the time to use them for my own business.”

“Boost Your Business gave me exactly that plus the opportunity to meet 40 other likeminded business owners and employees.

“I would highly recommend the course to all, as well as Enterprise Made Simple for excellent execution.”

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 • Digital Promotion for Business • Understanding Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) for Business • Coordinating the use of Digital Media for Business • Coordinating Offline and Digital Media for Business • Emergent Digital Techniques for Business • Producing Digital Promotional Content for Business • Data Protection and Digital Media for Business • Measuring the Effectiveness of Digital Promotional Activity 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.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Leanne English .