Go for Growth and Ready to Grow:
Two programme of support for businesses in East Sussex.
Just before the pandemic Digital Islands won two projects through East Sussex County Council, as part of South East Business Boost. The first was designed to provide growing businesses in the county with a package of one to one help and advice from a team of specialist, and the second programme provided business owners who had been trading for less than 2 years with a series of 11 training workshops.
Developed by Digital Islands, the programmes were funded by the Council and the European Regional Development Fund.
The programmes were both designed to provide 12 hours of advice and expertise, to help with survival rates, productivity and growth of small businesses in the county.
Go for Growth: Comprehensive Business Support for the owners of small businesses in East Sussex
Go For Growth finished at the end of 2022, but provided the owners of small, independent businesses in East Sussex with access to a team of specialists who could provide expertise in the following areas:
Marketing and Branding
Finance and Funding
Human Resources
Crowd Funding
Technology and Digitisation
Innovation
Exporting and Strategy
Product Development
The support provided through Go for Growth in East Sussex was all one to one, free and confidential.
Ready to Grow:
Support and Training for early stage businesses
Ready to Grow was a course that we ran 7 times in 2021 and 2022. Each group comprised 6 to 12 people, who all participated in a series of 11 workshops, as well as 1:1 mentoring throughout.
Business owners were also taken through a 3-hour business health check, which is a one to one diagnostic conversation designed to gain an understanding of the business and the owner, identifying where they have strengths and the areas where they will need more support.
Feedback from the participants in this programme was excellent.
Our happy clients
Digital Islands has helped hundreds of small business owners thrive.
By collaborating with local councils, universities, business membership organisations, networks and other providers of economic development services, we reach deep into
the communities we serve to achieve real results.
With projects across Southern England, we have built a wide network of specialists. This has created a robust structure able to serve local project delivery and provides capacity and back up capacity if required.
Adam runs a freight forwarding business, and was keen to expand into new areas and develop the business. Through the support Digital Islands he has been provided with help, advice, marketing and introductions.