Member Article

Business leaders praise University's Covid recovery scheme

Small businesses have spoken about how a Coventry University scheme has helped them to thrive amid the impacts of Covid-19 and Brexit.

As the global pandemic led to new challenges facing many small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) last year, Coventry University’s Business School stepped up to offer its support.

Through the International Centre for Transformational Entrepreneurship and the Small Business Charter (SBC), the University delivered a free specialised Small Business Leadership Programme to support senior business leaders to help boost their organisation’s resilience and recovery from the impact of Covid-19.

The fifth and final cohort of business leaders have just finished the 10-week scheme, which provided support on a wide range of topics.

Gurdeep Lakhanpal, of Centre Tank Services, a supplier and stockist of fuel dispensing and tank equipment, said the programme contributed to the continued growth of the business amid impacts from Covid-19 and Brexit.

“The scheme helped us to see how we could maintain or even grow the business,” said Gurdeep.

“We had the double whammy of Brexit which impacted us because we deal with a large Italian manufacturer.

“The biggest benefit for me was that the programme opened my eyes from a sales point of view in reaching new markets.”

The online course - accredited by the SBC and funded by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy as part of a £20million package that the UK government is providing to help small businesses in the long term - offered eight 90-minute webinars, as well as a weekly workshop in smaller groups.

A range of topics were covered, such as innovation markets and branding. “It helped us identify or re-identify our brand for certain products to help get them out to certain new markets,” Gurdeep added.

“The module which had the biggest impact for me was on innovation markets.” For Duncan Kerr, Chief Executive Officer at Leamington Spa-based aerospace and automotive company Aeristech, the programme offered an opportunity to review the business.

“It helped us to analyse the business to show whether there was something missing in our capabilities or skillsets, or an opportunity we had not thought of,” he said.

“It prompted me to do something more pro-active about marketing and we subsequently recruited somebody.

“My main motivation for taking part was self-improvement and to make sure I’m improving myself as a leader and I’m not missing out on any skills.

“It helped me to think about aspects I need to improve and parts of the business that need addressing.”

John Li, of eXception PCB Solutions – a printed circuit board manufacturer – said the programme offered “new ideas and ways to think”.

“The course offered advice on a range of topics, including on aspects around how to manage our cash, our team and our customers,” he said.

“It proved really helpful, especially at a time when businesses such as ourselves are facing a range of challenges as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.”

Professor Yanguo Jing, Associate Dean in the Faculty of Business and Law at Coventry University, said: “In response to COVID-19, Coventry Business School (CBS) has made a transformative commitment to support economic recovery via expansion of its business support programmes, apprenticeship programmes and executive education provision.

“This SBLP programme is part of our offering to help SME leaders to enhance their business’s resilience and recovery from the impact of COVID-19.

“We are delighted to see that more than 90 SME leaders have been able to develop their management and business skills and to innovate and grow their businesses through this programme.”

Ian O’Donnell, Coventry University Lecturer who helped deliver the course, said that feedback from the programme had been “really positive”.

“As we emerge from the coronavirus pandemic, it is vital that small businesses are provided with support and expertise to ensure they can manage the impacts and continue to prosper,” he said.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Matt Joyce .