The Manchester Growth Company Business Growth Hub which works across the 10 combined authorities in Greater Manchester, including Oldham MBC, has introduced its new #Here for Business Programme aimed specifically at supporting businesses who have been impacted by the global COVID-19 pandemic.
In a recent pan European webinar “Policy Support for Industrial Resilience” – Philip Hargreaves, Head of Access to Finance at GC Business Growth Hub highlighted a few of the key elements of their business resilience programme which is dedicated to supporting local SMEs impacted by COVID-19. For details go to the Growth Hub website: www.businessgrowthhub.com/coronavirus
Project Mercury
As a way of positively reaching out to SMEs the team at GC BGH developed “Project Mercury” – an outbound telephony centre was created from scratch pulling in a team of 40 staff seconded from various parts of the Group.
A process was developed within days and team started to make outbound calls to clients almost immediately utilising a database of 25,000 SME names. The focus was on businesses who had never previously engaged with the Growth Hub.
So far the team has contacted around 11,500 SMEs providing information, guidance and support around finance, Government COVID-19 support schemes, sales and staffing matters to name a few.
Feedback has been extremely positive with many business owners appreciating the support and guidance offered.
In the initial weeks the focus was around helping businesses through lockdown – the emphasis will change going forward to a Business Recovery model focussing on – strategy – resilience – finance – staffing.
COVID-19 Business Survey
As part of the Groups ongoing Situation Reporting process, the Hub have also developed a COVID-19 Business Survey. This initially started out as a business resilience survey looking at the impact of BREXIT but was repurposed as the coronavirus pandemic took hold.
The survey asks businesses broad ranging questions around sales, cash reserves, confidence, trade and operational matters. Over 3,200 businesses have been surveyed with the data being used by both Local and National Governments to help formulate social and economic responses to the pandemic.
This is one of the largest surveys, of its kind, in the UK and has played an important role in helping GC Business Growth Hub to develop its plans for supporting local SMEs.
Since the survey began:
• 71% of businesses have reported a decrease in sales
• 33% have serious cash issues
• 56% have furloughed staff
Hargreaves also highlighted the broad range of support work completed by the Hub in supporting a range of initiatives including:
• Development of PPE
• Localised supply chain initiatives to promote SME interactions
• Information webinars
• 24/7 opening hours for Hub enquiries
• Grants administration for Local Authorities
