Abbey Telecom in Blackburn has been quickest off the mark to become the inaugural participant in the Propel initiative, which is to boost performance in Lancashire SMEs over three years old.
Part funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) 2007-13, Propel brings project beneficiaries a range of tailored business support services and strategies for further success.
Delivered by commercially experienced employment solutions specialists Vedas Services Ltd, it will provide Abbey Telecom with bespoke staff profiling to assist with personal development, leadership and talent management.
“Propel has been developed to support the needs of sole traders, partnerships and limited companies across all industries and sectors, with priority to businesses like Abbey Telecom which have high growth potential to generate employment,” explained Andrea Wallace, business development manager at Vedas Services Ltd.
“It’s going to help businesses with fewer than 250 employees which are determined to achieve further success and will give them a springboard for growth.”
Abbey Telecom managing director Tony Raynor added: “We’ve been in business for twenty years so we don’t usually qualify for this sort of match funded support. Our maintained base of telephone systems grows annually but we show a steady increase rather than risky high growth.
“Propel will help us to accelerate our development and give businesses like ours the chance to put themselves in a more competitive position without a huge outlay.
“It’s crucial that the local economy benefits from business support programmes which serve not just start ups, but also established companies which have been around for a number of years and are looking for further growth.”
Propel is specifically aimed to enable investment for growth and harness innovation, competitive performance and employment opportunities for the benefit of Lancashire businesses and the wider community.
Beneficiaries can also receive specific sector support to improve business processes and technical advice on market share analysis, innovation and competitive advantage.