Enhancing Growth Business Programme
- Level(s) of Study: Short course; Professional
- Course Fee:
Available at no cost to eligible businesses (see criteria below).
- Start Date(s): Starts 3 June 2025
- Duration: See course outline below for all dates and details
- Study Mode(s): Part-time
- Entry Requirements: More information
Introduction:
Please note: This programme is delivered through the Enterprising Ashfield project, which is funded by the Government's Towns Fund. Å·ÃÀ¾ÞÈé (NTU) is pleased to offer free (fully funded) places to support businesses in the eligible towns fund area.
The Enhancing Growth programme is designed to help ambitious enterprises to grow in Sutton-in-Ashfield, Kirkby-in-Ashfield and Annesley.
Delivered by experts from Å·ÃÀ¾ÞÈé’s Å·ÃÀ¾ÞÈé Business School, our dual-level approach provides separate and joint support to both business owners / emerging leaders and your colleagues, helping to strengthen business growth acumen throughout your organisation.
The funding will cover:
- up to 2 places per workshop (or more if spaces are available). The indicative value of the workshop programme is £4,625 per place.
- up to 3 hours of 1:1 follow-on support worth £125 per hour with one of the expert facilitators, subject to availability.
The Enhancing Growth programme will help business owners / leaders with:
- Improving your business model & value propositions, and getting to grips with developing a growth strategy
- Thinking about innovation to help keep ahead of competitors
- Understanding & refining your leadership and communications
- Supporting any line manager staff to develop their skills
- Helping you and your colleagues with team / staff dynamics
- Transitioning your business to a caring organisation that has sustainability embedded
- Aiding you to better understand marketing your business
Here's what our previous attendees said:
"I've taken away great advice to analyse our current business model and implement new strategies"
"The program has definitely moved me forwards as it’s enabled me to gain so much more clarity around how my business should operate as well as how to structure and cost my different offers."
"The course was delivered to a high standard and was very informative, the support we have received during and after the course has been exceptional. The programme motivated us by helping us to understand and have a clear breakdown of every aspect of the business and where improvements were needed. "
What you’ll study
All workshops are held in-person in Sutton-in-Ashfield, dates may be added or changed according to operational needs and sign-up numbers. Business owners/leaders should allow c.10 hours to work on the framework/tools.
As places are limited and funded, please ensure you can commit to the dates below before signing up. To find out about future dates please contact adrian.williams@ntu.ac.uk
Workshop 1, 2 & 3 - typically for business owners / emerging leaders:
Workshop 1: Your Business Model and Developing Your Growth Strategy
Tuesday 3 June 2025, 9.30am - 4.30pm
- Understanding the Business Model Canvas planning tool
- Developing the value proposition of your service or products, and mapping to customer groups
- Considerations around business growth strategy & implementation
Workshop 2: Innovation
Thursday 12 June 2025, 9.30am - 1.30pm
- Considerations around innovation
- Design thinking
Workshop 3: The Three Cs of Leadership: Culture, Communication and Change
Wednesday 18 June 2025, 9.30am - 4.30pm
- Understanding your leadership style and the impact of this
- Shaping organisational culture as your business grows
- Communicating effectively as a leader, internally and externally
- Leading change for transformation and growth
Workshop 4, 5 & 6 typically for colleagues:
Workshop 4: Managerial Excellence: Middle Managers and Team Leadership (this session is specifically designed for Team Leaders/Line Managers)
Wednesday 25 June 2025, 9.30am - 4.30pm
- Making the shift to managing others
- Coaching as a management style to improve performance, develop your team and increase engagement
- Effective teamwork and collaboration
- Having courageous conversations and managing conflict
Workshop 5: Building Teamwork through Effective Communications: Collaboration, Communication & Conflict
Wednesday 2 July 2025, 9.30am - 12.30pm
- Understanding what makes an effective team
- Recognising barriers to good collaboration
- Understanding your communication style and the impact of this
- Strategies for effective communication
Workshop 6: Super Sales
Wednesday 9 July 2025, 9.30am - 1.30pm
- Sales 101 - a simple and effective tool to find the right customers, and close deals
- Core skills - how do the professionals in your industry sell? What are the unknown unknowns?
- Measuring and improving - how to set targets, analyse results, and make changes
- Q&A / Ask me anything - troubleshoot and workshop solutions to your sales problems
Workshop 7 * 8 typically for business owners / emerging leaders and colleagues:
Workshop 7: Sustainability and Your Business
Wednesday 16 July 2025, 9.30am - 4.30pm
- Sustainability & the dual crisis of climate change and ecosystems
- Positive Futures – What we can do
- The impact of your business & the Circular Economy
- Carbon foot-printing & Understanding Scopes 1, 2, & 3
Workshop 8: Marketing Magic – Strategy & Implementation
Wednesday 23 July 2025, 9.30am - 4.30pm
- The importance of aligning marketing strategies with business goals
- Understanding your target market and segmentation, building on the Business Model Canvas
- Which marketing media is best for you
- Analysing marketing performance
- Marketing Objectives & planning
After the Enhancing Growth programme
Through Enhancing Growth and the wider Enterprising Ashfield programme, your business may be able to also access:
- Additional specialist support fully-funded by Enterprising Ashfield to help grow your business by buying-in professional provision (typical value c.£3,000; equal in-kind match funding required)
- Potential for separate R&D Innovation consultancy from NTU academics
- A brilliant array of additional free Skills courses for you and your colleagues
- A £2,500 Talent grant every 12 weeks throughout 2025 when taking on a graduate (maximum grant: £7,500)
- Becoming part of the Enterprising Ashfield entrepreneurial community
Entry requirements
This programme is only available to businesses already trading within the Kirkby and Sutton Towns Fund area. To check if your postcode is eligible visit the Enterprising Ashfield postcode checker page. Your business must be already enrolled with Enterprising Ashfield to access the Enhancing Growth progamme . If it isn't simply contact adrian.williams@ntu.ac.uk to enrol.
Fees and funding
This course is available at no cost to eligible participants.
How to apply
If you have any questions about this course, you can email EnterprisingAshfield@ntu.ac.uk or call us at +44 (0)115 848 2813.
