Ask the Local Expert

Our key role is to support businesses across the Coventry & Warwickshire Region with advice, guidance, introductions and more. We're here to act as a best-friend or external partner to your business, with an end goal to make your business stronger.

We understand that owning and running a business isn't easy, and there will be many challenges to face along the way. That's why we work with you continuously and at your pace to help you face those challenges head on.

As a business owner, we know that you don't have time to research business support avenues, understand public sector terminology and address every challenge your business faces there and then.

Once you engage with your Growth Hub Account Manager, we'll work with you to diagnose your current barriers to growth, create an action plan (prioritising key areas to focus on), and make meaningful introductions to help you overcome those barriers. Best of all, it won't cost you a penny!

Your Account Manager will work alongside you at your pace and keep you accountable to the agreed growth plan. We’ll ensure that you know what's available to you and how to access it. We keep conversations confidential and only signpost you through Growth Hub partner channels when you're ready.

If you have ambitions to grow, we're ready to support you. We've yet to find a case where we cannot assist in any way!

How Do You Find Your Account Manager?

As a team, we each have our own areas within the Coventry & Warwickshire Region that we're responsible for. However, with a wealth of knowledge, skills, and expertise across the team, we'll often seek support from our colleagues where we feel they might be better suited to answer particular questions or perhaps share common experiences. Essentially, even though you have a dedicated Account Manager, you still have access to the team's collective resource.

The easiest and quickest way to find your Account Manager is to answer a few short questions on our website about your business.

What's Expected of Your Business?

When you start your business support journey with your Account Manager, there are no fees or charges - the service is completely free. The only investment is time. 

All we ask from you, is that you dedicate the time to working with your Account Manager as much as we would for you. This might mean attending arranged meetings, working through agreed action plans, and keeping us in the loop of any significant changes. 

Finally, as an organisation that is publicly funded, it's our job to ensure the work we do makes a difference. Therefore, we will ask you to provide financial accounts each year, so that we can track performance and the difference our support has made. This is always stored confidentially and securely. 

How Does the Process Work?

The process is simple.

Once you've engaged with your Account Manager, they'll arrange a first meeting with you at a time that suits you. The first meeting will be to get to know you, your business and identify the challenges your business is facing. You'll get to know your Account Manager, their background and their approach.

Following this, we'll tap into our knowledge and together outline the best way forward. We'll then agree an action plan that works with your schedule and start working towards those goals. We'll then be there as a continual partner as long as you need us - we'll set regular review sessions to check-in and see how you're getting on.

What's The Advantage of Having an Account Manager?

A recent study outlined that businesses who have an Account Manager on board grow their business by an average of 7% yearly*.

A recent evaluation of Scottish Enterprise’s Account Management function examined the growth and productivity impact of ‘account managed’ firms under the scheme and found that firms that were account managed had 7% higher productivity growth than non-account managed firms*

But that's not the only advantage…

• Meaningful Introductions: this may be to other local businesses, partners throughout our channels or even public sector bodies.
• Voicing Your Concerns: as we work closely with local authorities and central Government, we can help voice your collective concerns and ensure they are fed back to policy makers.
• Access to Resources & Projects: With a wealth of knowledge in the team and resources such as FindItInCW, MadeSmarter West Midlands, Coventry & Warwickshire Employment Solutions, Uxplore and more, we'll always be able to find an avenue that could help you.
• Continuous Support: We'll support you through many of your challenges, the highs and the lows, for as long as you need us. Even if you haven't spoken to your Account Manager for a while, they're still just a phone call or email away.

If you're ready to start your journey, click here.

*Quote from the Business Productivity Review Document. See page 28-29, final bullet point.