Business Growth Archives | LAR Consultancy Ltd

NatWest launches ‘Back Her Business’ Initiative for Female-Only Crowdfunding

Mar 21, 2019

Well here’s some really exciting news!

This week, NatWest Bank launched a female-only crowdfunding programme ‘Back Her Business’ for women thinking about starting-up a business in the UK. This programme has been development together with Crowdfunder, a well established crowdfunding platform. The initiative is available UK-wide through NatWest in England and Wales, Ulster Bank in Northern Ireland and Royal Bank in Scotland.

Why is this deemed to be necessary?

Well, NatWest commissioned research into the psychological challenges facing females in business and one condition in particular came to the fore – Imposter Syndrome. This syndrome is where women in particular have a feeling of self-doubt, questioning accomplishments and competency. I believe this same Imposter Syndrome is also responsible for women not reaching the higher echelons of leadership in medium to large organisations.

I myself have also witnessed a lack of confidence when working with female entrepreneurs. It is this lack of self-belief, self-esteem and self-value which impacts their ability to start-up a business. Even if they manage to overcome the start-up hurdle, they often struggle to grow the business. They also struggle with pricing, often under-pricing their services, which impacts their profitability and long-term survival.

One only has to attend women-focused networking event to observe the ratio of micro-businesses to SMEs. It is a safe bet that the micros far outweigh the SMEs and scale-ups, compared with mixed gender networking events.

This is why part of my time is typically spent on building the confidence and self-belief of the women-business-owners / directors when coaching, mentoring and/or advising their businesses. This investment provides almost immediate returns and is time well-spent. It is also rewarding to observe the rapid change in attitude as the sessions progress, and to see the result of this work reflected in the bottom line.

Back Her Business is part of NatWest’s wider commitment to helping female entrepreneurs in any way it can. So great to see such an initiative in the market-place.

NatWest launches female-only crowdfunding programme ‘Back Her Business’

Mar 21, 2019

Well here’s some really exciting news!

Back Her Business is part of NatWest’s wider commitment to helping female entrepreneurs in any way it can. So great to see such an initiative in the market-place. Read our article for more about information about this initiative – click here.

Manufacturing Growth Programme (MGP)

Mar 13, 2019

Are you an SME manufacturer?

Are you an SME manufacturer, or planning to become a manufacturer, based in:

West Midlands
Yorkshire and Humber
Parts of the East Midlands
South East
East of England?

If so, did you know that you may be eligible for a grant from The Manufacturing Growth Programme? These grants are available to SME manufacturers to assist with the cost of bringing in external expertise to support the business. 

Objectives

The MGP supports and drives growth in local economies by supporting SME manufacturers to grow their business. This, by identifying, understanding and removing barriers to growth and enabling sustainable business improvement.

The programme grant covers 35% of the cost of a project; typically, projects range between £3,000 and £6,500 (so at 35% grant, the support ranges from approximately £1,000 to £2,275).

Business Support

MGP’s objectives are to provide free advice and support to manufacturing SMEs to help:

Identify opportunities and create plans for growth and improvement

Work with the best external experts to implement those plans

Cover up to 35% of the cost of implementing the plans through an improvement grant

Connect to wider support to maximise opportunities for growth

European Regional Development Funding (ERDF)

The funding is paid for by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and in order to be eligible for this funding, the SME (small to medium enterprise) needs to meet the following criteria:

Under 250 staff

Under €50 million turnover

Under €43 million balance sheet assets value

Not having received more than €200,000 in State Aid (or other public/grant funding) in the previous three calendar years

Not owning, nor owned, more than 25% of/by a larger company that would take the overall size of the group over the above 3 criteria limits

A manufacturer

The Process

If the above  criteria are met, it is a relatively simple process to apply and there are no lengthy forms to complete.  The Manufacturing Growth Manager for your area will need to visit the business premises with the relevant paperwork which will need to be signed by a Director of the SME.

The remaining paperwork is completed, confirmation is received from the provider of the quote, followed by a grant offer which is typically confirmed in writing, within a week.  

For more information

If you would like us to help your business via this grant, please contact us.

To read more about the programme, click here

Managing Director Opportunity

Mar 8, 2019

Description of the Managing Director Opportunity

Are you ready for a new challenge? Are you perhaps semi-retired, ex-military, on garden leave and/or looking to enter an exciting sector?

Based in Essex, my client is a start-up Community Interest Company (CIC) in the environment sector. The CIC Founder is passionate about the planet and reducing landfill by repairing, reusing and recycling white goods and furniture. The goods are either supplied to rehousing organisations or sold in a shop.

The CIC seeks an entrepreneurial managing director who will create a role for his/herself by using their managerial skills to turn the start-up into a thriving, profitable and growing business, by streamlining operations, introducing new accounts, applying for grants and growing existing and new revenue streams.

The role is voluntary at present, until the CIC has improved total revenue to support salaries.

The managing director will report to and work together with the CIC Founder.

Duties of the Managing Director

The managing director will be ultimately responsible for the day-to-day running of the company and its strategic direction.

Turning the start-up into a profitable business.
Devising a 5-year plan and ensuring its implementation.
Leading the company and ensuring all employees and subcontractors buy into the company vision.
Setting the overall strategic direction of the company.
Planning and implementing short- and long-term business strategies to achieve the company’s objectives.
Managing the financials, together with the accountant/bookkeeper to review the company’s financial performance.
Working closely with the Operations/Marketing Director on sales strategy and approach to winning new business.
Carrying out regular SWOT analysis to mitigate any potential risks through industry and market changes.
Speaking at events and exhibitions on behalf of the company.
Looking for opportunities to increase efficiencies and speed up processes across the business.
Implementing new processes and procedures across the business.
Setting company-wide KPI’s to gauge company performance in all areas.
Working closely with the Sales Director to land large accounts.
Setting company budgets and forecasts.
Analysing opportunities for growth in market segments to drive profitability.
Ability to apply for government tenders and grants.

Background of the Managing Director

Proven management track record.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Target driven and results focussed individual.
Natural leader and motivator of people.
Preferred: Relevant industry experience and knowledge of the target market.

Interested? Send a copy of your CV to Lesley.

SELEP Business Support Programmes (South East UK)

Feb 7, 2019

Your browser is not able to display frames. Please visit <a href="https://www.mindmeister.com/1221314397/south-east-england-local-enterprise-partnership-selep-business-support-mindmap" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">SOUTH EAST ENGLAND LOCAL ENTERPRISE PARTNERSHIP (SELEP) BUSINESS SUPPORT – MINDMAP</a> on MindMeister.

SOUTH EAST ENGLAND LOCAL ENTERPRISE PARTNERSHIP (SELEP) BUSINESS SUPPORT – MINDMAP by Lesley Rubenstein-Pessok

To view the map, zoom in and out, hold down your Ctrl key together with either the ‘+’ (zoom in) or ‘-‘ (zoom out). Alternatively, you can zoom in and out by holding down the Ctrl key and using the wheel on your mouse. To view different areas of the map, hold down the left click of the mouse to hold the cursor in place and move sideways, up and down, etc.

Check out this SELEP business support South East UK mind map to determine what business support your business may apply for. The programmes include loans, grants, 1-2-1 mentoring, business workshops, R&I collaborations and much more.

Note: The SELEP (South East Local Enterprise Partnership) Region includes East Susses, Essex and Kent. The mind map includes business support programmes that are available nationwide, such as Innovate UK, Keep Plus, KTPs (Knowledge Transfer Partnership), Cultural Development Fund and others. Click on the various organisations to link to more information, such as criteria, application forms, etc.

8 quick tips on how to research a new industrial sector

Jan 23, 2019

If you are in a certain industry, or looking to get into a new industrial sector, it is advisable to learn all you can about it first! This article will provide several tips and questions to help you to research a new industrial sector.

Questions you need to think about

Questions you might want to ask include who are the major, medium size and up-and-coming players? What are the industry trends? How fast is the marketplace growing? Who are the leaders? Who is influencing opinions? What academic research is being carried out? What patents are being registered? There are several ways to do this:

1. See which white papers and blogs come up in the search. Look at industrial survey results – who are the opinion leaders? Follow them on Twitter, LinkedIn etc.s?

2. Put industry keywords into Google and see which companies come up in the search. Learn all you can about them by going onto their websites, reading their About Us, News and Research/Technical sections in particular.

3. Find similar companies using tools such as LinkedIn, Twitter and zoominfo.com

4. Find out which companies have been acquired lately by the blue chips in the industry. What have they bought over the last three years and especially in the last six months. Try to figure out why they are buying these companies – what is the bigger picture?

5. Search to find out who are the key venture capital firms investing in this sector and which companies they have invested in, repeating the exercise for angel funding firms.

6. What exits have these VCs done in recent months – have the companies they’ve invested in been acquired? By whom? For how much?

7. Check the publications to which leading academics contribute and review them regularly. Implement intellectual property searches.

8. Go to events, exhibitions and conferences. What topics are prevalent? Who are the opinion leaders? What do they say about where the industry is going? What leading research/innovation going on in the industry? Are there technology disruptors?

All the market research you will be implementing in order to get answers to the questions above could help position your product or service, as well as uncover opportunities for your company. It may also uncover where your R&D department should be investing its time, what joint ventures you may want or need to put in place, and what unique selling points need to be emphasized in your marketing literature. These are just several tips on how to research a new industrial sector. Read our other articles for more tips and advice on other business-related topics.

About the author

Lesley Anne Rubenstein-Pessok, MD of LAR Consultancy Ltd, has spent her whole career in executive roles, working with and training start-ups and SME businesses, helping them to become more efficient, increase turnover, improve profitability, cost effectiveness and create strategies that pay off. She is an approved mentor for the London and Partners’ Business Growth Programme, as well as for other public funded programmes. Her client testimonials say it all.

EIRA Grant Funding Launches

Jan 14, 2019

EIRA grant funding to connect businesses with cutting edge research power

How exciting is this project? EIRA grant funding will enable businesses to work with academics to harness the power of leading edge technology in AI (artificial intelligence), biotechnology and digital creative, thanks to a new partnership between seven universities and colleges across the East of England.

The EIRA grant funding project is now open for applications. EIRA, an acronym for Enabling Innovation: Research to Application, was recently awarded £4.7m from Research England’s Connecting Capability Fund. It is interested in receiving applications from businesses looking to innovate so don’t procrastinate. How could you benefit by working with an academic?

EIRA supports the ‘National Industrial Strategy’ by driving growth and increasing productivity in the East of England, by transforming the way businesses connect with universities and colleges.

The EIRA network is led by the University of Essex working with the University of East Anglia and the University of Kent, and fellow members of the Eastern Academic Research Consortium (Eastern ARC), which was established to encourage research collaboration and training.

Visit the website for more information.

Need some help?

Need help shaping your business strategy? Business and marketing plans? General business advice or support? Contact us – it’s what we do!

London and Partners Business Growth Programme

Jan 12, 2019

Lesley Anne Rubenstein-Pessok, Co-Founder & Managing Director of LAR Consultancy. has just been appointed as a mentor on the London and Partners Business Growth Programme to mentor / advise / coach London companies to overcome their growth barriers. The programme is open to SMEs with 3-250 employees with a minimum viable product or service so if you think you could benefit from my help, sign up to the programme NOW! Don’t think twice! Why wait? Procrastination will get you nowhere, fast!

Over the course of a one-hour session, you’ll have the chance to work through your company’s sales challenges and work with Lesley Anne to master your sales pitch. Sessions are available on a first come, first serve basis between the hours of 10:00 until 16:00. The sessions are open exclusively to businesses in the Business Growth Programme so apply to join the programme first here!

Want to book a session with Lesley via the London & Partners programme?

Click here to book your session (Note: you need to be an approved business on the Business Growth Programme of London and Partners – see information above)!

If you don’t suit London and Partners Business Growth Programme criteria, don’t despair! You can, of course, work with her directly – just contact us and we’ll book you in for a session! Visit our services and business workshops pages for more information.

Not sure if this is for you? Read our client testimonials first and meet our team.

Want to become a great listener? Try active listening skills exercises!

Dec 7, 2018

In two words: total focus! To become a great listener, there needs to be nothing, and I mean nothing, going on in your mind. That’s not so easy when the person in front of you is speaking in a monotone, and without any animation. Or maybe she’s repeating a story that you have heard before, either from that person, or from someone else, such as an old joke? Active listening skills exercises will help you to become a great listening – but only if you practise!

WHAT MAKES A CONVERSATION GREAT?

How do you feel when someone spoils your punchline or looks bored or disinterested when you’re talking? Hold on to that emotion!

Now think about when you last spoke with someone who was extremely interested in what you had to say. How great was that conversation? Do you see where I’m going with this?

I can assure you that because of that person’s intense listening skills, you were at your best, even though I wasn’t there! It’s almost as if that person’s listening skills created you into an interesting person. But you haven’t changed! You’re the same person you were before you spoke with that person.

This is my point – having great listening skills creates better interactions with people engaging with you. Are you a rubbish listener? Don’t despair! There is such a thing as active listening skills exercises! You can improve your listening ability.

WHAT’S THE SECRET TO BECOMING A GREAT LISTENER?

How do you do that? Like I mentioned earlier – by emptying your mind and putting your full attention on the person you are interacting with. Not only with your ears, but with your whole being, hanging on to their every word, and listening not in order to retort, but in order to fully comprehend what they are describing.

Even the most boring conversation has the potential of being more interesting if you fully concentrate on it. If you change your mindset and mentally ‘switch on’ your active listening powers, you will improve your interaction and will have a better engagement with that person.

ACTIVE LISTENING SKILLS EXERCISES

- Be aware that you are not listening – stop – and concentrate on the person who is doing the talking.
- Listen as if you would earn a huge amount of money if you could repeat the essence of the conversation, if required.
- Show the person that you are listening – this could be by asking clarifying questions, repeating back key points, nodding your head, saying ‘ah-ha’ type noises, but in a natural way. This will come naturally to you if you are truly listening.

HOW DOES THIS RELATE TO SALES?

Well, imagine you are about to make a sales call and you want to discover the client’s pain points, so you can better understand how your product will benefit your client. What if you brought your new-found listening skills to the table? How would that level of listening and engagement help you, and your would-be client? How would your chances of making the sale improve?

Try your new listening skills at every opportunity, and especially when challenged. The more you engage, the more it will become second-nature.

Need help with your sales team? Need to improve your sales skills? Want to improve your leadership skills? View our mentoring and business workshops pages!

Contact us to see how we can help you, the executive management and your teams to improve their relationships and hence, company results.

Active listening skills exercises are a practical part of several of our business workshops. Contact us to see how our business workshops can improve your company results.

Lesley Anne Rubenstein-Pessok, MD of LAR Consultancy Ltd, has spent her whole career in executive roles, working with and training start-ups and SME businesses, helping them to become more efficient, increase turnover, improve profitability, cost effectiveness and create strategies that pay off. She is an approved mentor for the London and Partners Business Growth Programme, as well as for other public funded programmes. Her client testimonials say it all.

Redundancy looming? Need to make a career move?

Nov 30, 2018

In these trying times, with the uncertainty of Brexit and the demise of high street retailers, many jobs are being threatened. More people out of work means less buying power in the market place and increased knock-on effects for the whole economy.

So, what should you do if you think your job may become redundant? How can you turn a potentially highly upsetting period in your life into making redundancy positive? Here are some suggestions, some of which are also relevant to those contemplating a career move as a preemptive strike or for other reasons:

Seek legal advice

Seek legal advice and make sure the proceedings are fair. You may be able to get free advice via your home insurance policy. This will ensure the proceedings are fair and will pay off most of the time.

Have someone accompany you to redundancy meetings

If you are allowed to have someone whose advice you trust, accompany you to relevant meetings, make sure you take advantage of the offer. This will be an emotive time for you and you may not be at your best.

Update your CV

Update your CV if you have not done this in a while, go online and look at the most recent formats (like fashion, CV styles change). Make sure every detail on your CV is accurate, without typos, and that your contact details are clearly shown. Do not add hobbies just because they look good on paper. You may have heard the same horror stories as me, such as the instance of the interviewer having an acoustic guitar in his office and asking the candidate (who had much embellished his strumming skills) to play him something. Similarly, do not exaggerate language abilities. Once it is in currently acceptable format, tailor your CV according to the particular job for which you are applying. Always read the specifications and requirements carefully and emphasize your relevant experience accordingly.

Check your financial outgoings

Look at your financial outgoings. What can you reduce or cancel? What are the ‘must haves’ versus the ‘nice to haves’? There are luxuries that you can probably do without, or ‘must haves’ that you can potentially re-negotiate. Mortgage lenders may be sympathetic and offer a holiday period of up to six months.

Pause for thought

Pause for thought. Is now the time to finally do what you have always wanted to but were too afraid to try? Trying to find a job can be extremely time-consuming and frustrating, and increasingly competitive, often with hundreds applying for the same role. It is also distracting. So what if you took the time to make your dreams turn into a reality?

Start-up a business

If you are thinking of setting up your own business, do an internet search to see what help could be available from the council or ask at your local Job Centre for more information. If you are not sure what business you would like to set up, think about your hobbies and interests that could potentially be turned into a business? Imagine doing something you love and making money doing it? Is there something that you would love to learn that would then give you the skill-set to set up a business in that arena, such as plumbing, interior design, beautician, electrician, etc.? Are you under 30 years of age? Have you checked out the Princes Trust?

Network

You cannot do too much of this in this particular period. Talk to your peers, family, friends, Rabbi/Pastor. Who do they know that could help? Maybe you just need someone to talk to. Networking can lead to your next job – or a list of clients! There are a plethora of networking groups including BNI, linkedin groups, etc. You might want to visit your local Chamber of Commerce, for example, the London Chamber of Commerce…. Read our article on 10 Quick Ways to Raise Your Profile.

Remember, every challenge we meet often makes us stronger and wiser.

Business & IP (Intellectual Property) Centre

If you have an idea that is technology or innovation-led that could be commercialized and turned into a start-up company, the British Library have a Business & IP (Intellectual Property) Centre with lots of help, events and advice for innovative and technology-led businesses.

Be kind to yourself and others

Above all, although tempting, do not take your stress, anger, frustration and bitterness that you may very well be experiencing, out on your nearest and dearest. It is not their fault, or yours for that matter and is counter-productive. Recognize that your self-esteem has probably taken a knock. Give yourself time to lick your wounds, regroup, and get back out there. Seek counselling if you think it will help you. Be positive. Think of everything you have done well in life and focus on those things.

Need help with your start-up? Need help to figure out your next move? Why not contact us to see how we can help you? View our mentoring and business workshops pages too!

Lesley Anne Rubenstein-Pessok, MD of LAR Consultancy Ltd, has spent her whole career in executive roles, working with and training start-ups and SME businesses, helping them to become more efficient, increase turnover, improve profitability, cost effectiveness and create strategies that pay off. Her client testimonials say it all.

Archive

Category Archive for "Business Growth"

Are you an SME manufacturer?

If so, did you know that you may be eligible for a grant from The Manufacturing Growth Programme? These grants are available to SME manufacturers to assist with the cost of bringing in external expertise to support the business.

Objectives

Business Support

European Regional Development Funding (ERDF)

The Process

For more information

Description of the Managing Director Opportunity

Duties of the Managing Director

Background of the Managing Director

If you are in a certain industry, or looking to get into a new industrial sector, it is advisable to learn all you can about it first! This article will provide several tips and questions to help you to research a new industrial sector.

Questions you need to think about

About the author

EIRA grant funding to connect businesses with cutting edge research power

WHAT MAKES A CONVERSATION GREAT?

This is my point – having great listening skills creates better interactions with people engaging with you. Are you a rubbish listener? Don’t despair! There is such a thing as active listening skills exercises! You can improve your listening ability.

WHAT’S THE SECRET TO BECOMING A GREAT LISTENER?

ACTIVE LISTENING SKILLS EXERCISES

HOW DOES THIS RELATE TO SALES?

Seek legal advice

Have someone accompany you to redundancy meetings

Update your CV

Check your financial outgoings

Pause for thought

Start-up a business

Network

Business & IP (Intellectual Property) Centre

Be kind to yourself and others

If so, did you know that you may be eligible for a grant from The Manufacturing Growth Programme? These grants are available to SME manufacturers to assist with the cost of bringing in external expertise to support the business. 