With the end of the year rapidly approaching, SEMLEP’s Growth Hub Manager Vicky Hlomuka takes a look back at the year that’s gone and considers the year to come:
I think it’s fairly safe to say that this has been another extremely challenging year, both for individuals and for businesses. However, it’s nearly over! We’re nearly through 2021, and we can look forward to coming back better and stronger than ever for 2022. With New Year rapidly approaching, it seems like a good time to look back over the year that’s passed, assess where we are, consider what we’ve achieved, and start to think about how we can build upon that for the year to come.
Looking back
2021 has been a tough year. The continuing pandemic, with its lockdowns and restrictions, and the ongoing impacts of leaving the EU have left many companies struggling to maintain growth. On top of the purely practical implications that these have had is the stress and worry that has accompanied them.
I’m very proud to say that SEMLEP’s Growth Hub has been here to provide support, offer advice and help businesses overcome the worst challenges that they’ve faced.
Our business advisers have been hard at work all year helping businesses at every stage of their journey, providing one-to-one support and giving managers the opportunity to work on their business with the aid of an experienced outside perspective. Whether that’s a one-off discussion about a particular problem or ongoing support, our business advisers have been doing some fantastic work.
We’ve also run a huge number of different events covering absolutely every aspect of running and growing a business. This year, our events on adapting to the new import and export rules have been particularly vital, but as the year has progressed, our webinars on the various different skills and areas of knowledge needed to ensure long-term, sustainable business growth have also proved useful and popular.
We’ve continued to keep our Business Support Resources Hub up to date with a wide range of tools and resources for business leaders. This covers everything from coronavirus support, finance and funding, and information on starting a business, through to mentoring and workplace mental health. We’re being asked to add new resources all the time, so this bank continues to grow and diversify.
Despite this year’s challenges, SEMLEP’s Growth Hub has continued to run core business programmes such as Growth Curve. This combines university-led masterclasses including one-to-one consultations with a business adviser, allowing you to create an action plan for the future and gain access to funding. We’ve also run more cohorts of the Peer Networks programme, a group-learning and peer networking programme for SME leaders, and the new Foundations for Growth scheme which provides support to up-and-coming businesses looking to begin their growth journey.
This year has also seen the deployment of Intensive Business Support schemes funded by the UK Government’s Additional Restrictions Grants via various local authorities and run by SEMLEP’s Growth Hub. This combines government funding to help alleviate the effects of the pandemic with a series of one-to-one sessions with a business adviser, making it another valuable scheme of which we’re proud to be a part.
Looking forward
That was the year that’s passed, but what’s in store for the year ahead? At the moment it seems like we can be optimistic; the worst of our problems will soon be over and we can continue getting back to something like normality, even if that normality has changed a little.
Businesses are going to continue to want to grow, thrive and succeed, and we will be on hand to provide the tools, support and encouragement they need to do so. Despite the challenges, businesses have come through 2021 stronger, leaner, and more determined to succeed than ever before.
With more events, more programme cohorts and more business support schemes planned, SEMLEP’s Growth Hub is determined to make 2022 the best year for business.
For more information, visit SEMLEP.
