Case
Study
Skilful.co is online management training company based near Braintree. Their online training videos and resources aim to make management training engaging and enjoyable. With 63% of SMEs (small to medium sized enterprises) struggling with people management Skilful.co have filled this gap in the market with their tool to learn real life management techniques and professional skills in a simple and practical way.
“We had a dream that we could bring a genuinely fresh and unique approach to management development and do this online so that it focused totally on the learners.”
Dan Murfitt, CTO, Skilful.co.
Working with business support programmes
Over the last year Skilful.co has been working with the Essex Innovation Programme (EIP) and INVEST Essex, business support programmes run by Essex County Council, on projects to help the company to grow. During this time Skilful.co. has expanded to premises twice the size, incorporated new sales techniques and taken on new staff.
Why Skilful.co approached the Essex Innovation Programme
Skilful.co first approached the Essex Innovation Programme (EIP) looking for professional expertise to help them to grow their business. They were initially looking for ways to improve their product sales and lead conversion.
“It has been great working with the Essex Innovation Programme and INVEST Essex. Their insights and enthusiasm have been refreshing as we grow the business and we look forward to our meetings with any of the team.”
Angharad Jones, Managing Director, Skilful.co
How EIP helped the company
An Essex Innovation Programme (EIP) business mentor, from a team of experienced private sector business mentors working for EIP, worked with Skilful.co over several sessions to understand their business in depth and prepare a plan for growth. This involved many hours of analysis and discussion with Skilful.co to fully understand their business objectives and how they operate and to develop a bespoke plan for growth that would work for Skilful.co. From an understanding of their core business EIP were able to identify opportunities for growth:
- Helping Skilful.co to identify market opportunities to enable them to diversify into new markets
- Highlight areas to strengthen their existing business model
Working with INVEST Essex
The Essex Innovation Programme also introduced Skilful.co to Essex County Council’s inward investment team, INVEST Essex. INVEST Essex were able to offer Skilful.co advice on the best property solution for their needs when they realised they needed space in which to expand. After having been presented a number of property options the company have been able to relocate whilst still retaining a base in Black Notley, Essex.
“We have found INVEST Essex, Essex Innovation Programme and their mentors extremely supportive and helpful to Skilful.co and they have brought many new ideas, suggestions and a fresh perspective to our business.”
Bill McAneny, CEO, Skilful.co.
Gaining industry recognition
Skilful.co were gold award winners at the Essex Digital Awards 2016 in the ‘Website B2B’ category in association with Essex Chambers of Commerce. The Essex Digital Awards reward innovation and progressive thinking in businesses, individuals, events, charities, and educational establishments.
“Faced with a subject matter that can be dry and unglamorous, this design has been approached with a dynamic and professional eye, producing visuals that match the excellent content for user engagement.”
Judges, Essex Digital Awards 2016
Skilful.co were also one of three finalists in the Essex Business Excellence Awards 2016 in the ‘Best New Business’ category.
Future plans
As Skilful.co grow and scale, they will continue their business development work with the Essex Innovation Programme and their mentors. The company will look to improve their sales strategy and market share across key target sectors:
- SMEs (small to medium sized enterprises)
- Corporate companies
- Individuals signing up through the Skilful.co website
They would love to hear from other Essex-based businesses about their experiences of Management Development. To find out more, visit: http://Skilful.co
For more information on how to work with the Essex Innovation Programme see here.
Source [Skilful.co]
