Emma Parry, Work Psychologist Blended Learning for Business Development: A Case Study of Women-Owned SMEs Emma Parry, Work Psychologist

Accelerator Growth Programme For women running businesses in South Yorkshire (1-5 years) Funded by Business Link (South Yorkshire) Four learning sets – 5 women in each group matched by Inova

Hard skills modules: Business Strategy Marketing Employment Law The Blend- Part 1 Hard skills modules: Business Strategy Marketing Employment Law Finance and Accountancy

One to one in-depth sessions: The Blend- Part 2 One to one in-depth sessions: Business strategy Employment law Finance & Accountancy

Personality Profiling The Blend- Part 3 Personality Profiling Individual psychometric personality profiling Relationships with others Thinking styles Emotional involvement and reactions to stress & pressure

Mentoring Circles™ Running in between hard skills sessions The Blend – Part 4 Mentoring Circles™ Running in between hard skills sessions Strengthening learning outcomes Encouraging self-reflection and building confidence with developing the business

Hard Skills modules: Feedback “Brilliant day because it was predominantly discursive and very supportive” “It was much better (than I expected)” “It’s been totally positive and more fulfilling than I imagined.” “It has bettered them (my expectations) as I didn’t really have any but it was very informative and great fun”

Examples of Learning Outcomes Understanding USP (unique selling points) of your business Viewing the business as an outsider- gaining a more objective perspective Thinking of your business from a customers’ viewpoint How to work smarter not harder Importance of taking time out to develop your business strategy further Reflecting on business development to date Importance of maximising your strengths in business Importance of believing/having confidence in your product/yourself Importance of asking others for opinions and learning from others’ experiences Working towards developing a clear business strategy Other women in business have similar issues and it is very helpful to talk through these issues together Participants also benefited from self reflection, realising for example that they already have the answers they need, that they are still passionate about their business, that they work better with tight deadlines, or that being busy does not necessarily equal being stressed.

Overall Key learning outcomes Need to delegate and get help from others in order to grow the business New insights into planning and time management Progress made on areas such as refining business focus and pitching Many beneficiaries realised they had achieved more than they had previously thought  

Overall Feedback from participants  “Fantastic group dynamics – inspiring, energising, lots of good business advice. Helps enormously to keep the momentum going” “Very encouraging talking to everyone” “We are all experiencing the same problems / setbacks and are all eager to make what we are doing work better.” “Some incredibly frank and open discussions. Great relationships are developing” “I like the small number. I feel like I’m really sharing and learning from other journeys” “ Lovely group of ladies – very open and constructive”

The value of women-only provision. Lessons Learned The value of women-only provision. Multiple methods increase learning opportunities & outcomes. Importance of tapping into ‘experts’ who can bring business development topics ‘to life’ Resource intensive to organise a bespoke programme for individuals but the benefits are more sustainable

Summary: Benefits of a Blended Approach Peer learning through Mentoring Circles™ Mentor learning from an experienced woman in business Learning from experts in business ‘hard skills’ in group workshops Receiving intensive and individualised support

Hear What the Women Say about Mentoring Circles™... For more information on Inova’s projects and services for women starting up or developing a business: www.inovaconsult.com