Northumbria
University brought together key influencers within North East business, to celebrate
the one-year anniversary of its ‘Why Small Business Matters’ podcast, by filming
a real time episode at the Baltic.
Sitting on the panel
and in front of a live audience were participants
from Northumbria’s Help to Grow Management programme, Nick Downing, Phil
Robinson-Artley and Kelly Maxwell, who posed questions to leading figures from
SME growth partners, Elaine Stroud, CEO, Entrepreneurs Forum and Reshma Begum,
Federation of Small Business (FSB) development manager for the North East of
England.
The
podcast, which is available now and can be watched online or via a podcast app
on a smartphone, was chaired by Caroline Theobald CBE, chair of the advisory
board to Newcastle Business School, ϲ and director, North
East Initiative on Business Ethics (NIBE).
The panel discussed a
wide range of topics, including the cost of doing business in a post-Covid era,
why networks and peer support are the cornerstone of sustainable business growth
and how the Help to Grow Management programme has helped bolster their
respective businesses. Kelly Maxwell, Founder of Kelly’s Heroes Private
Tuition, which offers one-to-one and small group tuition covering Maths and
English, also revealed that it
played a key part in her being nominated for FSB’s Small Business of the Year
and recently winning its Young Entrepreneur of the Year Awards (North East).
The
‘Why Small Business Matters podcast’, which provides a platform for successful small
business leaders to tell their stories, offer advice and discuss what it means
to be a thriving SME in today’s business landscape, was established by
Newcastle Business School’s Help to Grow Management delivery team, in 2021. A government-funded,
12-week management course, it provides critical skills and networks to help
small business leaders innovate and thrive in a post-Covid era.
Delivered by leading small business and enterprise experts at ϲ,
with the support of leading figures from industry and experienced
entrepreneurs, the programme supports owners and senior managers of small and
medium sized businesses to boost their business performance, resilience and
long-term growth. The programme, designed to be completed alongside full-time
work, is 90% funded and requires a one-time payment of £750.
Caroline
Theobald, said: “SMEs are the backbone of the UK’s economy making up 99% of the
business population, contributing a combined turnover of £1.6 trillion to the
economy and accounting for three fifths of private sector employment.
“When we talk about levelling up, small business
plays a significant part in achieving this. Given the North East has the lowest
number of private businesses in the UK, we must support and protect the ones we
do have and create an environment in which both established and start-ups can
flourish.
“The anniversary episode of the ‘Why Small Business
Matters’ highlights the importance of support, networks and mentorship and this
is exactly what the Help to Grow Management programme offers.”
Kelly Maxwell, said: “For Kelly’s Heroes Private Tuition, the
programme has been revolutionary and correlates directly with the growth of the
business.
“When we went in to the pandemic, it was just myself but now
I have a team of 12 and this is without a doubt thanks to the programme. Having
access to a knowledge-packed course designed by people who have been there and
done it and the mentorship of an experienced entrepreneur combined with support
of fellow business people, meant I truly could stop and put my business
development hat on and the results speak for themselves.
“I encourage everyone to listen to the podcast and they will
see for themselves that the question to ask isn’t ‘why should I do the course?’
but ‘why wouldn’t I do it?’"
The podcast
can be viewed at:
Picture
Caption (L to R): Kelly Maxwell, Founder of Kelly’s Heroes Private Tuition, Caroline Theobald CBE, chair of the advisory board to Newcastle
Business School, ϲ, Phil Robinson-Artley, Operations
Manager at Armstrong Direct, Nick Downing, Transformation Director at NPH
Healthcare Group, Elaine Stroud, CEO, Entrepreneurs Forum and Reshma Begum,
Federation of Small Business (FSB) Development Manager for the North East of England
