The Sheffield City Region has achieved a second record-breaking year with its key business advice service, the Growth Hub.
In the end of April, year 2017 to 2018, the service and its growth team worked with 5,086 businesses, and saw over 1200 jobs created as a result of their support.
Businesses across the City Region are able to tap into a wide range of support programmes worth £50million under the Growth Hub umbrella. This means that the range of expert help that companies are receiving varies tremendously: Original Recipes of Chesterfield had help with designing moulds for a new and popular wholesale range of terrines, while Webster Technologies had advice on improving its international marketing.
Alexa Greaves, Chair of the Growth Hub Board, said: “The Growth Hub provides a comprehensive service of business support, and takes a straightforward approach – putting in the right support at the right time.
“I’m delighted to see these figures – it’s a tribute to the energy of businesses across the City Region and to the expert advice and signposting of the advisors.
“Our highly experienced team of specialists have worked at director or managing director level in growing businesses across all sectors – sales and marketing, coaching, finance new product development etc.
“They will review a business in depth to really get to grips with what that enterprise needs to flourish, and what is the most appropriate help and advice.
“We have a huge pool of knowledge and access to many funding streams. And because we work in partnership with many other organisations across the region and nationally, and even internationally, businesses who talk to us have an even broader range of openings.”
Sheffield City Region’s economy has an output of more than £34billion pounds per year and is home to approximately 68,000 businesses. The Growth Hub aims to build on this base and create a stronger and bigger private sector that can compete in national and global markets.
One phone call to 03330 00 00 39 gets any caller on the road to exactly the right help, whether that’s with skills, finance, in-depth advisor support, or help with a start-up business or enterprise. The Growth Hub offers the same level of support to any business in the region whatever the sector or postcode.
The Growth Hub provides help for specific needs through:
- The Enhancement Project which provides free, impartial business support and Masterclasses to help a business achieve its goals.
- The Launchpad programme gives new and start-up businesses the support they need through networking events, workshops, coaching and one-to-one mentoring. Any businesses with a bright idea and the potential for growth can progress to applying for three months of intensive support.
- RISE, run in partnership with the universities, aims to increase graduate employment in small and medium sized enterprises.
