Tag: small business

City Growth Strategies

Advisory role as member of national Resource Team (2002-04) for City Growth Strategies (CGS) – a national pilot programme, funded by the Small Business Service of the Department of Trade and Industry (now BIS). CGS promoted a market-led approach to turning round disadvantaged areas, concentrating on economic potential rather than social problems. Key features included: giving business a leading role in strategy development; ensuring a robust evidence base; and capitalising on business clusters to drive productivity improvements and local prosperity.Treasury and DTI backing for CGS was inspired by Michael Porter and Initiative for a Competitive Inner City (ICIC) in the USA. The national CGS programme sought to spread lessons from the pilots and draw on US ideas and experience.Nottingham, Plymouth, St Helens, and four parts of London were selected to take part in the first round in 2001, followed in a second round by Derby, Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool, Luton, Manchester, Portsmouth, and three more parts of London.Overview of CGS prepared for Renewal.net ( pdf  83KB), plus case studies of Nottingham ( pdf  76KB) and St Helens ( pdf  84KB).

Permanent link to this article: https://www.educe.co.uk/?p=207

Six Sigma and the Supply Chain

Six Sigma ( pdf 148KB) – summary of evaluation of an ESF supply chain development project in Leeds, led by GE Capital with local authority, college and Business Link partners.

The project involved the introduction of Six Sigma performance improvement and change management techniques to small and medium suppliers and training for front-line staff.

Permanent link to this article: https://www.educe.co.uk/?p=204

Business Support: Beacon Councils

Supporting business: what can we learn from the beacons?( pdf – 215 KB – a good practice guide based on the experience of the six ‘Fostering Business Growth’ Beacon Councils. Published by the Local Government Association (LGA).

The document looks at the roles that the Beacon Councils have performed in support of local business and the added value that they have created, before going on to review factors underlying their success. Whilst each area is very distinctive in terms of its industrial structure and community, there are common themes which help explain the difference they have made. The report finishes with a set of key messages for local authorities, central government and business audiences.

Permanent link to this article: https://www.educe.co.uk/?p=192