DDU Newsletter for November 2008: Issue 61
Monthly news and events from Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council's Digital Development Unit...
Included in this edition:
North West Development Agency scheme to assist High Growth businesses
Innovations in Manufacturing - Moulding the future of steel
Meet the Dragon, charity networking event to take place in aid of the British Heart Foundation
£10m High Growth Programme for the Northwest
The Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) and the Northwest ERDF Programme have launched a new High Growth business support programme designed to help businesses in the region with ‘Starting a High Growth Business' and provide 'Coaching for High Growth’ that will support and grow the Northwest economy.
High growth companies are defined as either new businesses that have the scope to grow to £0.5m within 3 years or established SMEs that have the ambition and capability of achieving a minimum of 20% per annum growth. The project aims to provide intense coaching and support to businesses in the Northwest that demonstrate this high growth potential.
The current difficult business environment presents new challenges for growing a business. There are still opportunities for those businesses with the aspirations for significant growth and all businesses need to prepare to take advantage of the longer term upturn in markets.
For further information contact: Dick West on 01995 605442 email rgw@west-consulting.co.uk or Daniel Connaughton on 01253 813270 email info@connautech.co.uk
Moulding the future of steel - Innovations in Manufacturing
The metal injection moulding (MIM) process is a design engineer’s dream, allowing the same types of parts typically made in plastics, to be produced in stainless steels, low alloy steels, tool steels, low expansion alloys and magnetic irons. The forming of complex shapes and details which are not normally economically possible by other manufacturing techniques can be produced by ‘MIM’.
Brian Corbett, Innovation & Technology adviser at the DDU says "This technique can revolutionise the metal component industry. There are only two companies in the country that currently manufacture this way." View full article online and if you'd like to know more about how the DDU can help manufacturing businesses with advice and funding call us 01254 692692 or email us innovate@regeneratepl.co.uk
Health Tec Hub - Free event for the medical sector
Innovation networking event for the medical sector
This event is for companies in or diversifying into the medical sector. The Health Tec Hub (an industry/academic platform for the medical sector) invites you to attend the next meeting to be held at the new Innovation Centre, Evolution Park, Shadsworth Blackburn.
This event will showcase the facilities and business support services available at Evolution Park along with opportunities to engage with the NWDA high growth programme for the Northwest, mentioned above.
To book call Dawn K Oliver from UCLAN on 01772 894517 or email dkoliver@uclan.ac.uk
Meet the Dragons at Blackburn Enterprise Centre
Would you like to put your business ideas and business issues to a respected panel of business owners and win the chance to receive valuable business services? Would you like to meet over 60 like-minded local business people in an informal and relaxed networking environment whilst raising money for charity?
A number of local businesses are offering free help and advice (and possibly more) to one successful business owner / entrepreneur. The idea is based on BBC2’s successful ‘Dragon’s Den’ series and will see a number of candidates pitching their ideas to a panel which includes Oneighty Creative, (brand marketing and design) Hayes & Co. Chartered Accountants, Copycatweb Limited, (wed based design) Veritas Solicitors LLP (business lawyers) and Bootstrap Enterprises offering business advice and mentoring
Tickets £10 per delegate with all proceeds going to The British Heart Foundation.
To book contact Lorraine Bradley (Blackburn Enterprise Centre) 01254 505000 Email lorraine.bradley@blackburn.gov.uk or Craig Taylor (Copycatweb Limited) Blackburn Enterprise Centre 01254 504900
Local News for November 2008
BCW Engineer their success
BCW Engineering Ltd was formed in 2002. The core business is sub contract precision machining and assembly particularly for the Automotive and Power Generation sectors. Current customers include Jaguar, Helical and Kiddie. Although the company had enjoyed major success in sales and profit growth since its formation, this success had been achieved using disparate pieces of software and excel based spreadsheets to manage the production processes. The directors realised that their growth strategy couldn’t be achieved using their existing systems without compromising control and operational efficiency. The directors decided to install a new business management system as part of their strategy to grow and develop the company with the help of the DDU.
As Paul Briggs commented “the support we have received from the DDU has helped us to bring more structure and control to the business and allowed us to expand both turnover and headcount.”
If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter please use this e-mail link to unsubscribe from our mailing list.
