Last month, our very own Katie Bolas 'cut the ribbon' on our new support services at our launch event - Gather Next Chapter. Revealing to the audience what’s available to businesses across the Liverpool City Region for the next couple of years:

• Outbound - A short course to help you secure the clients you want to work with.
• Emerging Leaders - A transformative programme for upcoming leaders to accelerate their personal and business growth.
• Beyond - 6-months of bespoke scaling support crafted with and for you.
• One-to-one advice - Confidential one-to-one support from experts who can help you move the dial on your biggest challenges or opportunities.

Since Gather began in 2020 it has become a thriving community of 180 businesses and as Katie shared that "the growth the community has seen is absolutely phenomenal and the part Gather has played in this has been an absolute privilege."

Gather businesses have increased turnover by £19.5m and created/protected 500 jobs. But while the stats speak for themselves, it was hearing first hand from those who have benefited that really brought home the impact to fellow leaders in the room.

How Gather has helped scaling businesses

Katie was joined on stage for a panel session by Kylie Reid from Hi-Impact, Paul Davies from Yozu, and Mike Heverin from SupplyWell, to discuss how Beyond has helped them to scale.

A key strand that emerged from the discussion was the benefits of the bespoke nature of the support. Kylie shared how Beyond helped them to “really unpick what the business needed to address and put steps in place for their next stage of growth.”

Yozu encountered a set of challenges after ten years of growth, during which they needed to find and convert new opportunities. As Paul shared, Beyond helped them "clarify the direction they wanted the business to take, identify the right new clients, and improve their approach to converting business."

For Supplywell, their immediate challenges revolved around securing funding for their next stage of growth. They collaborated with their growth consultant to develop a programme that suited their needs, and then worked closely with the consultant to better articulate their proposition and navigate the fundraising journey.

Actionable and accountable support

When a business joins Beyond, they are matched with a consultant that as Kylie put it, “means you have a critical and accountable friend who pushes you along”.

For Kylie, having support from someone with experience in the education sector was crucial. She shared how their growth consultant, Susanna Lawson, helped them return to the basics, leading Hi-Impact to completely restructure their senior leadership team and middle management while developing a new offering: STEM Live.

Paul credited his growth consultant, Freia Muehlenbein, with patiently guiding the "lively bunch" at Yozu from what felt like "ground zero" in terms of sales and marketing, and helping them build a strong pipeline. As a business that works on high-value six or seven-figure software projects, she assisted them in rethinking their pitching and project stages, making significant strategic changes, and repackaging their services.

SupplyWell entered Beyond with the challenge of achieving 25% month-on-month growth. While they were successful in reaching this target, the financial burden was very real. Mike shared how raising funds was "a drain on time, emotions, and the business," and they really needed someone to help him stay level-headed. They worked extensively on emotional intelligence, change management, and resilience in the face of inevitable setbacks. For Mike, the "more than monthly conversations" with his growth consultant, Jon Minchin, allowed him to gain real clarity of thought and articulate what they were aiming to achieve.

One to one coaching

The panel agreed that executive coaching was invaluable. Paul highlighted the significance of having someone who could 'cut through the nonsense' and offer an external perspective on challenges. He also emphasised that this support, at times, restored his confidence and energy, enabling him to step back into the chaos of running a busy agency.

Similarly, Kylie discussed how her coach, Grace Marshall, gave her a moment to stop and reflect on the type of leader she wanted to become. She also shared how 'as leaders, we don't always invest in ourselves, but having scheduled time to do so made a significant difference'.

As STEM Live continues to thrive at Hi-Impact, with Yozu attributing their 20% revenue growth to a new approach, and SupplyWell having recently secured their largest funding to date, the panel unanimously agreed that the Beyond programme was time well spent.

A community giving back

The on-stage action ended with a chat with Sarah Leech from Kerning the Gap, one of a number of social impact initiatives Gather has supported. Kerning the Gap aims to promote greater equality within the design industry, and Sarah shared how they are inspiring positive change in the Liverpool City Region through their mentoring programme.

The evening closed with a chance to network, meet the speakers, and take the opportunity to be the first to secure a place on Gather’s new programmes.

If you want to find out more about how Gather could support your business growth get in touch: https://gatherlcr.com/programm...