Going For Growth

Date: 10/JUNE/08                              

GOING FOR GROWTH

Going for Growth – From “Working on the Business”, to “Working in the Business”

In 2007 Optimum Results was both honoured and excited to be offered the opportunity to develop the Going for Growth programme in strategic alliance with FAS. The design of the programme is based around the considerable experience that Optimum Results has in the area of management training, especially in the SME sector, where it has provided training to more than 7,500 SMEs over the past 12 years. “Entrepreneurs have great enthusiasm for their start-up companies,” said Aidan Harte, managing director of Optimum Results. “There is all this excitement and euphoria, but then bills start arriving, letters from the Revenue come in, and the entrepreneurs find that they are working harder than they did when they were employed; the sense of excitement is gone, and they seem to be working harder just to stand still.” The term used by Optimum Results is that these people are wholly consumed “working in the business”. Going for Growth, however, looks to move managers from this mindset into one of “working on the business”, ensuring that business managers have the wherewithal to provide for the future of the business through a more strategic approach. It does this by concentrating on what are described as the “six key business drivers”. These business drivers are Management Skills and Strategic Planning; Financial Management and Managing Information Systems; the Management and Development of People; Marketing, Sales and Customer Care; Operations and Administration; and Innovation and R&D.

“Going for Growth is solely based on the development of managers, giving them adequate understanding across the six business drivers,” said Harte. “Throughout the work which we have done over the years, we have experienced a constant theme – at the end of the programmes, people come away with a huge sense of managerial confidence, combined with a clarity of direction. These are the exact outcomes that we are looking for with participants of Going for Growth.

Is Going for Growth for your business? Still, however effective Going for Growth will be in terms of the strategic development of owners and managers, it will not be for everyone – and securing a place on the course will be based on a competitive process. Thus, it is important to state that the programme is not for Start-Up businesses – it is for managers of small businesses who have firstly the will to grow, and secondly the capacity within the business for growth. Going for Growth represents a glorious opportunity for business managers, but there are only 90 places available, so all applicants will be screened as part of the application process.” There is no restriction on the type of business or sector which will benefit from Going for Growth. Typically, but not exclusively, the companies will probably be of the five to 50 people types – but what is important will be the potential to grow, rather than the size of the company itself. And, if the potential is there, the programme can facilitate growth by developing managerial confidence and competence, and instilling a clarity of vision which allows for more strategic thought.

Growth for Growth’s Sake? “You could be working very hard, and your business could be growing very rapidly – but it may not necessarily be growing in the right direction,” explained Harte. “This is why the concept of strategic growth is so important – it is not just growth for growth’s sake. For example, you could be growing rapidly in a sector that has no future; but with skilled facilitation, as well as consultancy and training, you could undertake a business project that is strategically heading in the right direction.” It is difficult, of course, for business managers, and especially those experiencing early growth, to see this growth as anything but positive. “Early growth companies regard all business as wonderful, and all customers through the doors tend to be welcomed,” said Harte. “But there is little doubt that organisations which are good at targeting a defined range of activity tend to have more success than companies which try to be all things to all people. You should always specialise in what you are best at – and, in order to move from good to great, you should try to get out of any aspect of business where you can’t be the best.”

Tanaiste and Minsiter for Enterprise, Trade and Employement, Mary Coughlan and FAS Director General, Roddy Molloy, with Optimum Results' MD, Aidan Harte and Going for Growth Programmes Coordinator, Dara Mitchell, at the offical launch of a new €10 million state investment in SME Management Skills Development.

 

 

30/June/2008                            

It’s clearly not all doom and gloom for Galway business – some of the leading local firms have joined the new FAS national training initiative ‘Going for Growth’

“It’s great to see just a good group of Galway businesses together on the programme – even though it’s Race Week” commented Jerry Cassidy, FAS Galway.

Going for Growth is a national training programme delivered by Optimum Results in partnership with FAS. The Galway programme is being hosted and supported by the Galway Chamber of Commerce.

“When trading conditions get a little tougher, that’s the time to get some fresh ideas on planning, management and marketing” commented Jonathan Akehurst, Marketing Director of Optimum Results.

For any more local businesses that would like to join or enquire about this exciting programme in Galway, as there are some places still available - please call us on 042 9333033, visit www.goingforgrowth.ie or contact Carol in the Galway Chamber.

Optimum Results' Marketing Director, Jonathon Akehurst, with Expert in Stragetic Planning, Frank McGlone, and Galway participants at the first workshop of the GOING FOR GROWTH programme.