Cogito can provide coaching and support to existing small medium enterprises to help to improve efficiencies, especially access to training to performance against key business targets.  This includes support to engage with apprenticeships or to develop relationships with training providers.  The support available is provided by consultants with proven expertise in the topics outlined below:

Funding and policy
Making effective use of market analysis
Developing partnership and strategies for growth
Effective organisational needs analysis
Marketing
Sales and account management
Accessing training and development
Customer service

Cogito will help businesses facilitate their own performance improvement by providing assessment against relevant criteria (for example Investors in People )and then leading workshops or individual support sessions against an agreed action plan.  

Funding

Up to £1000 Training Grant
Leadership and management funding is available across all nine regions.
For more details contact Angela

Business Coaching for Growth (BCG) – one step closer to full roll-out.
The Coaching for Growth Consortium led by Grant Thornton has signed a contract to deliver BCG and is aiming to be fully operational by March 2012. BCG will provide small and mid-sized businesses with:

• dedicated and structured coaching support for
• up to 10,000 high growth potential businesses a year
• connect businesses to other relevant forms of support such as business angel networks, UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) or the Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS)

Find out more at www.businessgrowth.uk.com and watch this space as Cogito may have some more information on the offer in London and the South East. 

Resources

Cogito is developing a number of resources that will be available to support small business.
For other useful resources and links look at the Resources section.

See what useful information our friendly HSBC bank provides. At Cogito we are big fans of Dropbox cloud computing and this useful article gives some good tips.

Meanwhile for a useful online resource that is accessible check out:

	Growth and Improvement Service The new Growth and Improvement Service provides straightforward, practical ideas for people who want to generate more sales, increase profits, and save time and money. It provides you with access to practical videos, case studies, events and business support finders; and makes it easy to network and share challenges with other business owners.
	My New Business My New Business is a new service for those of you in the early stages of starting your business. With over 200 e-learning tutorials, quizzes and tools, and a personalisable start up task list, this service provides everything you need to know to get your business off the ground and plan for future success.
	Business Support Finder Use our updated Business Support Finder to find potential sources of help with starting, running or growing your business. It provides details of publicly-funded grants, loans or offers of expertise you may be entitled to, as well as details of publicly- or privately-funded business recognition awards.