A Leamington law firm is spearheading a recruitment drive for networking sessions where Coventry & Warwickshire SMEs can share their business issues and explore solutions with each other.
The Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership (CWLEP) Growth Hub has linked up with eight delivery partners – of which Leamington law firm Wright Hassall is one – to run 20 sector-specific networking groups called Peer Networks, which are funded by The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).
Wright Hassall will be overseeing the delivery of two groups, in partnership with the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce and specialist peer to peer networking group MD2MD, which will be focusing on hospitality, tourism & leisure; along with construction and real estate.
The aim is to create cohort groups that will collaboratively work through current, and anticipated, business issues to find solutions and develop a trusted support network that will endure far beyond the programme. The end goal being to support local businesses through these difficult times, setting them up to grow and thrive in the future.
Each group, which will include up to 11 businesses and be led by an experienced business facilitator, will meet for a total of 18 hours.
In addition, each SME owner will take part in a further three-and-a-half hours of individual support at the end of the course which needs to be completed before March 31, 2021.
The free sessions - which will be held virtually - begin on 12th November.
Emma Marsh, Business Development & Marketing Manager at Wright Hassall, said: “Reciprocal business support is needed now more than ever as firms face a double whammy of uncertainty caused by post-Brexit trade in the New Year amid a backdrop of Covid-related constraints.
“As a firm that works with hundreds of regional businesses every year, we were keen to get involved and show our support.
“Crucially, the topics of each session are determined by the participants, so we are urging as many SMEs as possible to take advantage of this opportunity to air their concerns and focus on solutions to their own challenges, or even share best practice that could help other businesses.”
Peer Networks is open to any SME that has operated for at least one year, has at least five employees, a turnover of at least £100,000 and an aspiration to improve.
For further information or to sign-up, please visit the peer networks webpage.
Photo caption: Emma Marsh