Here, the Swindon and Wiltshire Growth Hub team explain how they are supporting businesses and delivering projects – despite the pandemic
When the pandemic hit the UK, businesses across the country had to swiftly adapt or be swept away in the uncertainty of the virus. So many businesses were unable to stay financially viable, as they struggled to reach their normal thresholds of income and activity.
Sadly, this was relatively common.
As the virus continued to tear into the country, individuals gave up on their businesses to protect what they had left. It was largely smaller, local businesses which absorbed the hit.
Businesses are fragile ecosystems, set within the larger ecosystem of the economy. The COVID-19 pandemic was an unforeseeable event, but adaption has always been necessary to human survival.
The Swindon and Wiltshire Local Enterprise Partnership (SWLEP) created the Growth Hub, to give expert guidance to those businesses who were in the grey zone – who risked losing their operations, with or without the pandemic.
Assembling a team of experts via remote recruitment, the Growth Hub came into existence within the pandemic. Since that moment, the team has yet to meet face-to-face. However, they have still been able to pioneer and deliver specialised support to local businesses.
The core message behind the Growth Hub is that local businesses are crucial, valued, and can thrive. The team has a range of experts in everything from HR to finance, meaning that small businesses can arm themselves with specialised knowledge and guidance – as opposed to a vaguer, less-engaging form of mentorship. The Growth Hub want to support SMEs as much as possible, pitching into the greater effort to Build Back Better across the UK.
To understand how their expertise is helping SMEs to survive and thrive, read all about their strategies and insights here.
