Russell-Richardson, based in Sheffield, were looking for support when they needed to move to a larger site in order meet client demand.
Emma Skelton of Russell-Richardson said: “We were initially looking at moving premises and were struggling to source funding options for the project. The move was us scaling-up and expanding in order to meet demand, so it was vital to our business.
“We were referred to the Sheffield City Region Growth Hub by our bank and were pleased to meet a dedicated advisor who came to meet us and talk about what we wanted to achieve, and how the Growth Hub might be able to help.
“From that initial conversation, the project continued to evolve, and we remained in close contact throughout the move, including meeting the wider Growth Hub team, who were able to say to us ‘OK, now you’ve moved – what next? How do you maintain the growth?’ which was something we really found valuable.
“We successfully applied for ISO project funding and also met experts who told us about Skills Bank. As a business, I don’t think we were aware of quite how much support was available to us. That initial conversation has led to lots of opportunities and avenues for upskilling, training and expansion. We can still see the potential of further support.
“We’ve attended Scale Up workshops and have more lined up. We found the workshops really useful. The main thing we wanted was help and advice; someone who can sit down with us review our infrastructure, and where we were compared to where we want to go.
“The surprising, but perhaps best thing we got from Scale-Up was the development of the peer group that formed within the workshop. It was enriching to meet people from different industries and different sizes of businesses and share ideas and thoughts. The network that has formed is something we want to continue.”
“Overall, Growth Hub has played an important part in our expansion. They helped with the funding for relocation, without that we wouldn’t have been able to move how and where we wanted, and progress would’ve been much slower.
“It’s been a rewarding learning experience; from knowing what support is available to learning new skills and approaches that we are now using in internal meetings. Growth Hub has helped us to ensure that our strategy is a core focus, and that what we do must be a part of achieving our strategy.
“Historically, we’ve been somewhat reluctant to accept external advice and inviting strangers into the business and divulging our aims and plans. But the Growth Hub has really opened our eyes and our horizons, and we’ve got a much more open view now.”
Any business searching for support to develop their business should contact our Gateway Team on 03330 00 00 39 or growthhub@sheffieldcityregion.org.uk to be signposted to the relevant support available.