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The Foundry is a three-month programme which has been designed to offer the resources and support needed to help micro or small businesses achieve their growth ambitions . It facilitates growth through appropriate and experienced mentoring and coaching and uniquely there is no criteria on the age , size or turnover of the company for those interested in taking part .
The Foundry offers :
• Free office space at The Workshed
• Business support tailored to your needs
• The ability to grow alongside like-minded businesses
Duncan Robinson , Business Advisor at The Foundry , said , “ The Foundry is a joint idea between Outset and Swindon Borough Council ’ s Economic Department with funding from the European Regional Development Fund .
“ We looked at what the economy in the Swindon area was missing and how we could improve the business support offering to help smaller businesses survive and thrive . Small businesses are so important to building a local economy and there really wasn ’ t much available for companies to feel like they ’ re really motoring and getting to the next stage .
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" After identifying the need , we thought what is the best way off addressing this ? There are some elements of support that all businesses need , such as an understanding of finance , marketing , vision and brand , but we didn ' t want to come up with a standard business support acceleration programme hoping that it matched those needs . We very consciously started out by saying , there are a whole host of elements that we could deliver , which could be useful , but it ' s not for us to determine what those businesses need . We need to do something where we can learn how to best support them ."
The Foundry got underway this summer with a pilot programme . Ten businesses were selected from varying backgrounds to help determine the structure and content of the programme to meet the needs of future cohorts . The pilot helped address questions such as the balance between support given and the space needed for people to run their businesses , and what sort of accountability is needed to keep people motivated and achieving more .
Foundry 1 started at the beginning of September with 20 businesses forming the first cohort . The first group is a real mix of people from different backgrounds and sectors including marketing firms , tech companies , recruitment , videography and
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more . All businesses signed up will review their value proposition and competitor landscape . The support is being delivered through one-to-many workshops and one-toone sessions to cater to individual business needs .
Duncan , added , " Everyone signed up to the programme has growth ambitions and wants to create a better version of their business , but when we ' re talking growth , we ' re not pre-defining what growth means . For some businesses what they actually want is the growth of their own knowledge or their own confidence to achieve more . For some it ' s getting the business ready for the next stage , such as employing new members of the team , and for others it ' s about growing the impact they ' re making ."
Simone Ward-Baptiste , Business Advisor , said , " The Foundry was created with the intent of attracting businesses who wouldn ' t go through the traditional business support routes . We ' ve worked hard to really listen to business ’ s needs .
“ As well as the right programme content , we wanted to create the right environment and vibe and The Workshed is the perfect space . It ’ s modern , easily accessible , warm and welcoming which helps to spark new conversations and relationships .”
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What does the ideal The Foundry candidate look like ?
• A micro or small business / entrepreneur with a great idea
• High ambition for growth in the short term
• Ability to contribute to a supportive and creative working environment
The application deadlines and programme dates for Foundry cohorts II and III are as follows :
Foundry II Application deadline : Sunday 13th November Programme runs : Monday 5th December - Friday 3rd March
Foundry III Application deadline : Sunday 29th January Programme runs : Monday 6th March - Friday 2nd June
To find out more and apply visit : www . theworkshed . co . uk / thefoundry
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12 www . tbeswindonandwilts . co . uk |