Have you ever found yourself in a position where you are stuck for new ideas? Have you even questioned yourself over ‘what next’? And are unable to find the answer? Have you wanted to explore new ways to grow?
A Northamptonshire membership organisation is helping local businesses, charities and organisations explore new ways to market, engage and grow as part of their commitment to Northamptonshire.
NNBN was launched in 2022 by Marie and Simon Cox as a membership organisation to help support business growth and it was clear from the start that the organisation was going to be impactful. From the initial launch held at The Chester House Estate, where over 100 local people attended the event, through to engaging directly with the Small Business Minister, Kevin Hollinrake, NNBN isn’t only about networking.
With close working relationships with the Northamptonshire Chamber of Commerce, Business & IP Centre and the economic teams of both North and West Northamptonshire Councils, it is looking to ensure Northamptonshire continues to grow in a positive direction.
But what impact has it made since starting out? Simon Cox said:
“It’s been a tremendous journey so far with exciting growth. We’ve been fine tuning the business as we’ve gone forward by listening to members, those engaged with us and also our own learnings and we’re delighted with the progress.
“People will know us from networking meetings around the county and often think that NNBN is all about networking – that’s only a fraction of what we do.
“We’ve been working with members on a one-to-one basis to explore creativity and ideas for them to add to their business, charity or organisation and the feedback we’ve had from a lot of our members who mainly consist of micro-businesses and sole traders is certainly positive.
“Sometimes, they often need a listening ear and the ideas just flow.”
Coming from a small business background, both Marie and Simon have 24 years of experience of running small businesses, launching new ideas and finding routes to market. Marie’s 20-year knowledge of branding and web design coupled with Simon’s energy, experience and enthusiasm has helped provide a number of ways for businesses to look at new ideas for their marketing and explore new ways of working.
“We’ve held workshops for local businesses to attend to look at marketing in a different way and invited them to challenge their thinking over what they are doing, explore new ways to grow and ultimately measure the outcomes of their endeavours as to whether it’s been successful or not,”
said Simon.
“We thoroughly enjoy what we do and will continue to support local businesses looking for growth within the county.”
To find out more about NNBN visit their website.
