Building back Stronger
“I know from my own experience of running small businesses just how valuable the advice and experience of experts and peers can be when you are looking to grow your company.”
These words from the United Kingdom’s Small Business Minister, Paul Scully, will resonate throughout the community of small businesses that have been hit hard by the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Scully, who was speaking at the launch of the nationwide Small Business Leadership Programme, speaks directly to the aims of the wide range of business support that Manchester Metropolitan University’s Centre for Enterprise has offered to small and medium sized businesses for nearly a decade.
The Centre for Enterprise sits within Manchester Met’s Business School and uses academic expertise to create short, practical programmes for businesses across Greater Manchester and the North West of England.
“Everything we do is because we believe in the power of knowledge to improve business,” said Mandy Parkinson, who, as Head of Business Engagement in Manchester Metropolitan’s Faculty of Business and Law, oversees the delivery of the University’s business support programmes.
“We research best practice, build lasting networks and deliver practical courses that produce real business growth. Our wide suite of programmes help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to grow and remain competitive in a quickly evolving marketplace.”
Since 2015, this support has helped more than 1100 SMEs.
However, since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic at the beginning of 2020, the essential value of the ways the University supports the local business community has come to the fore.
"Everything we do is because we believe in the power of knowledge to improve business"
When the pandemic curtailed the Centre for Enterprise’s traditional in-person networking, workshop sessions and events, the team reacted quickly to develop a hub of online resources and courses for businesses affected by the sudden introduction of lockdown restrictions.
“It was important that we reacted quickly to give SMEs the support and guidance they were looking for,” said Parkinson. “From advice on accessing financial support, to tips on how to run a business from home, we were able to draw on our insight and expertise from across the University.
One project saw the creation of a video series to help businesses access the team’s knowledge from afar and offered the opportunity to work on some of the practical tasks usually explored in face-to-face workshops.
The “Getting Through and Getting On” video series now features ten episodes on topics including marketing, sales, strategic-thinking and resilience.
“From our work with entrepreneurs, we know that business support isn’t simply about offering technical skills,” said Parkinson, “It’s also about helping business owners and leaders to regain confidence and build their own personal resilience.
“The pandemic has catapulted us into a new digital future, so the need for this support is more important than ever. By partnering with colleagues across the University and other institutions, we have ensured our programmes and expertise cover business growth, artificial intelligence, eco-innovations, cyber security, 3D printing and more to allow SMEs to meet future challenges.”
The Small Business Leadership Programme is the latest fully-funded initiative that the University’s Centre for Enterprise is delivering to support regional businesses, whether they are looking to innovate, grow, thrive or survive.
“Our programmes include peer-to-peer business support, online workshops, and leadership coaching,” explained Parkinson.
“The majority of our programmes are fully funded by the European Regional Development Fund, which means that if businesses meet the eligibility criteria, there is no direct cost to them.”
While the COVID-19 pandemic required a reactive and innovative approach to helping businesses navigate uncharted territory, the Centre for Enterprise also had to find new ways to continue to deliver the programmes already underway before the pandemic.
For business owners and entrepreneurs across Greater Manchester, Cheshire and Warrington who were participating in the face-to-face workshops and coaching sessions, this meant moving to a new form of online delivery.
This quick shift to online provision and the addition of academic expertise around the developing issues the pandemic was causing businesses, meant that the participants could still access this vital support.
Michelle Ewen, Founder of the PR consultancy service Write on Time, participated in the University’s Cheshire and Warrington Business Growth Programme. She used the programme’s expertise to launch a new product, despite the difficulties posed by COVID-19.
“The fact we were able to develop and launch a new product is good evidence of how Manchester Met is continuing to support people on the course during the pandemic,” she said.
“The product was developed as a result of our coaching chats. We have secured good sales so far and continuing to push hard to maximise this following the launch.”
By providing the business community with the expertise, resources and support they have needed over the last 12 months, Manchester Metropolitan’s programmes are already implementing ways to meet the needs of the businesses of the future.
For Parkinson and her team this has emphasised the importance of academic expertise and knowledge in addressing the challenges that the business community faces.
“In the current climate it will be essential to have a strong base of innovation ready for businesses to support our economic recovery post COVID-19,” said Parkinson.
“But we are also looking beyond this and speaking to businesses about how they can prepare and capitalise on the opportunities that will be presented by developing industries, technologies and sustainability.”
To this end, Manchester Metropolitan is already part of a new national consortium of Small Business Charter-awarded universities delivering the Small Business Leadership Programme to eligible businesses across the North West.
Funded by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, the programme aims to support the resilience, recovery and growth of SMEs during and after the pandemic. For Paul Hornby, Managing Director of Foilco, a leading supplier of stamping foil shades and finishes, the programme has helped him tap into the vast network of SMEs in the region.
“Being a business owner can be a lonely place at times,” he said, “especially when you are looking to develop areas of skills or just having the opportunity to run ideas past other people in the same position.
“The Small Business Leadership Programme helped me to improve my skills and aligned this with discussions with fellow business leaders, who are outside of my industry with no conflict of interest but with lots of common business needs and wants.”
In building on the crucial aspect of business-to-business learning, the University is also part of a collaboration between the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and The Growth Company, delivering the Peer Networks initiative.
This national peer-to-peer networking programme is for SME leaders who want to grow and develop their organisation for future success.
Parkinson said: “The ability to network and learn from other business leaders is vital to helping organisations to innovate and grow. As a University based in the heart of the region, we can ensure our programmes, expertise, support and networks can be accessible and useful to any business.”
Greater Manchester businesses are also set to benefit from Manchester Metropolitan’s PrintCity Network, which is designed to help them understand and utilise 3D printing technology in order to develop innovative products and services within their business.
The new £3.2 million project will help regional businesses to build back better post-pandemic by supporting them in adopting a new innovation-led culture that will encourage productivity and growth.
Parkinson added: “With more than 5.9 million SMEs across the UK employing 16 million people, it is vital that we support small businesses and enable them to face the coming months with confidence and strength. “We are well prepared to help equip small business leaders with the leadership, resilience and skills they need to grow their firms.”
Find out more at mmu.ac.uk/business/develop-your-business