Earlier this year, we reported on Captured, an exciting enterprise support project that is being led by Newcastle University Business School in collaboration with a number of key partners, including SFEDI. Now, as the project moves into its second phase following a very successful start, we’re revisiting it to find out what’s new.

Small businesses across all sectors, although they may boast agility, determination and sheer drive, tend to be vulnerable in certain key areas such as the skills needed to manage the business. Research conducted by the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has shown that small firms (of between five and 19 people) see their performance improve dramatically when specific investment is made in developing leadership and management skills. The Captured programme responds to this challenge facing small firms by connecting owner-managers with managers from large businesses in the North East. In so doing, the managers from larger businesses can share their skills and know-how with small business owners who, although they may be experts in their field, may need to develop some of the leadership and management skills required to fulfil their businesses’ full potential.

The project, which was funded by the UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES), began almost a year ago in December 2015 and, since then, a number of real success stories have emerged from it. One of the large businesses involved with the first phase was GlaxoSmithKline, the multinational healthcare company. The business put forward three of its senior staff to reach out to small businesses in County Durham including a counsellor and life coach, a recruitment agency and a consultancy firm. Polly Lerner, HR business lead at GlaxoSmithKline shared her experience and expertise with a Bishop-Auckland based small business, helping it to conduct a comprehensive SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) and found that the rewards went both ways. She said:

“The programme has given us the chance to get out of the daily routine and think and reflect, both on the efficacy of GSK’s business processes and on the skills and experience gained through working in a different environment. There are significant advantages in learning how small businesses work and behave and then seeing how these traits can be applied back in our workplace.”

Other large businesses who have engaged with Captured include computer software specialists Sage and global engineering company Siemens.

Phase 1 of Captured ended in July 2016, having lent valuable support to a large number of small businesses in the North East. Now, having secured new funding from the North East Local Enterprise Partnership (NELEP), Captured: Phase 2 is beginning. It will be launched in November 2016 and run until July 2017. During this time, the project will engage with approximately 40 small businesses and large firm managers. Each month will see a new cohort of participants join the programme. Leigh Sear, CEO of SFEDI Solutions and an Associate Lecturer at Newcastle University Business School, is a key member of the project team, along with Fiona Whitehurst and Paul Richter from the Business School. He explained to us the types of businesses who may benefit from engaging with Captured:

“The first phase of Captured has shown to us that it benefits those small businesses, whether with one or two or five members of staff, looking to develop and move forward. The engagement with the manager from the large firm provides them with an opportunity to discuss their plans for the business and discuss what is required to move from idea to action”.

“The managers from the large firms are seeing their input, coupled with the drive and determination of the owner, have a beneficial impact on the small firm and the local economy. They’re also finding they return to their own workplace with new perspectives”.

Those small businesses who get involved in the project’s second phase will find that by committing a relatively short amount of time, they will see their businesses benefit enormously. Captured is carefully structured to fit within the demands of running a small business, by providing an environment in which owner-managers can reflect on their plans for taking the business forward and discuss how to move from idea to action with the large firm manager. The programme consists of one half-day session with 5 or 6 other owner-managers of small businesses followed by three further half day sessions where small firms work with their large firm managers.

If you run a business of 20 people or fewer and you’d like to learn more about Captured, visit the blog by clicking here or email [email protected]