With SMEs accounting for 99.3% of all private sector enterprises in Scotland*, there?s never been a better or more important time to support and nurture these businesses. The backbone of the Scottish economy, SMEs have made a substantial contribution in helping the wheels of industry turn again, bringing economic benefits to the country as a whole. It?s essential that this momentum and ambition continues with opportunities for large scale, long-term growth being capitalised on by business owners.

Each business faces its own set of challenges but with growth taking place across all sectors, it?s vital for owners with an outward looking vision to take a step back from the day-to-day demands of scaling their business to develop a robust strategy for growth.

The Growth Advantage Programme, a specially-designed 10 month business acceleration programme, provides the necessary platform to do just that. Enabling entrepreneurs and growth-focussed business owners to gain business insights, management skills and know-how, it provides a unique opportunity for ambitious business owners to realise and achieve their organisation?s full growth potential.

Working in partnership with Breakthrough, Santander?s SME support programme, the Growth Advantage Programme is delivered through the Hunter Centre for Entrepreneurship, based within the University of Strathclyde Business School. Endowed by alumnus, entrepreneur and philanthropist Sir Tom Hunter, the Hunter Centre for Entrepreneurship is one of the most important social investments made by the Hunter Foundation. The Hunter Centre is focused on the study, research and encouragement of entrepreneurship within Scotland and is committed to engaging in and drawing from world class research to inform the design and delivery of a growing portfolio of useful learning experience.

One of the largest university-based centres of entrepreneurship in the UK, the Hunter Centre is home to a team of recognised experts in: growing innovative firms; global and international entrepreneurship; enterprise policy, education and economic development; entrepreneurial management and leadership; enterprise and diversity; social enterprise and philanthropy; entrepreneurial collaboration and networking and, family business and enterprising households.

* Scottish Government website, March 2014

PROGRAMME DETAILS

Aimed at businesses with a ?500k – ?25m turnover, and a 20% year-on-year increase in turnover, profit or people, the programme consists of five workshop sessions:

• Growth Advantage Orientation Session – 29th/30th May 2015
• Workshop One ? Market Advantage – 19th/20th June 2015
• Workshop Two ? Operations Advantage – 4th/5th September 2015
• Workshop Three ? Resourcing the Growth Advantage – 6th/7th November 2015
• Workshop Four ? Leadership Advantage – 15th/16th January 2016

Recognising the time demands of business ownership, each workshop will take place on Fridays and Saturdays. The programme will begin with an evening Orientation Session including a dinner and an inspiring story from a high-growth entrepreneur.

The following day will focus on understanding the businesses and challenges of fellow participants as well as discussing various pathways to growth. With a networking dinner being an integral part of each workshop, you can be assured of excellent opportunities for building relationships with your peers and expanding your contacts. To get the most from these opportunities we recommend that participants must be the founding managing director, chief executive or principal of the business with a significant ownership interest.

The programme will take place at Strathclyde University and venues selected by the University, commencing May 2015.

Programme fees are subsidised by Santander Breakthrough and are therefore reduced from the usual cost of ?7,500 to ?2,000.

BENEFITS

Participants will benefit from:

• Access to a dedicated Growth Advantage learning environment which will support real time interactivity, discussion and debate amongst Growth Advantage participants and experienced programme facilitators.
• Dedicated Strathclyde and Santander learning materials and marketing intelligence.
• Attendance at ‘Pinnacles of Growth’ – a regular feature of all Growth Advantage workshops where leaders of high-growth firms will present and discuss their own experiences, in an informal and relaxed setting, providing both memorable inspiration and practical guidance.
• A tailored events programme informed by participants? hot topics relevant to their own particular growth strategies, providing diverse insights into the challenges faced by growing businesses and how to overcome those hurdles.

HOW TO APPLY

Interested? Complete this GAP application form and send back to?[email protected] by 5pm on 31st March 2015.

For more information about the Growth Advantage Programme, please contact the Hunter Centre for Entrepreneurship:

Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 0141 548 3482