With unprecedented investment from the Higher Education Funding Council for England via their Economic Challenge Investment Fund, we are able to offer more activity to help SMEs manage through these difficult and challenging times but beyond to growth in the future. This coupled with investment from the ERDF under the Enterprising Bradford Programme and Bradford Kickstart we are able to get right into the heart of social enterprise and community agenda and use cutting edge thinking in business and enterprise support.
Innovation isn't just a light bulb switching on. It is an idea that shapes and changes as it crosses organizational boundaries, as it bobs along in the flow and the words of a conversation. Along the way, parts of an idea have belonged to one person then to another, something has been added and something taken away and the idea continued on its journey. What works here? What ways and means can shape and capture this process and bring it within the grasp of an organization. What does it take to put innovation at the core? The Practices of innovation may just have the answers.
The successful leader builds and maintains contacts within and outside the organization, challenges conventional thinking and introduces new perspectives. Influencing and negotiations have a lasting impact on organizational performance and culture. Yet, we tend to negotiate without preparation, resulting in poor outcomes and unworkable relationships. This workshop explores the need for effective influencing skills, considers influencing strategies and explores best practice negotiation practices. Key areas that will be addressed in the group are:
A few places left here for those of you who don't have it in your learning and development pathway.
A rare opportunity to give your business a thorough marketing MOT for the challenging year ahead. You will need to attend all evenings and the sessions run 6.00pm -9.00pm
Action Learning has been shown to be one of the most effective ways for SME owners and directors to undertake learning which can impact on their business. It involves reflection on action taken and leads to more effective decision making/ activity, rather than repeating previous patterns. Participants will have the opportunity to explore their own (and others) marketing issues in a small group setting. Places are limited to 8 participants and are therefore available on a strictly first-come-first served basis. Please apply only if you are able to commit to all 6 sessions.
These short but intensive workshop sessions combine thought-provoking content with practical guidance for those businesses who already have marketing activity but need to shape it more or perk it up a little. The course is run by Associate Lecturer Ros Walker, who operates as a mentor both at Think Business our incubator programme and here at the SME Knowledge Network. Areas where Ros might offer expert advice could include.
This workshops are designed for owner-managers of established businesses who want to take a fresh look at the fundamentals of their marketing.
Strategic account management is about the mutual ownership for cost reductions, service improvements, productivity increases, continuous improvements, global competition, technological innovation, cross functional teams and other processes which will create shareholder value for both the supplier and major customer.
During this course you will learn best practice techniques that allow you to better engage with clients when negotiating and reporting. You will learn to consistently add value and effectively manage relationships with your key clients.
Heaton Mount, Bradford University School of Management
5.00 - 5.30pm registration, followed by the speakers and then a networking buffet
at 7.15pm
Presentations from Dr Rana Tassabehji (Bradford University School of Management) and Paul Wright (PAWA Consulting).
Content:
The Business Case for HR
HR Core Processes
Building Capability
Employee Involvement
Employment Law
Workshop - Developing an HR Plan Aligned to own Organisations objectives
Facilitated by Saeeda Ahmed these programmes begin with two day workshops and continue with additional coaching to help embed the ideas developed in the workshop in the developing Social Enterprise. These workshops are focused on Social Enterprise in the Bradford Area.
If you are a social enterprise you can combine any of these activities with anything from the full offering of SME Knowledge Networks Programmes and services. Businesses can access either a single or a range of services and may develop a portfolio of interventions, which we call a 'Learning and Development Pathway' from the following services:
(this is a process of small group working where peer directors offer structured questioning to help a fellow director unpack a problem or opportunity and build up a solution and implementation - the brand under which this operates is the Director Support Network)
To provide an overview of the social enterprise sector and social enterprises. This would look at the broader context that the social enterprise operates within and the strategic and operational factors that are relevant to it.
This will develop the understanding of social enterprise necessary for prospective and existing stakeholder groups such as directors, managers, employees, advisers, or consultants to a third sector organisations.
This workshop provides attendees with knowledge and understanding of entrepreneurship within the context of a social enterprise organisation. This is of particularly important as many people joining the social enterprise sector are more socially orientated than enterprise.
This would be of interest to individuals interested in setting up their own social enterprises or those that have been running community organisations that want to transform it into social enterprises.
To provide knowledge on the factors affecting sustainability within social enterprises. This will help the social enterprises to assess their performance based on different factors and improve their sustainability. This will be of benefit to managers, directors or consultants of prospective and existing social enterprises that are interested in developing their sustainability strategy.