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Enterprising Ashfield Growth Programme

Is your business looking to get more traction? Or are you experiencing rapid growth? Perhaps you're looking at ways to be more productive or develop a new market?

Whatever stage your business is at, Enterprising Ashfield can help - and all support is paid for so there's no cost to your business.

Our Growth strand can help you review and grow your business with a suite of assistance and programmes.  We deliver our help via supportive 1:1 business mentoring, expert workshops, peer learning, leadership training, sector-specific support programmes and a grant.

Simply make an enquiry and we’ll work out the best support for you.

Each month we'll be hosting a free 'WOW' session to help you 'Work Out What' the opportunities are for kickstarting or reinvigorating your business. This is available for  anyone who has a registered business in the Kirkby and Sutton Towns Fund area.

Join our Business Advisor Adrian, as you look at what value you're giving your customers and how you engage with them, and include overviews of good financial management and marketing practice. Adrian will also be able to advise on areas of support you may be able to access through the Enterprising Ashfield project.

If you'd like to book a space on the next WOW session email adrian.williams@ntu.ac.uk

Examples of our current programmes include:

‘Work Out What’ support
Designed for businesses that wish to develop & grow but haven’t had business support before.  We’ll take you through a micro-group short programme of guided business-review workshops and 1:1 mentoring.  This will allow you to ‘Work Out What’ your business needs to do by pulling together your business experience with the ‘lightbulb moments’ gained from the programme.

Boost support
Designed for experienced business owners that are looking to grow further, break into a new market/customer group or develop new products and services.  We’ll meet with you and undertake a full business diagnostic to understand your ambitions and how your business currently operates.  We’ll make recommendations as to how to take the business into the direction you wish to move - and support you in the journey.

Growth grant
Whatever size of business you have, you can also access a grant of up to £1,500 (match funded by the business) to subsidise the buying-in of professional services involving coaching, mentoring, training and/or knowledge transfer to help improve your business.

Enhance support
Our new business ‘Enhance’ programme is being finalised!  This is for established and growing micro and small businesses and will provide a suite of support around business strategy and leadership.  Please get in touch to express your interest.

Once you’ve received some support, we’ll also invite you into our Enterprising Ashfield alumni group – an online and in-person forum for peer support and information sharing, to help build a local entrepreneurial network.

Our Growth programme is available to businesses within eligible postcodes in Ashfield. Visit our eligibility checker page to see if your postcode makes you eligible for the project.

If you’re not eligible for the Enterprising Ashfield project please take a look at other ways NTU can support businesses and employees.

I found the structure of the program to be really helpful, splitting the topics weekly allowed me to action the given tasks each week before new information came in.  I also found the informal approach to be inviting as it allowed the group to interact openly and honestly. It definitely did help me, it helped me see what areas I needed to give attention to, to grow the business.

The project is delivered by NTU, in partnership with Ashfield District Council and is part-funded by the Government’s Town Fund.