FREE Start Your Business Workshops - Dates & More

This two-day course is the starting point for thinking about a business plan and marketing strategy in a friendly environment.

The thought of setting up a business can be frightening, whether it is worrying about tax and finances or the daunting task of writing a business plan. 

In this training session, our team will support you with:

Market research – the essential starting point for any business.

Marketing – how to get the word out about their business

Learning about the different social media tools available for business, blogging, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn – understanding which platform is best for their business

Building a social media strategy

Finance – business start-up finance, sales and cash flow forecasting

Understanding your customers and competitors

This course is completely FREE to residents of Greater Manchester who are not yet self-employed. We have a number of upcoming 2-day sessions in the following venues, running 9.30am - 4.30pm:

FULLY BOOKED - Pomegranate, The Lexicon, 10-12 Mount Street, Manchester - 11th & 12th March

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/93890945345

FULLY BOOKED - Confucius Institute, University of Manchester, Oxford Road - 20th & 27th March

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/91592308059

NatWest, 1 Hardman Boulevard, Manchester M3 3AQ - 22nd & 23rd April

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/93892445833

Booking is essential.

If you would like to speak to us, and find out more about this course, you can email us on hello@thewo.org.uk or ring us on 0161 327 0967

Picture Perfect: Creative Moose Celebrate 10 Years of Growth

Video is now the number one form of content on the web and organisations are using it to connect and engage with their customers, relying on specialised businesses like Manchester based Creative Moose to help them out. Offering full-service video production and securing National and International clients, Creative Moose are entering their 10th Birthday with much to celebrate. 

Starting out in stockport in 2009, Creative Moose support organisations to discover the power of video, with services ranging from aerial filming to 360 virtual tours.  They aim to be able to offer a video for multiple platforms including websites, social media channels and presentations.

Prior to setting up the business, founders Scott Heslop and Anthony Beswick held positions in television for BBC and ITV, but with the rise in online video content, they noticed a huge opportunity to produce video for web and help organisations meet this demand. They told us: “We wanted to take the production values of TV and apply them to the web, ensuring that our clients can produce videos that they can be proud of”

Scott and Anthony both live and breathe storytelling with their passion for film and photography playing a huge role in the success of the business today. They now have offices in Stockport and Manchester City Centre, allowing them to offer their services to the wider Greater Manchester area which has given them the chance to work with businesses like The Northwest Air Ambulance Charity and The Christie NHS Trust. They are particularly proud of the relationship they've developed with the Northwest Air Ambulance Charity, telling us:

“We enjoy working with lots of charities of this nature and it’s great for us to help them use video to promote the life changing work they do”

Creative Moose is one of few companies offering medical video production in the UK and being HEMS passenger certified means they can film onboard helicopters to capture dramatic footage at the scenes of accidents. Looking to build a video strategy specialised for the medical and healthcare sector, they approached Excelerate Labs for support.

Working with senior advisor Mike Marsden, they have developed a long-term strategy to increase visibility in new markets “We really enjoyed using The Business Model Canvas, which helped us segment the business into key areas and set some achievable targets to grow in 2019”

Manchester is bursting with video production companies, but by offering the best storytelling through using the latest technology, producing 4k and HD video and only using industry standard equipment, Creative Moose stand miles ahead of their competition. Creating a lasting impact with their productions is also top of their agenda, Anthony explained:

“We place a huge focus on the story we are trying to tell and the emotional response that we want to create within audiences, we love the challenge that video production presents. It's a great feeling to craft a piece of video content that can that directly influences what people 'see', 'hear' and 'feel'. It's this unique focus that makes us stand out within the Manchester video production scene.”

This year Creative Moose are extending their services and launching 'The Moose Video Club', a service making it easier and affordable for organisation to produce regular videos throughout the year. We asked Creative Moose for advice to anyone looking to grow their business successfully

“My advice for others who want to grow their business would be to firstly establish a clear vision and a clear outcome of what they want to achieve and why? It's then about implementing the actions that you need to take to get your desired result.

Many times, businesses may need to change some of their actions in order to get move closer to their desired outcomes. That's certainly something that we've been working on, the 20% of actions that provide 80% of results.”

To learn more about Creative Moose and its video and photography services, you can visit their website http://www.creativemoose.com For specific information regarding Creative Moose's video production services, click here

Anthony is happy to speak with anyone that is interested in learning more about the power of video and storytelling. You can drop him an email on anthony@creativemoose.com or connect with Anthony on Linkedin

If you would like to benefit from the support received under the Excelerate Labs programme, then please contact: exceleratelabs@thewo.org.uk.

Construction Q take home a big win at the Northern Power Women Awards 2019

The Northern Power Women Awards marked their forth year at Manchester Central last night with Excelerate Labs very own graduate Construction Q taking home the Small Organisation of the Year Award. 

Construction Q at The Northern Power Women Awards 2019

Celebrating strong role models, gender balance and the nights theme of #WeCan, founder and director of the quantity surveyor firm Fiona Hull and her team at Construction Q were certainly at home in a room full of inspirational people.

Deciding not to follow the traditional career path into a female centric role, Fiona started Construction Q in 2010 and since then the business has gone on to work on successful projects ranging from £100,000 to one of their largest £30,000,00.

Spending her time supporting local charity events, Fiona has been a significant figure in helping to raise the profile of females working in construction, showing that an industry commonly thought of as a man’s sector is an inclusive workplace to all.

Construction Q are no strangers to winning awards, with them winning 'Woman in Construction Business' at the Excelerate Labs Celebration of Success awards in 2018. When speaking to Fiona in 2018, she spoke about working with Excelerate Labs and how Construction Q have been able to open themselves up to a wider networking opportunity helping them accelerate their business growth. “Excelerate Labs was a great sounding board for ideas but also supportive and full of suggestions for the business”

Helen Millne, Deputy CEO of The Women's Organisation presented the award for Mentor of The Year, sponsored by Excelerate Labs to Gill Hodgson, founder of Flowers from the Farm, a not-for-profit business that encourages the growth of British agriculture took home the award

Helen Millne and Flowers from the Farm 

Well done to all the winners and nominees of the night! The north certainly is one of the most exciting places to be at the moment and we can't wait to see what the rest of the year has in store. 

If you are in Greater Manchester and would like to find out if Excelerate Labs can support you and your business, then get in touch with us today! Email us on exceleratelabs@thewo.org.uk

From Manchester to New York: 'Making You Content' Talk Business Growth

With Manchester being the fastest growing city outside London for economic growth, Excelerate Labs is supporting businesses in Greater Manchester who are looking to reach the next level. Boasting a client base ranging from New York agencies to prestigious UK universities, we spoke to Kelly Gilmour-Grassam, Founder and Director of copy-writing agency Making You Content to find out all about her business growth journey.

Making You Content team

Graduating from university in 2014 with the desire to pursue copy-writing on a self-employed basis, Kelly had to start thinking about building that career path for herself. “I’d taken on a few freelance clients alongside my studies and realised that I was totally uninspired by graduate jobs. There weren’t many options presented by traditional paths, so I took my freelancing full time while I decided what to do next. I soon realised I was making the same amount from home as I would in a grad job, so dropped the search and put my focus on growing my own business.”

Choosing a name, investing in a logo and getting a website made, Making You Content was officially born. With the North West having no shortage of marketing agencies, we asked what made them stand out from the competition. “We focus purely on the written word. We bridge a gap between freelance copywriters and full-service marketing providers, helping brands identify their voice and grow through effective communication”

Making You Content is approaching it’s 5th birthday, a significant milestone for a business that started from a desktop computer in a bedroom. Now securing an eight-person strong team, you can now find them based in Manchester’s vibrant Northern Quarter with plans to grow further over the next 12 months. The growing business is just another thing to add to Kelly’s list of achievements with her being named as UK’s Young Freelancer of the year in 2015 by IPSE “This was a real launchpad for the business. It really raised my profile and gave me the confidence and credibility to push Making You Content forward”

Kelly spoke about the support they had received through the Excelerate Labs Programme. “I’ve been working with Mike, one of The Women’s Organisations Senior Business Advisers, on my business and growth plans over the past few months. It’s really useful talking through your challenges and opportunities with someone who has seen the same issues in countless other businesses and offer objective advice, support and signposting to point you in the right direction”

Finding the encouragement to build her business and generate new ideas, Kelly grew up in Yorkshire taking inspiration from her Grandad’s true honest graft and the 6 months she spent freelancing in South America, exploring new places and widening her horizons as a writer. 

Reflecting on her journey into business, Kelly has learned a thing or two about establishing her brand identity along the way: “When I started hiring, I tried to mould employees in my image, but quickly realised that having a variety of personalities who approach things in different ways is actually great for business. People buy people; if someone doesn’t ‘get’ me, they might really buy into someone else on the team. This has also helped us evolve the business from ‘Kelly copywriter’ to Making You Content as a brand people know and trust.”

So, what would Kelly’s key advice be for someone looking to grow a business? “Making You Content wouldn’t be where it is today without the amazing team I have around me. Investing my time and faith in people joining the business has definitely been key to its success. It’s hard to delegate in the early days – and often easier to just do it yourself – but in the long run you’ll reap the rewards of taking a patient approach to training up others around you.”

And to anyone thinking about setting up business in Manchester? “The North West is an exciting place to be at the moment. Manchester is evolving rapidly and gaining attention on a global scale. I’ve gained lots of inspiration from the business leaders around me. The great thing about this city is everyone makes time for each other. You never have to look far for role models you can relate to.” 

Before letting her go, we asked Kelly for any last words of wisdom for aspiring entrepreneurs looking to start their own business "I was very fortunate to start my business right at the beginning of my career, which has allowed me to dedicate all of my focus to making it a success. That’s why I really encourage young people interested in business to give it a go before they look to employment. Worst case scenario, they have a good story to tell in future job interviews".

You can learn more about our Making You Content's services and even copywriting itself over on the website and blog www.makingyoucontent.com, Kelly is open to a call or coffee with people interested in marketing and business as a whole. Drop her an email on kelly@makingyoucontent.com

Keep an eye out for lots more news from Making You Content over the coming months as they celebrate their fifth birthday! You can follow what they are up on LinkedIn and Twitter, or sign up to the newsletter for monthly updates from the team.

If you would like to benefit from the support received under the Excelerate Labs programme then please contact: exceleratelabs@thewo.org.uk.

Giving Your Business a Growth Healthcheck

Once your business is ticking along nicely the next challenge is to look at opportunities to grow.  It's important before you light the match that causes your business growth explosion that you look over your business to ensure it is in the right shape to move forward.  Here are some key areas of your business you should healthcheck when planning for growth

Branding and Marketing Mix

When you start to grow your business your brand suddenly comes under scrutiny again.  Is your name to local?  Is the colour palette suitable for the new markets you are looking to reach, and have you got the right marketing mix?

Review the analytics of your marketing, perhaps put your brand out to some focus groups and under some market research spotlights to get some impartial opinion on whether it will work for your next phase.

Capacity Planning

Growing a business isn't just about bringing in a mass of new customers and skipping all the way to the bank.  You have to think realisticly about what you have the capacity to do.  If you have a staff team you need to review how much of their time each new customer costs, and how much needs to be dedicated to customer retention.  If you are manufacturing then how much can your current operation cope with in terms of capacity.  This will help to inform the costs of growth and how and when you will need to expand your team or operation

Customer Care

Often when you run a smaller operation, keeping an eye on customer care comes more naturally as you tend to have more direct contact with them.  It's important to look at how your organisation currently offers a good standard of customer care, or ask if it does.  From there you can start to strategise how you will manage the transition as you expand and exnsure customers don't feel like they are missing a part of the service that has made them buy from you before.

Getting Finances in Order

If you've happily plodded along with a haphazard book keeping system and a drawer full of receipts you will get back to later, you need to stop and get organised.  You need to evaluate if you are in a financial position to grow.  Especially if you are going to be looking for investment, you need to ensure you have robust and comprehensive accounts that demonstrate a solid baseline that will encourage banks and other funders to want to invest. 

There is so much to think about when planning for growth.  If you are a business in a B2B sector operating in Greater Manchester, why not meet with one of our ExcelerateLabs team to find out how you can get free support to guide you through the process. Contact exceleratelabs@thewo.org.uk 

Excelerate Labs is part funded by European Regional Development Fund to offer Greater Manchester Businesses support to grow. 

Manchester Businesses? Excelerate Labs Is Here To Help!

Is your business registered in Greater Manchester?

Are you looking to grow your business?

Do you sell to other companies?

If the answer is yes, then read on...

We believe in nurturing our businesses and giving them the support they need to develop.

That is why the Women's Organisation Growth programme ‘Excelerate Labs' offers a comprehensive range of business support to help companies to grow and thrive.

Set in the context of the fast-growing Greater Manchester region, we are here to help businesses by improving their systems, developing their people and helping to create great leaders and managers.  

We at The Women's Organisation along with Manchester as a city region is committed to entrepreneurship.

Manchester has for centuries been at the heart of shaping the UK’s economy. Since the days of the Industrial Revolution, Manchester has played a pivotal role in developing how the world does business. The ten metropolitan boroughs of Greater Manchester – Bolton, Bury, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, and Wigan – represent the most significant city region economy outside London.

As the UK’s second-largest economy, Manchester is an important economic engine driving the country’s growth and prosperity and has a GVA of £59.6 billion. Since 2010, the city has seen an overall increase in employment of 68,154 jobs, which makes it the seventh best for growing employment in the UK.

Today, Greater Manchester’s economic growth is driven by its diverse industry base, which has specialisms in business, finance & professional services, manufacturing, health innovation and creative, digital and technology.  

Manchester’s business strengths have helped it to develop a strong reputation as a competitive place to do business. It is anticipated that the levels of job creation in Manchester could outpace that of cities such as Berlin, Tokyo, and Paris between 2015 and 2020.*(* Beyond the City 2015, Oxford Economics)

Everywhere around the city development is taking place delivering new office blocks and homes. The north-west is now home to major broadcasters such as the BBC and ITV at MediaCityUK in Salford Quays. Additionally, Greater Manchester Internalisation Strategy (GMIS) has plotted a course for success by 2035 centred around eight critical priorities including being the global gateway for the UK and the North and becoming a magnet for foreign direct investment in key growth sectors. Upgraded transport, affordability and a digitally skilled workforce are helping to bolster this strategy.

Helping your business grow

Whether you are an SME, global company, trading charity or a location consultant, our team will work with you to build your strategy and business case for growth, find the investment routes, source the ideal property, recruit the right staff and introduce you to networks on the ground to help your business grow.

Through ERDF funding, The Women Organisation has been providing support to Companies with steady incremental to dynamic high growth strategies that have created and safeguarded jobs for the last few years.

At the beginning of  2017, we have been rolling out a new business growth programme called Excelerate Labs. With partners including DownTown In Business and The Princes Trust, we are already creating more new jobs for Companies we support; as well as further increasing their GVA (Gross Added Value) 

Excelerate Labs offers support for Greater Manchester SMEs across a range of sectors including manufacturing, digital, creative and technology, food, education, low biomedical carbon, and environment.

Our Excelerate Labs impartial specialists, Mike Marsden and Ameena Ahmed, have a reputation for understanding diverse business needs and helping to remove barriers for companies looking to grow. 

All of our services are tailored to your business and will save you time, money and effort. Some of the areas covered are:

Business Plans

Bank Loan Applications

Developing a strategy

Grant Searches/ Applying for tenders

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)

Social Media Training

Sales Training

Develop Marketing Strategies

Recruiting the right staff

Relocation Plans

Brainstorming idea generation to grow your business

So are you driven to take your Company and team to the next level?

Find out more here! 

🍸 The Women's Organisation Helps Manchester Business Defiance Gin Launch & Grow! 🍸

Now, you might be thinking – aren’t you The Women’s Organisation? Don’t you only work with women?

BUT that isn’t the case! As part of our work in Manchester under our Excelerate Labs project we can support women AND men running businesses in the B2B (business to business) sector which enables organisations in the Greater Manchester area to innovate, diversify and grow creating new jobs.

Paul Sheerin and his business Defiance are one of the businesses that we’ve had the pleasure of working with this year, and this is their story…

Paul told us; ‘Defiance is a premium, distilled, small batch gin. Foraged across Lancashire, Yorkshire and Scotland…Our professional forager Alysia of Yorkshire Foragers, who works with the top restaurants across the country, sources and collects our wild botanicals. We use these fresh botanicals to give Defiance it’s truly unique flavour and characteristics.’

Paul started receiving support from ourselves after his wife Jo, who works at accountancy firm; KPMG, met CEO of The Women’s Organisation; Maggie O’Carroll and explained about the idea for a business that Paul had. Paul was then partnered up with one of our Manchester Business Advisers; Mike Marsden, and that’s where it all began!

‘I started working with Mike at the beginning of this year, when Defiance Gin was just in the concept stages. Since then we have been having regular meetings and it has been an absolutely brilliant process.’

Mike and Paul worked together on a number of different things, looking at laying down objectives and a timescale for the product and a business plan specific to Defiance Gin, as Paul owns another business wholesaling other gins. Paul says; ‘Mike made me say that it was important to have a business plan that was bespoke for Defiance Gin.’  

And, he had some great words to say about Mike; ‘I’ve really enjoyed working with Mike, it’s been terrific. I don’t say this about many people, but I actually looking forward to meeting up with Mike and having our meetings! He’s enthusiastic and knowledgeable and it’s been great to have a sounding board to bounce ideas off of.’

Defiance Gin launched last month and so far, things are going great for Paul, having already sold over 400 bottles! And it’s no wonder people love it so much, it sounds incredible!

Paul told us that; ’14 botanicals create Defiance Gin. We distil all of these ingredients separately to extract the best characteristics from each botanical.’ ­­– Their steep and boil method of distilling means that Defiance is an absolute treat for the taste buds!

‘It gives Defiance its wonderful and unique depth of flavour. An earthy backbone gives way to fresh citrus and wonderful notes of anise.’

And what are Paul’s plans for the future of Defiance Gin?

‘We’ve got big expectations for the future. I’m looking to export in Summer 2018 and continue expanding our national strategy here in the UK. Defiance can already be found in Michelin and 5 star restaurants and hotels across the country, so I’d like to continue working on that.’

To find out more about Defiance, and the incredible story behind their name, you can check out their website here! And check out their social media too

Twitter

Facebook

Instagram

If you are in Greater Manchester and would like to find out if The Women’s Organisation can support you and your business, then get in touch with us today! Email us on hello@thewo.org.uk or ring us on 0151 706 8111

You can find out more information about our Excelerate Labs programme here.

Back On Track Are...On The Right Track With Excelerate Labs Support!

We just love getting reports from our Manchester Business Advisers and this latest case study about Back on Track is no different! Back on Track were supported by Business Adviser; Ameena Ahmed under our Manchester growth programme; Excelerate Labs and here’s what they have to say…

‘Back on Track is a Manchester charity that enables disadvantaged adults to make lasting positive changes in their lives.’

It was formed in 1977 and is based in Manchester’s Northern Quarter where they work with adults who are going through a process of recovery or rehabilitation, having been through problems with alcohol or drugs, offending, homelessness and mental health.

Sioban Pollitt, their Chief Executive and Services Manager said; ‘Our projects at Back on Track enable people to build the skills they need to lead meaningful and fulfilling lives.’

Ameena worked with Siobhan and also, Kate Downes, who is responsible for the development and direction of the café at Back on Track, as the organisation celebrated its 40^th birthday!

Back on Track operates through delivering training courses either at their training centre or on outreach courses, it also offers clients volunteering opportunities and work experience. As well as this they have an amazing on site café; Swan Kitchens – which is staffed by volunteers and service users.

‘Back on Track is our in house café – staffed by those who are rebuilding their lives after problems with homelessness, substance misuse, mental health and offending. Swan Kitchen offers real work experience opportunities and a chance to explore a career in catering.’

Ameena worked with Back on Track to explore planning for a new food outlet in Manchester City Centre, building on the experience that they had with Swan Kitchens. She worked with them to produce a three year business plan that would specifically focus on this social enterprise project and fit into their wider plan as a charity too!

Siobhan and Kate hoped to create this food outlet which would target the health and wellbeing of shoppers and tourists in the city as well as becoming a trainer and employer to the adults that received support from Back on Track – A great plan for the growth of this business!

Siobhan told us; ‘The help we received from Ameena was fantastic! It enabled us to articulate our plans for our catering social enterprise. Already now we have implemented the first stage of our expansion by employing two catering assistants, both of whom have lived experience of some of the issues we address at Back on Track.’

So it’s great to see that the plans are in place for Siobhan, Kate and the rest of the team at Back on Track, to expand in the very near future!

If you’d like to find out more about Back on Track, you can do so by using the contact details below!

Website
Twitter
Phone Number: 0161 834 1661

And if you’d like to find out how we can support your Manchester based business – then get in touch with us today! For more information about the project please contact exceleratelabs@thewo.org.uk

The Women’s Organisation is proud to lead the way in innovative business growth support through our new programme 'Excelerate Labs'.  The programme open to men and women running a business in a B2B sector will enable businesses in Greater Manchester to innovate, diversify and grow creating new jobs.

Sarah Wilson-Gibbons Is Provided Support To Grow Her Business; Hey Little Cupcake

Cupcakes are hugely popular and to satisfy the nation’s appetite lots of new businesses are baking, decorating and supplying them to local cafes and shops. Hey Little Cupcakes, Sarah’s business has been creating cupcakes and been part of this success for the last five years. 

Hey Little Cupcake can produce everything from simple celebration cakes right up to the most elaborate wedding cakes. At all stages from enquiry and design to delivery, they offer a personal and friendly service.

The Women’s Organisation provided business growth support to Sarah and working with an Adviser Sarah was given a sounding board and expert advice on how to prioritise her business growth needs. Working with Business Adviser; Ameena Ahmed, 

Sarah has created a three-year strategic business plan and has a clear plan to move forward and continue generating income, expand her staff team and purchase new equipment for the business. 

Excelerate Labs, our business growth programme for Manchester, is part funded by European Regional Development Fund and offers FREE business growth consultancy to businesses registered in Greater Manchester who are operating in a business to business sector and ready to grow.

Excelerate Labs expert Business Growth Advisers can support you with:

• Developing Growth Strategy

• Accessing Markets

• Building Strategic Sales & Marketing Plans

• Developing Effective Leadership

• Gaining Support with Financial Management, Procurement, Bids & Tenders

• Linking to Networks & Developing Strategic Partnerships

• Measuring & Understanding Corporate Social Responsibility

Or building your business in another way. 

If you are interested in receiving support contact our team via exceleratelabs@thewo.org.uk 

Are You Ready To Grow? | Planning For Business Growth With Excelerate Labs

Planning is the key to success in any business. It’s sensible to review your performance on a regular basis and identify the most likely strategies so you can grow your business. Here are some of our tips on planning for business growth: 

Look Back to Look Forward

Study the past successes of your company and use this to create new ideas for future achievements. By regularly assessing your performance against the plan that you began with, you are more likely to reach your goals. By doing this you can highlight where and why you have gone astray. By choosing to reassess every three to six months, this will show direction and commitment to employees, customers and suppliers as well as keeping you focused. 

Look Around

Also study your competition, the trends of your target market, and economic trends to forecast your growth plan. Looking over the business plans of various other companies that have seen great recent success, both in your industry and in other industries, you can use their ideas as motivations to create your own strategy. 

Look Closely

When you are reviewing your business plan, it's important to be clear on how you will allocate your resources to make your strategy work. The business plan for growth should allocate sufficient resources to achieve it's goals. You should assess your companies efficiency in terms of employees abilities and adaptability, as well as your own. This will help you to realise what you can or cannot do without your current staff, and if you need to hire new staff, or hire your existing staff in with new skills or training. 

Look for Friends

Another good way to plan for business growth, is to collaborate with a business owner that has successfully expanded their business, as you are trying to do. Gaining advice from someone who has been in your position is invaluable. 

Is your business growing? The Women's Organisation would like to offer support and advice to those who's business is growing and accelerating...

Exclerate Labs is part funded by European Regional Development Fund and offers FREE business growth consultancy to businesses registered in Greater Manchester who are operating in a business to business sector and ready to grow.

Excelerate Labs expert Business Growth Advisers can support you with:

• Developing Growth Strategy

• Accessing Markets

• Building Strategic Sales & Marketing Plans

• Developing Effective Leadership

• Gaining Support with Financial Management, Procurement, Bids & Tenders

• Linking to Networks & Developing Strategic Partnerships

• Measuring & Understanding Corporate Social Responsibility

Or building your business in another way.

If you are interested in receiving support contact our team via exceleratelabs@thewo.org.uk