Hillingdon businesses boosted with skills and mentoring

The GROWTH Hillingdon initiative, delivered by Hillingdon Chamber of Commerce, has been helping to upskill budding entrepreneurs, start-ups and small and medium-sized companies in the borough, with 206 businesses signing up to receive one-to-one tailored support since June last year.  

The ceremony, held on Thursday 6 February, at Heathrow Leonardo Hotel, celebrated the successes of participants, which has included companies landing new contracts, creating new jobs, opening new locations and winning industry awards.  

The programme's workshops and mentoring have supported businesses to get the most of online and offline marketing strategies to reach new customers, improve efficiency and productivity, and recruit and build a team with the right skills for success.  

Speaking about her experience of the programme, Ruislip-based participant Kate, of Kate Hoyle Hypnotherapy, said: "It was really rewarding, it's often difficult as a small business owner to find the time to look critically at your business, and the mentoring was a great opportunity to have someone provide a different perspective.  

"It's spurred me on for the year ahead to push my boundaries and continue to expand my business." 

 Laura Harrison, Director of Opal Lily, based in Uxbridge, said: "The support was valuable in helping me understand what I want to do next with my business. I'm now hoping to grow my income streams.  

"I want to develop an online course, but to provide me with the time and focus to achieve this I'll be working with Brunel University and Uxbridge College to create an ongoing placement programme. It means students can learn new skills while helping me with the daily running of the business, especially during the busy summer months." 

The awards were presented by representatives of Hillingdon Chamber of Commerce and Cllr Steve Tuckwell, Hillingdon Council's Cabinet Member for Planning, Housing and Growth, who also shared the council's plans for economic prosperity.  

The event additionally provided the businesses with an opportunity to explore their next steps for sustaining growth and to network with likeminded business owners.    

Cllr Tuckwell said: "We believe Hillingdon is the new business capital of London, with recent figures showing more businesses registering in the borough than anywhere else in the past year. 

"We want to capitalise on this growth by working with our partners, like Hillingdon Chamber of Commerce and those large multi-national companies we're proud to have in the borough, to support smaller businesses unlock new skills and opportunities as well as offering tailor-made support.  

"It's been great to hear about some of the success stories delivered as part of this programme. Helping businesses to sustainably grow and thrive boosts the local economy and creates more well-paid jobs for local people." 

The council is using £2.5 million UKSPF funding to drive economic growth, attract investment and provide a boost to local communities.  

Applications for the GROWTH Hillingdon programme close on Friday 28 February - to sign up or find out more, visit www.hillingdon.gov.uk/ukspf