Case Study - June 2011 Development Transport Planning Consultancy (DTPC)

Background
Alan started DTPC in 2009 with the vision of offering clients an independent traffic, transport and highway consultancy with Director level inputs to all stages by adopting a ‘hands-on’ approach to the work. From his office in Rossendale, Alan supported this offer with his sound technical knowledge, enthusiasm and commitment.

Alan’s previous experience at Board Director level enabled business planning and financial matters to be discussed with peers to ensure informed decisions were made. As a sole trader he felt there was a lack of a peer group to consider risks and strategy and this made him feel that the business was not as solid as it could be. Having a sounding board to test and discuss the business plan was critical to early success and ensuring the business was robust. Also, obtaining work opportunities required a marketing strategy to focus time appropriately between project delivery and project winning.

The Action
Alan felt that providing an experienced mentor was key to allow debate around the set up and consideration of business and personal deliverables and Mike Reece was allocated as he had the appropriate level of expertise. Additionally through the mentoring process, he was also able to create a mentoring cohort to provide mutual support/discussion outside to the one to one process. Alan felt that this informal self help group was a positive step as it enabled all members to ask questions and provide support to each other as part of the mentoring programme.

To date/ early results
DTPC doubled its turnover in its second year from £47k to £106K, and is projected to achieve £140k in its third year. Alan’s contact data base is now more focussed on small to medium size businesses outside the Manchester City demographic i.e. live and work in same area and become part of the local business sector. Supportive skill sets that are needed to deliver a complete service have been sourced and strong working relationships established to ensure that the support is timely and cost effective.
The feeling of isolation has been reduced by the mentoring process, joining local and regional business networks, face to face meetings with contacts and use of the Linked In.

Phil Says
“Community & Business Partners mentoring programme has been a critical element in establishing the business and ensuring its long-term viability, having an independent and supportive mentor has provided confidence in the business as it goes forward, and on a personal basis a new friendly face who will be part of the business support network.”

Case Study - June 2011 Subway

Background
Phil bought his first Subway franchise and opened in Blackpool’s Clifton Street in 2004; he saw the brand flourish in Australia and America whilst on a backpacking world tour. The store was refurbished in 2005. Following the continued success of the Clifton Street store, Phil expanded his business by opening Whitegate Drive Subway, in February 2008. Whitegate Drive store serves as the head office and the main training centre for both stores and has a large office. Unfortunately a fire at the next door Yates's totally destroyed the Clifton Street store in 2009.

Phil sort funding as the insurance would not cover the refurbishment of the new premises he had to acquire, due to the fire damage. The funding bodies kept asking more and more complicated questions and using more jargon, needing information that Phil didn’t have easy access to, as only his accountant held financial management information. Phil got lost in the process and be became very confused and frustrated with it. This time delay caused over staffing at Whitegate for 9 months, until the new shop opened. This time he relocated round the corner to Market Street 100 yards from the Tower.

The Action
After trying lots of different avenues, he was referred to Community and Business Partners. Firstly, we listened and assured him that he was not on his own. We then allocated a Guardian Angel (Carl Bradshaw). Carl made things clearer and simpler as he supported Phil to strip away all the jargon that had caused frustration and confusion. He spent time with Phil, helping him understand the processes of accounting and applying for funding, and confirmed that he was on the right track in the first place. Phil just needed a clearer understanding of business management accountants and how to use the information to support the funding applications.

The new shop opened in November 2009, in a much better location in the town centre. In the beginning however cash flow was a major problem awaiting money from the insurance payout so again Carl enabled Phil to manage this.

To date/ early results

With Carl’s support Phil has improved his business management and developed his business knowledge (particularly financial). The business turnover has increased by approximately 20% and he has created a further 10 jobs. Because of his success Phil was invited by the Town Centre Business Improvement District (BID) to join the board of directors and help lead Blackpool town to greater things.

Phil has also purchased a delivery van and a mobile store. He is currently completing a funding bid to the Council to site the mobile store on the Blackpool Promenade. If successful, he intends to put on free entertainment and games for the locals and visitors. The next stage of the bid sees Subway kitting out a Blackpool tram that is to be sited on the new tower headland.

The company, because of its prosperity, has diversified and invested in property, purchasing 1 commercial town centre promenade property and is looking to secure a second property shortly, which Phil hopes will suit his third store.

Through the mentoring process, Phil has been inspired to help other businesses in Blackpool, from start-ups, to companies struggling in these difficult times.

Phil Says
“This process has made me a lot more positive and given me a great deal of confidence. It has taught me that you shouldn’t be scared of the jargon, as with help and guidance like I have had with Carl, you can find your way through and not only keep your head way above the water but hovering above! It helps you look towards the future rather than dwelling in the past, and gives reassurance to be able to meet your future head on. By the end of 2011 I will have signed a lease on my 3rd store.”

Case Study - December 2010 1st Choice Alarms

Background
Mark’s experience and knowledge has come from 23 years in the service, installation and repair with a further 5 years in sales within the security industry e.g. alarms, CCTV, door entry, fire systems, etc.  Mark was slightly skeptical about the Group Mentoring and questioned how it would assist his personal development and in turn his business as he had a fairly good management background.  Mark felt that he often met himself coming backwards and wanted assistance with time management.

The Action
The first and second sessions started to make Mark think that some of the things he was doing were correct and he discovered that there were also other skills he had following discussions with his peers. It was during Mark’s third Group Mentoring session however and with the assistance from the group he experienced a “light bulb” moment.  The session was on Time Management and he went on to sign a Procrastination Pledge as in his own words he’s very busy and yet misses the detail or puts off boring bits that can come back to bite him later on.  This ‘pledge’ meant he stopped putting off the jobs that needed attention and focussed where time was needed and by session 4 he has fulfilled what he said he would achieve. This has greatly assisted Mark and enabled him to maximise the Business Planning session where working again with his peers enabled him to consider business growth ideas.

To date/ early results
Mark has laid down some procedures for his engineers and begun to develop them to take on more than just this role, using incentives to increase new business. He has dealt with a difficult HR issue with a positive outcome and the new office manager is organising his thoughts into systems and processes. To be more efficient he has also invested in new technology. The financial management is now much more streamlined and effective and his focus on building the business through acquiring new contracts is paying off and resulting in increased turnover (+5%).  This has resulted in a new engineer who will join the team in January. He is looking at the CHAZ quality standard and this will provide potential opportunities for new business in the future.

Mark Says
I now know I am doing things correctly, however the perspective of your peers is very powerful as they see positive things in you, that you don’t. I have also been able to share my best practice and leads and this has helped others in the group. I am now considering developing my office manager through mentoring as I feel she will benefit and this will assist me even further.

Case Study - December 2010 GS Social Care

The Action
Dorothy’s background for many years was within the civil service and latterly she worked with the skills development of disadvantaged young people and barriers to learning within LCC schools.  Dorothy setup her business in 2006 mainly working with children, families and vulnerable adults.
Dorothy hoped that Group Mentoring would enable her to manage her time more effectively to enable her to have a better work/life balance; she felt that she was working 7 days a week as she was on call out of working hours.  Her personal/career goal was to retire in 5 years, having grown the business nearer to £1m was to leave either a legacy or to continue it as a family concern (two daughters work in the business currently). Dorothy felt that her business acumen was lacking and was suffering stress due to the long hours worked.

To date/ early results
Dorothy has thoroughly enjoyed the camaraderie of the peer learning and feels much more confident in herself. She has restructured the company and given additional roles and responsibilities to key staff to reduce her operational involvement. This has enabled her to take a more strategic view and plan for the business growth. She says the session with a role model was inspiring - she learned how someone else rebuilt the company after a downturn and made it far more successful. She now uses the services of 3 other group members; to source better quality and cheaper uniforms, updated her fire contract and had discussions with a care home owner who speaks the same ‘sector language’. She has taken on a new member of staff to take on credit control and support the financial functions, again releasing her time and the business is growing financially.

Dorothy Says
I have enjoyed the support of my peers and also sharing my best practice with them – it reinforces the things you are doing right and enables you to critically look at your business using the peer views as an objective customer. Talking the same language as people in business and with issues the same you build a support network that will continue after the group mentoring has stopped.
Dorothy has benefitted so much that her Deputy Manager Georgina is starting on the scheme in January 2011.

Case Study - December 2010 Hangerworld

Background
Hangerworld is an online retailer of clothing storage products for the retail and domestic markets.  The company was started in November 2007 with two business partners who had experience previously of mail order and household product businesses.  Community and Business Partners were approached in June 2008 via Blackpool Unlimited, to assist Hangerworld with advice on strategic planning to achieve business growth, general business acumen and business protocols and practices.

The Action
After meeting with CB Partners, discussing their issues/concerns and detailing what help they thought they needed, Hangerworld was introduced to Sandy Morrison.  Based on their knowledge of the business and the industry and with support from Sandy they constructed a robust business plan, to establish the business on a professional footing and dealt with issues such as pricing. They relocated to a larger unit and combined their dry cleaning business with the online retail. Two years on the Directors of Hangerworld are still able to use Sandy as a sounding board for new ideas and when potential business issues arise but no longer need to be hand held.

To date/ early results
The company has doubled in turnover every year since 2008 to the current turnover of £800,000            Hangerworld now have 7 staff and are looking to potentially take on more due to demand. With help from Sandy they have also sourced extra funding to expand the business. They have developed their own website as originally they were selling through ebay. The directors have a clear focus and strategy for the business. The larger building has meant being able to buy in bulk and obtain a better cost price. They have also improved their systems and processes and streamlined the packing and distribution area.

Jim Says
“The Guardian Angel experience has been very helpful for the business, the Guardian Angel has been a great sounding board and very supportive throughout and continues to offer support when asked.  The business is now thriving and has a clear business strategy for the future”.

Case Study - December 2010 The Lindens

Background
Ragu’s background is as a qualified nurse working with those people with learning disabilities and the elderly.  Prior to owning his own business he worked as a Monitoring and Evaluation Officer inspecting residential care homes within the Nottingham area.  He felt however he could deliver a much better standard of care and decided he would buy his own care home a few years ago.

The Action
Ragu purchased a residential care home in 2008 that had many difficulties; it was run down and had a poor rating. Ragu felt he needed assistance to develop a strategy in order to develop the business.  He felt that he was running the business from a carer’s perspective and needed improved staff management and business skills. He also lacked confidence as a business owner when negotiating with staff and suppliers and ‘pitching’ to new care users.

To date/ early results
Ragu is now more confident and has found that the most significant change has been the support given to him with regards to how to manage his staff more effectively.  Ragu has developed his staff management skills to a point where he has been able to take time out of the business to go on his first family holiday since buying the business. He has put in place a personal development plan for all staff and they are now undertaking relevant qualifications such as NVQs and he has changed the culture of the business to be much more caring. He has restructured and given additional roles and responsibilities to key staff to allow him to look strategically at the business in order to maximise revenue. With peer support he has been able to streamline his idea for outreach services and testing the local market. He has also developed internal ideas that are profitable. He has recruited 2 new staff.   Most importantly Ragu has found a gap in the market and has purchased the building next door. He is redesigning it into a 5/6 bed dementure unit over the next year (due to the cost).  The financial position is now stable however the new unit will dramatically increase turnover.  He is an advocate of the programme and has offered to will be part of future marketing for CBP and has his first presentation in December. He will explain how he has benefitted both as an individual and how he has moved the business on.

Ragu Says
I have really benefitted from the scheme and achieved everything I expected to. Our group got on so well and we have built up a supportive peer group for the future.  I have enjoyed the mentoring experience and may decide to go on LEAD next year to continue my development.  

Case Study - Quarter (1) 2010 Loop Publishing

Background
Loop Publishing has been in business for over 5 years; they produce magazines, Northern Life, Northern Life Family, Colne Life, and Craven & Aire Valley Life. They also have a shop, art gallery and can offer venue hire. They recently moved to new premises in Colne, as the company outgrew their premises in Nelson; the new premises are double the size of the original. They needed to go from a free publication to a paid one and were unsure how to achieve this successfully. They wanted to maintain the contact and response from both advertisers and readers, but were uncertain how this could be accomplished. The main issues were the areas of publication and the timescale that was imposed.

The Action
Community and Business Partners successfully found a great Guardian in Ian Aitkin who has a sound media background. During their numerous meetings, where he spent many hours with them, they discussed all aspects of making the magazine a paid for publication, including waste, sales, financial figures and promotions. We also found the advice and expertise of our Guardian was invaluable.

To date/ early results
They have successfully gone from a free publication to a paid one; they have effectively learned and introduced timescales and improved planning and preparation. Ian has also helped them resolve the distribution issues and with conversion to different areas. Due to the increase of new outlets for magazine sales, a new member of staff who looks after all the magazine sales has a lot more sites to visit; this is where the improved planning is key.

They have recruited 1 new member of staff to take charge of distribution, who has successfully gained new outlets to sell the magazine from eg Asda, Sainsburys & many new newsagents. This has increased the revenue within the magazine sales department.

A new database has been introduced for the distribution and delivery of the magazine; although this is a relatively new system so it takes time to input the data. Once all the information is loaded the system will make the process a lot quicker.

They Say
“We found the Guardian Angel encounter invaluable and a great experience and would recommend this program to everyone. We have not only improved sales and become more organised we are confident going forward.”

Case Study - May 2010 ecompli

Background
We were at a stage when we needed to recruit someone in order to assist with supporting the day to day duties of running our office, especially the administrative area of the business. Whilst we were eager to recruit, we were unsure on how best to go forward with it and needed support so that we could learn all of the options that employers have in our area.

Before coming in to contact with the Job Ticker scheme through Community & Business Partners we thought we knew what support was available. However after the meeting we realised that we did not understand just how much support there is for local employers. This was a real confidence boost as we knew that we could take on an apprentice who would be very keen to learn and to build up their skills and experience whilst working full time within a business.

We needed advice on the best recruitment method e.g. Do we go for an apprentice or someone with vast experience. Once we decided it would be the apprentice option, we then needed help to source the best possible candidate who would fill our selection criteria. We also wanted to ensure that they would receive free training so that they could gain even more skills which would benefit them and the business.
The main issue was finding the right candidate to fit the role e.g. whilst we are fully committed to training the individual we also required them to have a certain level of ability when using a computer and other office machines such as Photocopier / fax etc.

The Action
Job Ticker provided us with all of the options that were available to a small business like ours. Following their advice we have now taken on an apprentice who is significantly helping to support us allowing us to drive the business forward.

We were referred to Training 2000 so that they could help us source the candidate, provide free training and help the candidate through their NVQ.

Since taking on the apprentice we have been able to free up our time which was getting spent dealing with administration. We can now use this gained time to focus on providing even higher levels of customer service and increasing our customer base.

The main resolved issue is that we now have further support within our office which has helped to reduce the burden of administration. The Directors of the business also have another element of support and many tasks can now be completed by the apprentice. The other key fact is based on affordability as it would have been quite difficult for us to take another staff member onboard who was not on the apprenticeship scheme.

As employers we have learned that there is a lot of local business support out there if you need it, and we can instantly see results following the quality advice through the Job Ticker scheme.
Our new apprentice is taking a lot of tasks off us and learning how to support the business by completing a lot of varied administrative work.

This will allow us more time to focus on increasing our customer base, to improve our service standards, to market more concisely and to build up our name and reputation within our market.

What The Employer Says
“We have been very impressed with the support that Job Ticker has provided to us. Until we discussed our requirements we had no idea on the level of support that is available to employers within our region. The overall experience has been very positive as we have taken on a keen apprentice who wants to gain valuable experience working within a busy office. The end result will see us having more time to focus on supporting new and existing customers and building up our reputation within our market.”

(Pictured: Suzanne Gibson)

Case Study - May 2010 The Depository

Background
The Depository is a document storage solution business based in Blackburn and running for over 3 years now. The Depository has always benefited from the business support services Community & Business Partners provides. On this occasion The Depository were looking to recruit an additional member of staff due to continued success and healthy growth on previous year.

The Action
Paul Hanson (Sales Manager for The Depository) contacted Community & Business Partners and arranged a meeting with Amin Vepari (who manages the Job Ticker project). Through a thorough yet simplistic explanation covering the employment support provision in the borough, Paul felt it would be beneficial to recruit an apprentice – giving the opportunity to a young person in the area. Amin explained the process and the training providers in the area who could deliver this. Paul was introduced to 3 providers via Job Ticker and decided himself who would be best suited to meet his requirements. An apprentice was sourced and started soon after. The Depository also benefitted from a £2500 grant for taking on a young person – Job Ticker brought this incentive to the attention of the employer and got them in touch with the provider who saw them through the process.

Early Feedback
The Depository have benefited from the employment support services made available through Job Ticker and have successfully received the Apprenticeship Grant. The business is doing extremely well with a 35% increase on the previous year’s turnover and once again looking to recruit more people from the local area who can help them grow from strength to strength.

Case Study - May 2010 Class Of Your Own

Background
Founded in 2009, Class Of Your Own gives school students a practical insight into the construction industry by allowing them to take control of their own sustainable building projects. It is the brainchild of land surveyor Alison Watson and allows children and students to adopt roles of construction industry professionals and get involved with every aspect from design through to marketing of building projects.

The Action
Alison has benefited from the support from her Guardian Angel mentor Greg Marshall, who has a wealth of sales and marketing experience. Almost from day one Alison’s business has attracted a great deal of interest from a variety of stakeholders and partners in a short space of time and Greg has proved to be a useful sounding board as Alison has plotted Class of Your Own’s strategy. She now believes she is now ready to take the business to the next level.

Results
Thanks to Alison’s vision and drive Class of Your Own is thriving. It got off to a flying start with the first project at Accrington Academy and now has a number of others in Lancashire, Greater Manchester and Sheffield. It also has a number of key partners already on board and in 2009 Class of Your Own won the Lancashire Business Environment Award. From a personal perspective Alison believes her own confidence has improved massively – and says that her Guardian mentor Greg is in part responsible for this development.

She Says
"Greg is a great sounding board. He has encouraged me to believe in myself and that I can achieve what, at the time, might seem impossible. I’ve made contact with some extremely high level people to gain support for what we at Class Of Your Own are trying to achieve for young people, and Greg has helped me discover the tools I need to unlock the business’ potential. We now have some great projects in the pipeline and an award on the mantelpiece."

Case Study - May 2010 Choice Mobility

Background
Choice Mobility is a Blackburn based retailer specialising in mobility equipment and approved by the NHS. The business has been running for just over 2 years and through a period of sustainable growth decided it was time to recruit an employee in order to aid with the expansion and ultimately for the successful individual to grow with the business. This was the first time they needed to recruit and through previous support provided from Community & Business Partners Guardian Angels scheme, they found out about Job Ticker - which is another project delivered by Community & Business Partners to support employers with recruitment, training and development and encouraging them to recruit local people who are currently unemployed.

The Action
After speaking with and meeting Amin Vepari, who manages the Job Ticker project, Choice Mobility found a whole new arena of support available to employers who are looking to recruit and all of it at no cost to them what so ever. Amin listened to what the employer required and explained the process involved. Shortly after that a shortlist of candidates was sent to Choice Mobility, sourced through a number of partner agencies in the borough. The candidate who was successful happened to visit the showroom and during an informal conversation the employers decided he was the right person for the job and a few days later offered the position, which the individual happily accepted and a day later commenced employment. The successful applicant was sent to Community & Business Partners through Reed In Partnership, who are an organisation helping people on health related benefits back in to work. Choice Mobility’s new employee resides within the borough and had previously been on Incapacity benefit for 2 years. Through the Job Ticker scheme, Choice Mobility also benefited from a 13 week wage subsidy for recruiting someone who had previously been on Incapacity Benefit, this was through Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council’s Employment Access.

Results
Choice Mobility have benefited from the employment support made available through the Job Ticker and have successfully received the Employment Access wage subsidy. Their new recruit has now settled in to the business and doing well.

Choice Mobility Says
“The whole support package offered through Job Ticker was extremely useful. The process from initial contact through to final selection of our new employee was effortless. As we are a small, growing company, we do not have the luxury of spare time to trawl through endless potential candidates. Amin listened to our specific requirements and an ideal candidate was selected with the minimum of effort. The wage subsidy has also proved invaluable as it has minimised our outgoings whilst training our new member of staff.”

Testimonial March 2011
HI Amin,
Just a short email to thank you once again for all your help and assistance regarding the recruitment of our latest employee.  After the excellent service you provided on the previous occasion, the bar was set quite high.  Once again the service received was exemplary from start to finish, filtering out the less relevant applications. We now have our second employee in place and look forward to your assistance, should we need to further expand our workforce.

Case Study - Feb / March 2010 Search Engine Partnership (Nitro Globe Limited)

Background
They are operating in a highly competitive market (Online marketing) and were new to financial and sales business processes and required help with marketing strategy and pricing alignment. They needed to build a comprehensive business and marketing plan and required guidance from someone who has ‘been there’. They had issues with finding successful marketing approaches – they were doing a lot of prospecting which was taking up a lot of time but did not reap rewards. They have identified their sales closure techniques require development and have requested a mentor with these specific skills also.

The Action
We allocated Dave Roberts a marketing specialist. He suggested that they take up more networking opportunities and develop online forums for people who have questions relating to Internet Marketing issues. He guided them through a business planning process to enable a strategic marketing plan to be developed. He gave them support face to face and telephone support.
Another Guardian Graham Winskill is currently looking at their financial management systems and processes with a view to the potential requirement for capital injection. They are soon to apply for funding.

To Results So Far
They have developed a business plan and are currently implementing it. They have developed a marketing plan and re-structured the company processes to cope with the level of business they will achieve. They have relocated into the Blackburn Enterprise Centre and now employ another person and have developed their business management & marketing skills. They are planning for expansion and will be applying for funding soon.

They Say
“The mentoring service is extremely successful & reliable”

Case Study - Jan / Feb 2010 Little Voices

Background
Jane Maudsley and Holly Hammond founded Little Voices in September 2007 and formed the limited company in 2008. They had centres for Drama and Singing in Blackburn, Bury, Clitheroe and Bolton. They had opened a centre in Fulham, London in September 2008 and were hoping to expand and grow the business further but needed guidance, as neither partner had a business background. Jane desperately needed assistance with the finance and accounting side of the business so that the foundations were strong on which to build the business. There was no set marketing strategy in place and Health and Safety was also an area that had been unknown territory.

The Action
Little Voices were assigned Shelagh Brownlow as their Guardian Angel. Jane needed training on the quickbooks accounting package and indeed the accounts needed a lot of reorganising. This enabled Jane to be much more time efficient and more importantly enabled her and Holly to have information about the business at their fingertips.

Shelagh helped to get all the Shareholders agreements and insurances in place and really investigated the business so that its fundamentals were sound. She helped them to keep costs to a minimum and make decisions relating to admin staff that they were finding difficult to make. She chaired a Directors’ meeting to set out their marketing plan and goals and aspirations for the future. Follow up meetings were arranged to see the progress on the tasks she had set them. Having goals set by the Guardian Angel was of immense benefit.

To Results So Far
Everything has improved. They have a very efficient accounting package now. Jane is well trained and has been able to save thousands in accountancy fees by submitting very well executed accounts. A marketing strategy is in place for the local areas and they are now working towards a framework that they can roll out nationwide. Through Shelagh’s help they have acquired so many core business skills in finance and marketing and their business has a solid foundation on which to build. They now understand ‘break even point’ in each of their teaching centres, they can forecast, create cash flow predictions and profit and loss accounts.

They have increased their sales by 46%. Shelagh helped them to know and focus on their target market. She has introduced them to several new contacts in the independent school sector and they are now in the process of creating lasting partnerships with these schools for extra curricular Singing and Drama lessons. This would not have happened if it wasn’t for their Guardian Angel.

They Say
“Our guardian has been invaluable to us. We would never have achieved the business we have today without her help. Shelagh has given us so many tools to move forward with Little Voices indeed, within a very uncertain economic climate. Her guidance has brought about personal development in us as business partners and our business. She has been a fabulous listener, supporter and believer in us and we cannot thank her enough. We still have so many mountains to climb but we would not even be at the foot of the mountain without our Guardian Angel.”

Case Study - April / May 2009 Unistage

Background
Unistage had received grant funding from No Limits and support from BwD support team to develop its web presence and product development; they referred Unistage to Guardian Angels. Stephen has a sound background in design and manufacturing and knowledge and experience of supplying to the Education and entertainment sectors. He has a clear vision for the brand. The company consisting of 3 divisions; Unistage, Unipace and Uniactive had grown quickly and the HR infrastructure was ineffective. The staff team were motivated to achieve but adhoc recruitment, unclear roles and responsibilities and skills analysis were needed to maximise the growth potential. Stephen, as MD needed to focus more on the strategic development of the company rather than being the main designer and overseeing the operations. Unistage was introduced to Guardian Anne Slater, an HR specialist in February 2009.

The Action
Anne reviewed the organisational structure, roles and responsibilities and all HR basics. A review of the Health and Safety practices was also undertaken. Following a training needs analysis a training and development plan was developed for members of the team who had autonomy to take action but who would benefit from additional knowledge and skills to be more effective in their roles.

To Results So Far
Each staff member was given a contract and a clear role with responsibilities to match. A couple of roles were altered to fit the business need and to support the future development of the company. The general manager’s role has changed and now supports the MD more effectively. A sound and legally compliant recruitment system has been developed; one new member of staff has been recruited and another will be taken on soon. A training and development plan has been developed and started and has meant several staff are undertaking NVQs and other training. The warehouse staff required process and fork lift truck training and this has started, and other staff, sales training etc. Much of this training has been sourced without financial burden to the company. Sales are continuing to grow and the new structure and training plan will enable further business to be secured.

The business now requires assistance with the introduction of management accounts to review the costs and profitability of each division and to maximise its marketing effectiveness and therefore another guardian with these specialisms will be introduced when they are ready.

They Say
“Our guardian was very helpful. She gave us an objective insight into human resource practice and how it applied to our HR issues. It was something we were not equipped to deal with as we had no internal expertise and the cost of employing a full-time HR specialist was prohibitive. Now that all HR basics are in place along with compliant systems and procedures and a training and development plan we can plan the company growth more effectively”.

Case Study - April / May 2009 Acumen Sales Coaching Ltd

Background
Coral and Rae have both worked in sales for 20 years, within many positions from sales people to managers and trainers. Having met many small business owners over the years they recognised that their sales knowledge would be of great benefit to them. This was the basis for them starting their own sales training and coaching business to assist SMEs with growing their sales.nique.

The Action
They started on a business plan and contacted Business Link for advice and were referred to Get Started their local enterprise agency where they received help and advice from one of their advisors. They contacted other training companies to look for sub contracting work and targeted a large training firm called Winning Pitch. The Managing Director was Ian Brookes who also works as a business mentor via Guardian Angels. Coral and Rae met with Jane from Guardian Angels and Ian was assigned as their mentor. Ian’s direct experience of running a large training company was extremely relevant in the advice he was able to give to Acumen. They meet regularly to discuss growing the business.

Following the advice of Ian they underwent a re brand and also developed an extensive sales coaching programme which they now conduct in conjunction with Winning Pitch and their local council working directly with SMEs helping them to grow their sales.

To Date
Acumen have secured bookings for the first quarter that exceed the turnover of the previous nine months, they have registered as a limited company and for vat. They have also been short listed for the prestigious Lancashire Business Awards, “The Bibas” for best new business of the year. Acumen wrote and delivered specific training courses for Guardian Angel companies based on the needs of the local businesses. This has lead to further requests for additional training courses both in Blackpool and Pennine Lancashire. Coral and Rae work tirelessly to gain funding for clients to assist them with accessing their training and are referred by Business Link and Train to Gain. Considering the economic climate they are doing very well in growing their client base and turnover. They have gathered testimonials from clients attending their workshops, that has helped them to spread the word and they are gaining a good reputation.

Case Study - April / May 2009 Key Driver Training

Background
Steven and Linda have many years experience in the field of driving instructor training and they are well respected by the Driving School Associations. This was the basis of their desire to run their own driving school (both for driving lessons and also for instructor training) throughout the UK. This meant a large investment in technology and ensuring that effective and appropriate systems and processes were in place. It was essential to establish clear brand messages and review the routes to market and strategic development of the brand.

The Action
Immediately they were referred to Get Set to ensure the business plan and financials were reviewed and submitted for funding and they were referred to the Digital Development Unit for website development. Steve and Linda were introduced to Dave Roberts, a Guardian with extensive business acumen and with a specialism in Marketing. They took a critical look over the finances, brand and marketing material, discussed their plans on their chosen routes to market and were provided with ideas for consideration. They also required additional investment in technology and were referred to a number of mainstream lenders. This investment was used to develop a quality website that is clear and easy to use and supported by the new brand image (above).

Due to the current economic situation they are looking to offer credit facilities to those wishing to become instructors and those undertaking lessons. Although this will be difficult to place (due to the shortage of finance, the intangible nature of a course and the likelihood of many young people with low credit scores) they have sort our help again and several options have been suggested including local Credit Unions.

To Date
They have experienced dynamic growth from 2 to 11 employees, sales exceeded all expectations and they have relocated to Northbridge House in Burnley for more space. This has given them the opportunity to sustain their growth and have a central base in Pennine Lancashire. The heavy investment in technology has paid dividends as all courses can be booked online and means driving instructors have this online non-bureaucratic resource at their fingertips. They also offer a Franchise Package and help to other driving schools to provide them with training drivers.They hold all the quality marks (ORDIT and ADI), run a 24 hours, 365 day helpline and already have several good testimonials on their website.Steve and Linda have built a solid business, they are not afraid of hard work and continue to review the business performance and offering, to stay ahead of the competition.

Case Study - April / May 2009 Excellent UK

Background
Sam established his company in 2006 after many years in the Cleaning industry. He planned to offer all types of cleaning and to both industrial and domestic customers. He excelled at customer service and had experience and product knowledge to draw upon and this enabled very bespoke services to be offered; several to very niche markets. Sam had the drive to make the idea work, a strong value ethic (hence the name) but needed a focussed approach to develop his plans. He wanted to franchise the business and was offered Mike Murray as his mentor in 2007.

The Action
Mike helped Sam to draw up an action plan and look carefully at the franchise model. He was introduced to How to Franchise. Mike helped Sam to put together an in depth business plan with the financials to support the model.  The companies financial management systems were improved and accurate P & L and cash flow forecasts produced. Mike discussed various methods of raising capital to fund the franchise development and Sam explored them. The details regarding the operation of the franchise were discussed, including simple financial systems and an operations manual discussed and started. The legal implications of franchising were discussed and a draft franchise agreement developed. Sam worked with Blackpool and The Fylde College to gain an A1 Assessor Award in order to deliver, assess and verify NVQ’s in cleaning and support services and especially to those not in education or training and his own staff for higher level awards. Those who are the cream of the crop from this training could also become suitable franchisees.

To Date
Currently moving the business into the Blackpool Academy to enable easy delivery and support to NVQ trainees. The core business is growing steadily and the franchise model is almost ready to roll out. Turnover has increased by 100% between 2007/08 and 2008/09 and staff numbers from 8 to 15.

Sam Said
“ The Guardian Angel model has been crucial to move us forward. No one else offered help in the same way and a sympathetic ear and impartial advice were essential in order to achieve both business and personal goals. It is important that the Guardians exist especially with the economy the way it is. Mike has been great and we are very busy thanks to his advice and have not experienced any downturn in business”.

Case Study - October 2008 Handford Design

Background
Philippe Handford started his company, designing unique outside furniture from vandal resistant materials and natural products such as pebbles, in Colne in February 2008. Handford Designs has created a range of garden and street furniture that is both eco friendly and unique.

The Action
Philippe needed some advice on pricing strategy and promotion to his various target markets and began working with Guardian Stuart Taylor who has a background in manufacturing, sales and marketing and contract negotiation in both the public and private sector.

Since they linked up Handford Design has started to make good progress. Philippe has made his first sales to a school and a public authority and a further order from another school was placed in September 2008. Philippe has attended and exhibited at a number of regional exhibitions and is getting interest from a number of directions so Stuart (his GA) is looking to introduce Handford to a distributor with a view to granting them agency or distributorship rights in the UK.

Via the Guardian Angel network, Philippe has also been introduced to Alan Varley, a Guardian with an architectural background with a view to introducing his work to specific architectural practices. They have reviewed the format of the pitch to architectural practices and discussed how to use the listings on architectural websites, menus and headings to narrow down the firms to contact. Alan is also advising about procurement in other local councils.

Some Early Results
After working with his Guardian, Philippe now has a clear pricing strategy, he has condensed his range of designs to concentrate on specific target markets and made 2 sales to schools and 1 to a public authority. He is now displaying his work in A White Room and this has given his work a high street presence. He has also undertaken commissions with Prosperity Recycling as they design and install school playgrounds and this has provided a good spring board for future discussions with architects for environmentally sound street furniture.