We were delighted to meet our alumni in Cardiff last week. The Alumni Event hosted by our Alumni Network partner, NatWest, at their Accelerator Hub, kicked off with a keynote from the Lord Mayor of Cardiff, Councillor Bablin Molik. She highlighted the impact SMEs have in the United Kingdom and in the capital city of Wales. She then tasked the attendees with three goals: meet fellow business leaders, set a business goal for 2024, and engage with the advisors at the event.
The Help to Grow: Management event provided a great opportunity for business leaders to network with fellow alumni and discuss their experiences. Particularly, during a masterclass from Dr Suzanne Ross, Principal Lecturer of SME Short Courses at Nottingham Business School. In this session, attendees were encouraged to share leadership styles during small group discussions and received advice on how they can become more strategic and efficient leaders.
Professional support was also included in a panel session that detailed what services are available to SMEs locally and nationally. Advisors on the panel included Shayoni Lynn, CEO and Founder of Lynn, Paul Butterworth, CEO at Chambers Wales, and Kate Methuen-Ley, Strategy Advisor at Kateml.com. The resources offered were punctuated by the feedback from business leaders as they probed what support could be suitable for their needs.
Real-life stories and experiences were shared throughout the event. Nick Collins, Founder and CEO of Cleverchefs, discussed his journey as part of his session on scaling a business. Collins is the founder of Cardiff’s fastest-growing firm and offered profound insight into growing at pace while setting achievable goals.
Notably, Collins outlined that in the hospitality sector business owners need to be tough on performance. As a result, he implored business owners to not worry about letting go of staff who do not help push their business forward.
At the end of the day alumni reflected on the event, Alex McWhirter, Practice Manager at North Cardiff Dental and Implants, said: “The event has been great. I’ve seen people from my Help to Grow: Management cohort again and discussed what progress we’ve all made – as well as what more we can do in the future. It’s also been a brilliant opportunity to remind myself of the learnings I took from the course and get inspired.”
Thomas Wilkinson, Group Operations Director at Barcud Shared Services, added: “Today has been a fantastic opportunity for local businesses to network and learn from one another.
The sessions, just like the Help to Grow: Management Course itself, have allowed us to look into a mirror at ourselves and reflect on what we’re doing as businesses. It’s been a really productive day.”
The Help to Grow: Management Course includes free access to the Alumni Network, an ongoing programme of events, webinars, and content designed to help SME leaders continue to develop their leadership skills and the performance of their business. Course participants that have completed Help to Grow: Management are all eligible to join the Alumni Network.
Ready to grow your business?
With 60 business schools around the UK, there will be a Help to Grow: Management Course starting near you soon. Don't miss your chance to register.
