Peer Networks is working with enterprise house owners up and down the nation to assist them develop and place themselves for future success.
With the present uncertainties round Covid-19 and the continuing EU transition, small and medium sized companies have confronted a number of challenges as they navigate their enterprise into 2021 and past.
The programme Peer Networks allows likeminded enterprise house owners to come back collectively to profit from one another’s experiences by way of a sequence of professionally facilitated digital classes, which discover alternatives and challenges.
By sharing and studying from one another on this manner, SME enterprise house owners can grasp new alternatives or overcome challenges that could be holding them again, studying from one another’s progress and insights.
That is what enterprise house owners who’ve joined the programme up to now should say about Peer Networks…
Kirsti Grayson, founding father of Go Velo, a Lancashire-based cycle coaching and exercise companies, registered for Peer Networks by way of Increase her native Enterprise Development Hub and is already seeing advantages.
She stated: “Already I’ve learnt a lot in regards to the points different individuals are going through and I’ve gained confidence in realizing that regardless of my enterprise being smaller and structured in a different way to others I nonetheless had experiences I may share to assist others enhance.
“I got here away feeling very supported. It’s actually making me give attention to my enterprise and motivated me significantly.”
Chris Kane, co-founder of Dorset-based Greendale Building, joined Peer Networks after it was beneficial to him by a enterprise peer inside his community.
Chris stated: “Peer Networks is fascinating and interesting, with an important mixture of enterprise leaders participating. I got here with an open thoughts and needed to assist myself and others tackle a number of the enterprise challenges we face.
“I need to be taught from my friends, perceive their challenges, talk about our personal and see how we will be taught from one another and assist one another. After the primary session I referred to as my enterprise accomplice and instructed him that he ought to signal as much as Peer Networks additionally.”
Lauren Bailey Rhodes, Operations Director at Remodel Lives Firm, a Liverpool-based social enterprise specialising in employment and wellbeing.
Lauren stated: “I’ve taken half in skilled networking and motion studying earlier than. Nonetheless, straightaway I knew Peer Networks was completely different.
“I made a decision to hitch as a result of it appeared one of the best match for me and TLC in the meanwhile as a result of our greatest problem is getting the phrase on the market and rising our enterprise within the company sector.
“As quickly as I spoke to our facilitator Phil, I knew this was going to be a very good expertise. The primary session was nice, group of people who find themselves going to convey so many alternative issues to the group and already individuals are beginning to assist one another out.”
Peer Networks is being delivered in England regionally by the community of Development Hubs and supported by their respective Native Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs).
Mark Livesey is Chief Government of the LEP Community, which allows and promotes all 38 Native Enterprise Partnerships throughout England to work collectively on nationwide shared pursuits.
Mark stated: “LEP Development Hubs have been on the sharp finish of help for native enterprise communities, immediately supporting SMEs to assist them deal with the challenges of the pandemic, with over 1.5m companies supported up to now.
“The Peer Networks programme builds on that scale of help, offering a possibility for enterprise leaders up and down the nation to share information and finest observe, and to work collaboratively to quick reduce the path to discovering sensible options to widespread enterprise issues.
“This is a fascinating programme aimed toward small to medium sized companies in England. We now have discovered that peer to look help is a optimistic solution to construct dialogue and relationship inside a peer group that may have long-term advantages for enterprise house owners enabling them to take the following steps to develop.”
Sarah Underwood is a Professor in Entrepreneurial Observe at Leeds College Enterprise Faculty and a Peer Networks facilitator working with the Leeds Metropolis Area Native Enterprise Partnership.
Sarah stated: “One of many nice issues about working the Peer Networks programme has been to permit small enterprise house owners the chance to come back collectively in an area the place they are often open about the truth that they don’t have all the proper solutions on how they need to be working their companies proper now.
“It has been an incredible alternative for them to have the ability to relieve a few of that burden about how annoying it has actually been over the previous couple of months and that sense of shared understanding throughout the group has helped add a stage of resilience amongst the enterprise house owners that wasn’t there earlier than.”
