SWLEP
This Way Up
Webinars to support businesses through the pandemic and beyond
The SWLEP has announced that the Growth Hub’ s This Way Up webinar programme will be continuing.
The initiative was launched in September 2020 to support businesses via a range of online events designed to encourage recovery and future resilience.
Over 1,500 business leaders have attended more than 50 webinars to date, with varied subject matters delivered by experts under the over-arching subject headings of Digital, Finance and Leadership.
Individual topics have included sales, marketing, video usage, lending, crowdfunding, mental health and wellbeing, strategy, automation, pivoting, recovery and more.
The Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy( BEIS) provided funding for the programme which was initially designed to assist businesses during the pandemic, helping owners to turn their organisations‘ the right way up’ in response to Covid-19.
Providing them with the tools and knowledge to focus on key drivers to allow them to survive through the pandemic, and thrive beyond it, the This Way Up programme will now continue to offer ongoing support to the region’ s business community.
Paula Harsley, Webinar Co-ordinator for the SWLEP, will continue to build on the programme’ s success as she takes it forward.
She said,“ Thanks to the wealth of expert speakers that have delivered the webinars, they have all been really impactful and the feedback from attendees is amazing. They are grateful for the information and clear actions which they have taken away and implemented within their businesses.
“ The webinars have also proved to be a great advert for the Growth Hub as a whole, attracting an ever-growing number of businesses to our online community as well as those seeking support from our Business Navigators”
What have attendees been saying about This Way Up?
“ Some great takeaways here that I can take to the board about ramping up our CSR capabilities.”
“ Great level of detail, with specific actionable recommendations. Many webinars just skim over topics with content that is already widely known.”
“ This is the best Webinar I’ ve been on during the whole of lockdown.”
“ I find these webinars very useful in refreshing my own knowledge, focussing my thinking and in understanding a different perspective. It’ s good to have new ideas and new ways of seeing things. There were some leadership tools here that were new to me.”
“ Some thought-provoking content. Wasn’ t condescending and wasn’ t salesy. Plenty of talk about doing things yourself.”
In addition to the webinars, over 110 businesses have benefitted from one-to-one sessions with the Growth Hub’ s Digital Specialist, Jason Gray. Each business has been through a process to identify their digital needs and has been provided with a clear explanation of what digital options might be available, what areas need further investigation and a roadmap to outline how best to implement such technologies.
The Growth Hub is keen to ensure that it continues to deliver webinars on subjects which are important to the business community.
Paula Harsley would be delighted to receive suggestions for future webinar topics needed. If you are an expert who would consider delivering webinars as part of the programme, please also get in touch. Email: paula. harsley @ swlep. co. uk or call: 07780 040 602.
To register for your free place on all or any of the webinars, or to watch previous webinars‘ on demand’, go to: growthhub. swlep. co. uk / events / webinars.
Register as a Growth Hub member for free. Sign-up by visiting: www. growthhub. swlep. co. uk
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