Head tutor thinks small firms are gold (From Northwich Guardian)

Head tutor thinks small firms are gold

8:30am Tuesday 11th September 2012 in News By Gina Bebbington

A BUSINESS guru is offering words of encouragement to independent retailers as she helps small companies pull the UK out of recession.

Whitegate woman Lily Newman has been appointed head tutor on a Goldman Sachs funded small business programme at Manchester Metropolitan University’s Business School.

She and fellow tutors on the programme, which was launched in Manchester in 2011, help small and medium sized firms get under the skin of their own businesses and learn what they are doing well, what they could do better and how they can achieve their goals.

“Goldman Sachs recognise that it is small businesses that will pull the UK out of the recession,” she said.

“A total of 78 businesses have been through our programme so far and we have got, without exception, fantastic growth.

“This is leading to more employment, mergers and acquisitions, companies breaking into new markets – what they have achieved has been just stunning.”

Places on the course, worth £20,000 each, are free for small business leaders who have more than five staff, have at least a year’s worth of audited accounts and who have a real growth intention.

Lily said: “It’s time to step out and celebrate what we are brilliant at and we are amazing at business.

“We have such an entrepreneurial spirit in the UK and it’s time to help those here in Northwich and the communities around us to unleash their entrepreneurial spirit.”

Lily certainly believes in Northwich and thinks the town centre still has a lot to offer.

“What I love about Northwich is that there are some quality shops, parking is free and there are still enough of the decent-sized stores to fulfill the needs you’ve got,” she said.

“There’s almost nothing I can’t get in Northwich.

“The other thing I love is the quality of people who run the smaller shops.

“I would say to them ‘be proud of who you are and what you do and be the best at what you do’.”

 

Factfile:

• There are five million private sector small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the UK.

• SMEs employ 22.8 million people in the UK.

• SMEs account for 60 per cent of all private sector turnover.