Shared Prosperity Fund Management Support Session Announcement

Save the Date - 8th February 2023.

If you’re a Greater Manchester SME, you may be able to access this funded support session run by Know and Do. Connected to the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund this support is aimed at small businesses.

Know and Do are proud to support the work of the Business Growth Hub in Greater Manchester. We have worked with the BGH as a provider across a range of services to SMEs from coaching, consultancy, training around sales and marketing, and mentoring. We’ve delivered practical support to hundreds of SMEs that has helped them to understand and apply new knowledge to make a positive impact for them and their businesses.

As European Funds come to an end, the BGH with GMCA is trialling a new shared prosperity fund that is offering additional support for managers and leaders in what are undoubtedly turbulent times for many. The first pilot phase will offer 120 places of 3 hours of fully funded support for business owners and leaders to explore how they are managing their response to the current cost of living crisis, rising business costs on many levels, and planning for growth.

Know and Do are offering a new group session, working with 8-12 businesses to understand, support, learn, and connect the businesses to help them confidently navigate this turbulent business landscape in 2023. The session will run on the 8th of February from 9.30am-12.30pm.

Places are going fast as businesses sign up to discuss, reflect, network, and plan new approaches to their work. We’d love to have you join us for this new event. Applying is simple and Know and Do can do the 1-page application for you. To secure your spot now, get in touch with us as soon as possible.

To apply, get in touch with Andrew via andrew@knowanddo.com or call the office on 0161 2804567.

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Being Forced To Change

Sometimes we chose to change our environment, sometime our environment decides to change us. Right now, the impact of Covid-19 means we are all being forced to change. If you lead a business you are not only dealing with your own changed world but also how it changes the worlds of your colleagues, your company and your customers.

One thing I have had to wrestle with in this situation is feeling like work is being unfairly taken away from me. I know it is insignificant compared to the pain and fatalities the virus is causing but being honest it is still hard to take.

Just a few weeks ago we celebrated 10 years of our company, that’s 3,650 days of graft, of constant plans, thinking, strategising and all topped off with a lot of worry and plenty of success. It is emotional to run a business – however big or small – and I’ve invested my reputation and character in it too. So, to lose work, and good work at that, work I and others had strived to find, secure and then start is painful.

As I have often shared with clients, I decided to take my own recommendation. I went back to one of the models we’ve used over the years about change: the Kubler Ross Change Curve. Using a model like this to review the situation gives an objectivity to my thoughts, and starts to remove the emotive reaction bubbling within me.

I can see in the change curve how in my conversations and emails and I moved from shock “Can the government really order businesses to stop overnight?”) to denial (“This is just temporary, an overreaction”). Then onto frustration and anger (“How will any company survive this?”) to resignation (“What can we salvage from this?”).

I know my character and that journey would have taken a long time on my own. Fortunately, I have a business partner (Andrew Ramwell) who excels at re-framing discussions and positive thinking. My few days of responding negatively quickly shifted to talking about opportunities, making a plan and the re-making it again (so far about 7 times in two weeks!). Now I’m into a new rhythm of work, communication and strategies; now I am ready for ideas, fresh thinking and for learning more. My mind set is back to 'growth' again and not 'fixed' on wallowing in just one place.

From my experience thus far I'd say to any business owner grappling with this complex time to:

1. Stay safe, listen to and follow the government’s advice to protect you, your loved ones and your community.

2. Check out where you are on the change curve. Are you moving through it and out the other side or are you stuck somewhere repeating patterns?

3. Who helps you? I had an Andrew Ramwell, so who is yours? Family, friends, colleagues? This unprecedented situation is not one to face alone, no one person has all the answers. Seek out quality support.

I'd be interested to know other people's responses:

• What strategies are others deploying?

• How are you finding a way through this changing environment?

• When did you move from the negative to positive response?

• Who are you helping to find a way forward?

And finally, if you want a way of structuring support you give others inside or outside your business, then to be productive at Know+Do we have shared a free template and how to video to encourage people to form practical, focused Virtual Mastermind Groups of their own.