Greater Birmingham & Solihull Local
Enterprise Partnership
Growth Hub
July 2015
Greater Birmingham & Solihull Local
Enterprise Partnership
Growth Hub
July 2015
Michael Carr
Programme Delivery Director
Context
In December 2013, the Government launched its Small Business Strategy.; Small Business:
GREAT Ambition. This sets out the Governments commitment to promoting growth, creating
jobs, boosting skills and making the UK more competitive.
An important aspect of this Great Ambition report included a commitment to roll out Growth Hubs,
to provide a single place for businesses to go to for local advice and support.
GBSLEP Growth Hub
Objectives
The aim of the Growth Hub is to provide a holistic approach
to business support. Through a single point of contact a
business will connect to the information, advice or support it
requires.
The Growth Hub will comprise of an interactive and informative
web portal, an email and telephone number, and specialist
business support advisors.
GBSLEP Growth Hub
The Growth Hub provides:

A user friendly, streamlined and coordinated knowledge bank of businesses information.

Diagnostic tools to enable businesses to identify barriers that are holding back growth and
what needs to be done to address them.

Business Support “Triage” - needs analysis will help specify the potential sources of support
Outputs and Outcomes
The Growth Hub will deliver the following:

10,000 businesses per annum visiting the website and accessing
information and tools

7,200 Enquiries though the Growth Hub

3,000 Gross jobs created

500 Intensive assists

500 Direct jobs created (not counted on other programmes)
Next Steps
Test the website
Give us feedback
Officially launching the Growth Hub in September 2015
The Provision of a GBS LEP Growth Hub
Business Support Function – July 2015
Who is delivering the contract for the Business
Support Function?
Lead Partner
 Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce, 2,400 members with staffed offices
in Birmingham, Burton, Cannock, Solihull, Sutton, Lichfield and Tamworth.
 A business support and membership body with a vast experience of contract
delivery including Stoke & Staffordshire LEP Growth Hub, UKITI contract, DWP,
Enterprise Europe Network and a preferred contract delivery body for Birmingham
City Council
Bid Partner
 Aston Business School and Birmingham City University who have significant
expertise in understanding SME growth and Knowledge Navigation.
We had wide bid support from:
Cannock Chase Council
Birmingham City Council
Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council
Tamworth Council
West Midlands Manufacturing Consortium
Staffordshire County Council
Staffordshire Chamber Enterprises Limited (deliver SSLEP GH)
North Worcester Economic Development and Regeneration
The FE Consortium
The Business Support Function: what are
we delivering?
 A professionally staffed and high performing GBS LEP Enquiry helpline
supported by the CRM system and Knowledge Bank
 Delivery of a diagnostic driven ‘face to face’ business growth enabling service
which focuses on LEP priority growth sectors and has an overriding objective to
deliver a world class ‘business acceleration’ service
 Leadership in creating a unified business support ecosystem leading to a cocreated, co-ordinated and truly collaborative process of growth provision
In more simple language!
 We will create a single point of contact where business can find solutions to all
their business needs
 By working with a host of other agencies in the GBSLEP area and beyond, we
will be able to seamlessly signpost businesses to growth and jobs support
 We aim is to provide clarity and avoid the confusion that time strapped
businesses often face when looking for support
 For businesses that are really going places we will provide further intensive
assistance that will help them grow
What is our target?
 We aim to engage with 7,200 businesses in 18 months
 We aim to provide ‘intensive assists’ to a minimum of 500 growth businesses
 We aim to create 2,500 jobs as a result of signposting to other agencies
 We aim to create 500 jobs as a direct result of our work
 We aim to never fall below 99% customer service satisfaction
GBS LEP ‘Intensive assists’
– key elements
 For a more intensive engagement, a ‘face to face’ process maybe necessary
which could lead to a range of actions that include signposting to specific
resources within or outside the GBS LEP BSF.
As an example - referrals to a more sophisticated diagnostic that
prompts uptake of the start up, innovation, growth and entrepreneurial
programmes of Aston Business School, Birmingham City University and
other partners
 ‘Boots on the ground’ engagement using Chamber, University, local
authority, library or other agency staff will be a vital component in any
intensive assist activity.
 We are also planning a number of specific ‘1 to many’ events which will
encourage client engagement with the Growth Hub.
Customer response will be everything!
GBS LEP ‘unified business support’
– key elements
This will include:
 Linking marketing, communication and publicity material for both private and
public sector business support programmes.
 Creating seamless coordination through the cross-referral of enquires through the
CRM solution – effectively brokering referrals and interventions to create an
integrated ‘multi agency’ business support programme, tracked by a CRM.
 Working closely with University partners to develop a strategy that will ensure the
value and impact of a unified business support offer.
 Linking with BCU’s Digital Exchange Portal which will provide the Knowledge
Navigation for specialist provision from the higher and further education knowledge
base. Also linking with the FE Consortium.
Customer journey : example
Enquiry received into our staffed helpline from a healthcare company in Solihull
who are looking to grow and create jobs.
As per ‘GBS LEP Strategy for Growth’, healthcare is listed as having high volume
and high job creation potential . This is therefore a possible LEP priority client.
 Data capture on CRM will includes
Enter basic operation and contact details
Ask reason for contact
Ask how did you hear about us
Structured diagnostic questions to ascertain their business needs
A non high growth enquiry make be directed to the Knowledge Bank to
self serve.
 If deemed to be high growth, then an Intensive Assist maybe
implemented
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Customer journey : example
 A high growth Intensive Assist would involve a face to face or telephone
diagnostic discussion with a Growth Advisor or Partner representative to
ascertain needs in detail
 The company may be referred to a specific programme or a series of solutions
which could involve training, skills development, grant funding, finance or other
programmes.
 The Growth Advisor follows up the referral request within 4 working days to
ensure committal to initial action has been given and within 14 days, to ensure
that the initial action has been completed.
 Within 30 days, a random sample of referral and non referral clients is
performed
 If client has substantive growth prospects, a bespoke contact strategy to track
progress and identify further intervention possibilities maybe enacted.
Summary of benefits
 Collaborative venture –of partners and agencies
 Single point of contact
 Common view of the customer (via CRM)
 Common view of growth agencies (via the Knowledge Hub)
 Dedicated customer facing staff to reactively and proactively assist
companies
 An engine for creating growth in the region
 Key focus on growth orientated companies
 Focus on long term sustainability of this important service
 Questions?
Presentation by Jennifer Long
15th July 2015
On behalf of the Greater Birmingham and Solihull LEP
The Brief
•
To provide a “one stop shop” for business guidance, support and information to the GBSLEP business
community.
•
Provide easy access to “generic signposted content” that is available from various government run
websites such as .Gov.uk, HMRC, Business is great, UKTI and many others.
•
Provide easy access to “dynamic content” that is tailored to you as an individual user as you browse the
site.
•
Good clear dynamic design that works across all browsers, platforms and devices
•
Incorporate digital marketing techniques to drive engagement, increase web visibility and hit the 10,000
visitors per annum target as per the LEP objectives.
•
A site that supports the LEP, the partners of the LEP and the business support team with data, analytics,
and content to support their targets.
•
Most importantly a site that supports YOU as a business in our region
Homepage
Generic Content
•
No matter how big your business is and stage of development you are at, there are many sites that offer
information.
•
These include various government run websites such as .Gov.uk, HMRC, Business is great, UKTI and many
others.
•
Split down into 7 main sections
1. Starting your business
2. Growing your business
3. Running your business
4. Financing your business
5. International Trade
6. Employing and Developing People
7. Inward Investment
Hire & Train Staff
Employing & Developing People
Contracts
Dynamic Content and Registration
•
But what about content that is relevant to you in your area?
•
How do you know about the programmes that are being run in your area by the business
support partners?
•
Complete your registration details and tell us who and where you are so that you don't miss
out as the site develops.
Registration
Need Help?
In Summary….
•
You can access from one central place basic business support advice
•
You can tailor your requirements of dynamic content to your local area if you register.
•
Access to a wide range of helpful videos, templates & documents
•
View business support programmes available
•
See what events are on within & out of your area
•
Keep up to date with latest regional news
•
Get in touch with our Local & National Contact Advisors
•
Full demonstration of the site this morning.
The URL...
www.gbslepgrowthhub.co.uk
Thank you for Listening
Jennifer Long
T: 01384 563050
E: jenny@iceblue.co.uk
W: www.iceblue.co.uk
Growth Hub
Q&A