The Stepping Up Workshops
The Stepping Up Mentor
Focussed Help for Your Business
Gateway to Other Small Business Services Offered by DSRD
What Will it Cost?
Eligibility CriteriaUpcoming Programs
Stepping Up is a program which links small business owners across New South Wales to build profits, jobs and exports. It provides an opportunity to acquire new skills and develop growth plans and strategies, to better equip business owners to face the many challenges that today's highly competitive and rapidly changing global marketplace presents.
The NSW Government's Stepping Up Program provides established business owners committed to growing their business with access to an experienced business person, who assists to develop a profitable growth pathway for the business.
The Stepping Up Program recognises that after start-up, the next critical phase comes when a business owner has to decide how and when to commit resources to expansion. This is when a "voice of experience" can be invaluable, particularly a person with no conflict or vested interest.
The Stepping Up Program has two core components. The Stepping Up workshops on current business growth issues will be offered over 10 hours. Secondly, participants are matched with an experienced business person who mentors the business owner. Challenges for discussion with the mentor may be a business or marketing plan, a financial strategy, a production problem or a new market entry strategy.
Business owners who are accepted into the Stepping Up Program will participate in a business development program which is typically three to four months in length.
The Stepping Up Program offers long-lasting skills, networking with other business owners and access to an experienced business person to focus the issues and plans that will make a difference.
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The Stepping Up Program includes at least 10 hours of small group workshops and seminars on topics such as cash flow management, pricing and costing, marketing, risk management, strategic planning and innovation planning. The specific topics will be determined prior to commencement of each Stepping Up Program, to suit participants' needs.
The Stepping Up Program will match you to an experienced business person or mentor who has been screened and assessed by the NSW Government's business development agency, the Department of State and Regional Development (DSRD).
This mentor will be available to your business for at least 10 hours over the course of the program to help you develop strategies to overcome a business hurdle or pursue an identified business opportunity or market.
Your Stepping Up mentor can act as a sounding board to test or bounce ideas off. Your Stepping Up mentor can help you focus on the "big picture" issues that face your business, a task which is difficult when you are busy running a company.
What the Stepping Up mentor does not offer is professional advice or consulting services.
The Stepping Up Program is not a "feel good" personal coaching program. It is designed to help you resolve an identified business issue or pursue an identified opportunity. It will provide the opportunity to develop new skills that you can apply after the program has ended.
The Stepping Up Program is a gateway to the comprehensive range of services offered by DSRD. This includes:
The cost will be in the range of $500 to $1,000, depending on the nature of the Stepping Up group. The NSW Government will match each participant's contribution, up to an overall maximum for any one business of $1,000.
Eligibility Criteria
A client business must meet all of the following criteria to be accepted into the Stepping Up Program:
Not all eligible businesses may be accepted into the Stepping Up Program.
Upcoming Programs
Program Title Leading-edge: Reinvigorating Your Business Strategy Program Location Growth by Design, Ground Floor, 370 Catherine Street, Lilyfield, NSW 2040 Program Focus/Objective This program is for senior-level managers and self-employed business people seeking to generate a powerful relationship between strategy, business planning and implementation. Start Date 4 September, 2008 Duration 4-5 September + follow-up one-on-one mentoring. Eligibility NSW - based small, medium and large enterprise business leaders, established 2+ years, with a sales turnover of between $500,000 and $200M employing at least one staff in addition to owner. Contact Name for Further Details Peter or Jo Contact Email education@growthbydesign.com.au Contact Telephone/Mobile 02 9569 7188 / 0419 623 516 Web Address for Further Details www.growthbydesign.com.au
Program Title
Leading-edge: Reinvigorating Your Business Strategy
Program Location
Growth by Design, Ground Floor, 370 Catherine Street, Lilyfield, NSW 2040
Program Focus/Objective
This program is for senior-level managers and self-employed business people seeking to generate a powerful relationship between strategy, business planning and implementation.
Start Date
4 September, 2008
Duration
4-5 September + follow-up one-on-one mentoring.
Eligibility
NSW - based small, medium and large enterprise business leaders, established 2+ years, with a sales turnover of between $500,000 and $200M employing at least one staff in addition to owner.
Contact Name for Further Details
Peter or Jo
Contact Email
education@growthbydesign.com.au
Contact Telephone/Mobile
02 9569 7188 / 0419 623 516
Web Address for Further Details
www.growthbydesign.com.au
Program Title Strategic Franchising Program Location Department of State & Regional Development, Parramatta Program Focus/Objective Understanding strategic commercial and legal issues in developing and building a successful franchise business model. Start Date 11 September, 2008 Duration 11/19/26 September + follow-up one-on-one mentoring. Eligibility NSW-based SME, established 2+ years, with a sales turnover of more than $200,000 and employing at least one staff in addition to owner. Contact Name for Further Details Jon Hemming Contact Email jhemming@unitymanagement.com.au Contact Telephone/Mobile 9011 5220/0400 419 229 Web Address for Further Details www.unitymanagement.com.au