Member Article

Essex SME and start-up manufacturers offered mentoring

A new mentoring programme for SME and start-up manufacturing firms in Essex has been launched by IfM Education and Consultancy Services and Essex County Council (IfM ECC).

Over the next six months, mentoring will take place across 50 Essex-based manufacturing companies with fewer than 250 employees.

Companies who sign up to the scheme will be given free guidance and support by one of the IfM ECC team of consultants.

The scheme is part of the broader EIP INVEST Essex Innovation Programme, which supports entrepreneurs and companies with innovative products and services.

Dr Derek Ford, who heads the IfM ECS’s team supporting SMEs and start-up companies,said: “We are delighted to be working with Essex County Council on this programme. We have a team of very experienced practitioners who will be working with companies to improvetheir businesses and increase economic activity in the county.

“The team has a strong record of helping firms to grow revenues and profits – and of helping safeguard existing jobs and creating new ones.”

Recently, IfM ECS helped to deliver the Essex Manufacturing Innovation and Growth (EMIG) programme.Essex firm, RWO Marine, used the programme to help in the development of designs for a new product that provides a competitive advantage.

Managing Director, Ron Owen, explained: “We were very impressed by the standard of workprovided by the programme. A thorough review of the market was carried out by IfM Education and Consultancy Services which provided detailed analysis of the competition. Most importantly we were given an independent perspective on the development of the product.”

More information on the Innovation Programme can be found here.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Tom Keighley .