Helping Small Businesses Achieve New Heights

At Services to Business we have been helping small businesses grow and develop for over eight years. In our experience, small businesses, particularly owner managers can feel isolated and exposed when it comes to making big business decisions. Research has shown even the most experienced managing directors of small and medium-sized companies can find themselves alone when wrestling with key issues.

Issues such as recruiting the right people, planning, critical decision making, even managing the daily workload, are common challenges that small businesses have to deal with on their own. The Accelerate! Programme that we have established here at Services to Business is to help small businesses to share their issues with other small business owners and organisations, who are experiencing similar challenges.

Accelerate! accesses the power of being part of a small group of business people to share challenges and issues with each other so you can get fresh ideas and other perspectives that you can take back and implement in your own business. Each group is facilitated by an experienced coach and workshop leader so that you get the best results from your time together.

• It’s like the Board you sometimes wish you had!

• A group of six small business owners who meet once a month to help each other solve problems by sharing experience and insights into issues.

• A powerful tool to help improve company performance and profitability and at the same time make a positive impact on your own personal development.

Q How much time will it take?
A The time commitment is only one evening a month for four months (includes a buffet meal).

Q Who else will be there?
A Six other small business owners/managers from non-competitive sectors.

Q How much does it cost?
A Your only investment is your time and commitment to the four sessions. Because the programme is supported by the Northern Leadership Academy and Yorkshire Forward, there is no fee involved.

Q What will I get out of it?
A Solutions to problems, the wisdom of other business people, improved performance of the business, your own personal support network – the Board you perhaps couldn’t afford! - access to a group of people to support your own personal development.

Q How long does it last?
A Four months – with the option to extend for another two sessions if you want.

Q How does it work?
A By bringing together groups of owner managers, they can use questions to help find solutions to problems and also support each other in implementing them.

Q What happens in an Accelerate! group?
A Members of the group will meet and each will identify an issue or problem in their business they’d like to discuss. The group will then ask questions of each issue-holder in turn and a facilitated discussion will follow to help the issue-holder find the best solution for them. The group will also help with the action plan for each person.

Q When does the group meet?
A The group meets once a month at the Thornes Park Centre in Wakefield.

Accelerate! is supported by Yorkshire Forward and the Northern Leadership Academy

Contact David Taylor or Liz Ward at Services to Business
Tel: 01924 789715
Email:l.ward@wakefield.ac.uk
www.servtobusiness.co.uk

Contact David Taylor or Liz Ward at Services to Business
Tel: 01924 789715
Email:l.ward@wakefield.ac.uk
www.servtobusiness.co.uk

"The business support I received through the Accelerate! programme was beyond anything I expected. I was inspired by the commitment and practical help I received from the others in my group. Such a positive input really supported me to create positive results for my own business. I didn't feel alone anymore - sharing my business challenges and having the experience of others to help me made a big difference. It really is the best business support I have ever had."