海角直播

Supporting Tees Valley businesses to scale up and grow

DigitalCity is launching its annual SCALE Programme next month (February) to support mature digital and tech companies to grow their business.

Applications are being invited for the DigitalCity SCALE programme funded through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).* SCALE is aimed at mature digital and tech businesses who have been trading for around two to three years and who are undergoing or planning a growth period, which could include developing a new product or service, exporting internationally, or taking on debt or investment.

It is intensive, fun, action-focused and challenging, with the aim of helping companies grow their business and increase their profitability.

Each week participants will hear from inspirational business leaders who have been on their own entrepreneurial journey, sharing their insights and experience, their successes and failures, and the lessons they learned along the way.

Participants are also supported by a dedicated business mentor to formulate a bespoke action plan and ensure their aspirations are turned into reality. DigitalCity run one SCALE programme each year with the next SCALE Programme beginning in February 2023.

Topics will include:

• Design thinking - customer journey mapping, experimentation and collaboration-based culture
• Service blueprinting & IP 鈥� value proposition, lean start-up principals and implementing innovations without risk
• Leadership and management 鈥� importance of values and culture, a leader鈥檚 future vision, communication and the art of delegation
• Strategy 鈥� best practices for competitor differentiation, importance of tools, goal setting, customer promises and communicating your strategy
• Sales and marketing 鈥� identifying customer base and how this links to profitability and targets
• Execution 鈥� exploring measurements and the role of governance, meeting rhythms and KPIs
• Cash finance 鈥� exploring critical topic of cash and different cash options

Former SCALE participant Trevor Platt, from Billingham-based software solutions company Nicander, said: 鈥淪ince participating in SCALE, we鈥檝e had our most successful years so far. We鈥檙e doing all the things DigitalCity encouraged and taught us to do, like doubling the size of the team, alongside two internal promotions.

鈥淲e have a much clearer business plan and we have implemented an improved commercial business structure and have a more detailed understanding of our technical and financial performance.鈥�

David Dixon, Digitalisation for Growth Manager at DigitalCity, said: 鈥淚f you know that there is much more opportunity for your business to exploit, but you are struggling with how to achieve balancing the day-to-day running of a business while planning for tomorrow, then DigitalCity SCALE is the perfect place for you.

鈥淲e will provide you with the tools, the mentors and the challenge to help you catapult your business to success.鈥�