Aycliffe Today Business Aycliffe Today Business issue 33 | Page 23

The magazine for Aycliffe Business Park | 23
Twelve businesses have enrolled on fully-funded
growth workshops, devised by Business Durham in
collaboration with Aycliffe Business Park Community.
Firms that attended the first growth workshop session included
Pixel Media, Pass FM, More Time UK, Bespoke Electrical,
Entreprenising, Newton Aycliffe Workwear Supplies, MHM
Guru, High Impact Development, Patrick Lonegran Recruitment,
Bishop Auckland College, Accurate Systems Labelling and
Gregg Little Testing Centre.
Aycliffe businesses benefit from
exclusive new workshops
By Martin Walker
C
“The aim of these
workshops is to
identify the areas
where we can
start to grow our
businesses and then
create an achievable
business growth
plan around them.”
ompanies of varying shapes and sizes
are benefiting from a new series of
workshops designed specifically to help
them to grow.
A total of 14 people from 12 companies – all
based on Aycliffe Business Park – attended the
first workshop, held at South West Durham
Training.
This exclusive programme for Aycliffe
businesses is being delivered by the Durham
Business Opportunities Programme in
partnership with Aycliffe Business Park
Community.
They’re being delivered by Gary Scott of
Consult the Experts, who has helped over 300
businesses with their business growth planning,
ranging from micro to multi-nationals.
Those who attended the first session included
Pixel Media, Pass FM, More Time UK, Bespoke
Electrical, Entreprenising, Newton Aycliffe
Workwear Supplies, MHM Guru, High Impact
Development, Patrick Lonegran Recruitment,
Bishop Auckland College, Accurate Systems
Labelling and Gregg Little Testing Centre.
Gary, who also runs the award-winning
Derwentside Business Network aimed at
helping small businesses grow, said: “Most
small businesses will tell you that they want to
grow, but finding the starting point for growth
can be difficult.
“The aim of these workshops is to identify
the areas where we can start to grow our
businesses and then create an achievable
business growth plan around them.
The businesses at our first workshop were
diverse and at different stages of growth which
meant that we could harness the energy,
experiences and ideas around the table. In
the longer term, our aim is to facilitate a self-
supporting group that will mentor and monitor
each other’s growth plans. By working together
as a team, it also removes some of the isolation
of running a small business.
“There will be four workshops in total, leading
to each participant taking actions towards
growing their businesses. The programme
will also offer one-to-one mentoring to help
with the implementation of each growth
plan. We wil