Have you got a Strategy? Is it right for your business?

On Module 3 of the Business Growth Course you’ll be introduced to eleven potential strategies and evaluate which one is right for your business based on your Vision and Goals, and the Diagnostics you created in the previous session. Having the right strategy for your business if fundamental to your success!

What Does Module 3 Include:

The saying goes, “if you fail to plan, you plan to fail”. When preparing for growth in your business, it is essential to know exactly where the business is heading and how you are going to get there.

In this session you will be building on the work you have already done to set your Vision and Goals, and combining that with the in-depth knowledge you now have about your business from the Diagnostics session, to create a realistic plan for growth. During this session, you will start to work on the Strategy Document for your own business.

What you’ll be covering in this session:

• How far ahead can you realistically plan for?
• The key elements of Strategic Planning—Competitive Advantage, Adding Value, Mass markets vs. Niche Markets, Cost-Based Strategies & Market-Based Strategies
• Examining Contingency Plans and Growth Plans
• Corporate Culture—what is it, what drives it and how do you go about defining the culture of your company?
• Integrating your Strategic Plan with your Vision, Aims and Objectives
• Using Analysis tools such as SWOT and PEST within your Strategic Plan
• Porter’s Five Forces model and how this can be applied on a practical level within your business
• The resources that you need to implement your strategy
• 11 Different types of Strategies and how to choose the strategy/strategies that will enable your business to grow and meet your objectives

Find Out More about the Business Growth Course

The Business Growth Course, led by Patrick White, takes place over 6 weeks. The 2 hour sessions are perfect for learning the theory and then applying to directly to your business.

To find out when the next Business Growth Course starts Click Here

Or call Lenka on 020 7939 9910  to discuss whether the course is right for your business.

Read Testimonials for this Course

Funding is available via Train to Gain. A Home Study Course is available.

Watch the Full Video by Clicking Here

In a recent article in the People Management magazine (available to read on their website at www.peoplemanagement.co.uk) it is mentioned that learning within a work environment should now be more individually led, rather than constantly attending mass training events. The article provides a fascinating read, not to mention a very convincing argument for why this individual stance should become the norm rather than the exception.

There is every reason to think that with the proper structure, this type of self-propelled learning could actually work rather well. Why? This is simply because not everyone learns in the same manner.

Let’s look at a typical example. Let’s suppose you set up a training session which takes place predominantly using a slide show and talk to get your message across. You may have chosen this method because it’s a method you like yourself.

Now some of the people who attend your training course may take in a lot of what you are saying. Others may study the slideshow carefully and take in a great deal of information in that way. Others may struggle to take in much at all – not because your presentation skills are boring in any way, but simply because they don’t study very well in that way. If you gave them a pamphlet that listed your presentation step by step it might be a different story – it all depends on which way they tend to learn.

That’s where individual learning can really be a winner. Provided there is a supportive framework in which the whole thing works, there is no reason to suppose that better results can’t be obtained, and motivating staff won’t become a lot easier.

It would be wrong to say that each individual employee will be totally alone though. A good move would be to start motivating staff to take on learning opportunities to grow and develop their skills during the coming weeks and months. The idea can also be brought up during discussions about their personal development plan; if you can identify the best ways of learning in their individual case, then you will be able to steer them in the right direction for making the most of every learning opportunity which comes their way.

© Copyright Hannah McNamara

SME Academy offers a range of in-house courses which are tailored to the requirements of your staff. Find out more.