Business Planning

Is your business plan a game-changer, or will you slip down the big snake?

Running a business can have many challenges. But a well-prepared forward-thinking business plan will help keep you on track to achieve your dreams. Don’t we all love it when a plan comes together?

Anyone running a business knows how unpredictable it can be. This is true whether you’re running a small or large business but with a bit of forward planning, no obstacle is insurmountable.

So you’ve come to the right place if you want to make your plan a winner.

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A goal without a plan is just a wish.  And with a great range of FREE  support, grants and subsidies available, we can help you develop a business plan to ensure your wish comes true.

All in the planning

After a decade of meticulous planning, NASA pulled off one of mankind’s greatest achievements. One of the masterminds behind this incredible feat was NASA’s Director of Flight Operations, Chris Kraft. He focused on all the steps and processes necessary to ensure the mission succeeded. By every measure, his plan worked.

Devising a plan to help your business develop and grow is important for all commercial ventures.

It’s one of the first things a bank or other investor looks for if you’re seeking financial support.

They want to know that you’ve considered how you’re going to market and grow the business, what processes are in place to help you manage the business and what resources are available to drive the business forward.

A good, well thought-out business plan doesn’t need to be complex or over-worked. You can start by asking yourself a few key questions, such as:

Whatever the situation, the Apollo astronauts knew one thing was certain: the guy with the plan controlled the mission. Chris Kraft, Director, Flight Operations, NASA.

  • Where are we now?
  • Where do we want to be?
  • How do we get there?
  • What must we do?

 

Very quickly you can begin to build a picture of what you need to do to achieve your business goals and the steps required to get there.

Of course, it can be useful to get an outside perspective, which is where the Growth Hub can help you.

We can advise on all aspects of planning and provide the support you need to develop and grow your business.

Get the support you need

There are lots of ways the Growth Hub can help you meet the challenges of running a successful business, often for free.

  • A Growth Hub adviser can help you review your goals and objectives and put together a personalised action plan and support package, drawing on Growth Hub and wider offers.
  • Our consultancy scheme offers a 40% grant of up to £4,000 towards working with, for example, a management consultant of your choice, or a specialist in areas such as market research, social media or branding and design.
  • You can work with 1-2-1 with one or more of our highly experienced Growth Hub advisers. They include business planning specialists with expert knowledge of business strategy and marketing.
  • Signing up for Cumbria Forum with Lancaster University will enable you to hone your leadership and management skills and build a support network with other businesses in the cohort.

Our advisers can help your business develop and grow. Are you benefiting from their expertise?

Get inspired

A great way to find inspiration and ideas is to check out what other businesses are doing.

Thanks to the Growth Hub, our move to Ulverston went exactly to plan. Customers saw minimal disruption and our manufacturing operations were soon back to maximum capacity. Jayne Moorby, Oxley Developments.

When Oxley Developments decided to consolidate all operations at its HQ near Ulverston, detailed planning was critical to the success of the project.

The company makes LED lighting systems and high-specification electronic equipment for the defence and aerospace markets.

Oxley turned to the Chamber’s business support arm, Cumbria Business Growth Hub, to facilitate the move.

The Growth Hub helped the business to apply for an £84,000 Cumbria Growth Fund grant towards the £1m project, which safeguarded 42.5 full-time-equivalent posts.

Read the Oxley Developments case study here

Following the advice we received from the Growth Hub, the plan to expand our services in Cumbria has resulted in a much wider customer base and solid growth. Michael Farrer, Cumberland Windows.

Contacting Cumbria Business Growth Hub led to a change of direction for Cumberland Windows.

The family business, based at Egremont, was founded by Dominic Farrer in 1989 and supplies windows, doors and conservatories.

Back in 2015, Dominic and his son Michael drew up a strategy to grow the business.

Their plan was to target housing developers and builders. Up until then, most customers had been private householders within Copeland.

The Cumbria Business Growth Hub was able to provide them with the support they needed.

Read the Cumberland Windows case study here

Make the most of the support we can offer

The Growth Hub plays a key role in bringing Cumbria’s businesses together and offers great range of workshops and networking opportunities to help you develop your business, learn new skills, and share ideas.

More widely we can link you into training opportunities for you and your staff in key areas such as digital marketing and e-commerce.

And our web portal offers access to a wealth of resources including podcasts, videos, training and events, and much more.

Find out more about our latest events.

Get in Touch

Make the most of the support we can offer to get your business working harder for you. Email info@cumbriagrowthhub.co.uk or call us FREE on 0845 226 0040.

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