Enterprise & Creativity workshops

We deliver "practical and inspiring" enterprise and creative thinking workshops. Engaging information, examples and ideas are combined with group and individual exercises, enabling powerful insights and direct application to your own developing innovation or business idea. 

 

Example workshops:  

Enterprise - could I, would I, should I?   Is enterprise an option you're considering?  This interactive workshop will help you to think it through, sharpen focus and assess how close to 'enterprise ready' you are and what you need to do to close the gaps.

The Big Idea   In this highly-interactive workshop you'll be introduced to a range of creative thinking techniques to generate and/or improve ideas and create a compelling business vision.

      Market research   You may have a great idea, but it's not a business until you have customers.  By the end of this session you'll be able to carry out your own customer and competitor research as well as analyse your industry and market trends. With those tools your business will start with a huge advantage. 

Getting and managing money  Does money drive you or is it just a way of keeping score? This session will help you put it in its place. We'll explore sources of funding and the lean start-up approach. You'll also be introduced to the fundamental financial aspects of running a business. 

Making it Happen In this creative and focused session you'll bring it all together in an effective and concise business plan. You'll also learn how to present your business, get on-going support and make the connections you'll need to start and grow a successful business.

Creativity Bites  Dip into creative thinking over breakfast or lunch!  Each snappy session immerses you in a different technique including: creative visioning, random links, art, metaphor and many more.

Other topics include:  Marketing & Sales; Social Enterprise and Social media marketing.  We can also put together bespoke sessions to meet your specific needs, recent examples include: team-working; strategy day (vision, mission & values); Implementation planning; legal structures for social enterprise; Becoming a Consultant.  

 

What delegates say 

"These sessions are great!  I like the small groups and lots of chances to apply the workshop to our own ideas".

"The creative thinking and group work was excellent.  It helped me to really think through and evaluate my business plan".

"I really appreciated the personality of the trainer, which encouraged me to participate, and the practical aspect of this program which gives me an insight of what I want to do".

"I liked the exercises that allowed me to think and consider the possibilities and the group sessions".

"I've had a lot of those sort of workshops but this one really succeeded in being both practical and inspiring".

"Excellent session and trainer. Practical application and very good presentation".

"Just a quick note to express a huge thank you for your invaluable contribution [in facilitating the workshop] on Wednesday.  I think we have all come away having found it hugely valuable and are now re-energised."

 

Business Mentoring 

Workshops can be complemented by 1-1 business mentoring sessions. Business mentoring is also available as a stand-alone service.

 

What is mentoring?

 "A helpful relationship based on an exchange of knowledge, experience and goodwill. Mentors help someone less experienced gain confidence, clearer purpose, insight and wisdom. In developmental mentoring, the mentor too is changed by the relationship". 

A business mentor supports mentees to develop their business vision, put it into practice and improve business performance.  All of the mentors we work with are trained and experienced business advisers or coaches, with substantial entrepreneurial experience, knowledge and networks.

Erika Watson is a highly experienced mentor and accredited business adviser, with particular strengths in working with women-led businesses and social enterprises.  Client feedback for Erika is listed below.  

 

Mentoring feedback

"I got so much from my mentoring sessions. I loved being able to mind map my plans and often look back at that map.  I found my mentoring sessions invaluable in helping me clarify where I want my business to go - and in working out what steps I need to take to make it happen".

 "You have the ability to get straight to the heart of what we are discussing and I come away with an action plan that I know will work".  

"Thank you for a really useful session.  I've even more to think about now than before and I feel energised by it.   Realisations happening all over the place.  Sign of a good mentor".

 "A great consultant, she has in depth knowledge based on her strong social enterprise track record. She is also great at relationship building and she has a high level of emotional intelligence."

"Erika has been a very sensitive and perceptive mentor for me, demonstrating patience and discipline as well as flexibility and insight, which was just what I required at a time when I was trying to work out how to formulate a freelance business of my own design with some tricky issues to resolve. Erika has very useful frameworks and systems which help to focus ideas and discussion and move it forward. She is also very friendly and accommodating. I was very happy with my choice of mentor and would willingly work with her again".