Local SME leaders and managers came together to network and learn at the breakfast boost on Tuesday 27^th March, 2012. The event, held at the Burlington Hotel in Worthing, boasted its largest turnout yet with a wide variety of local businesses attending.

Whilst enjoying free tea and coffee and a choice of bacon sandwiches, pastries and fruit, delegates were able to meet like-minded individuals and promote their business in a profile through a free marketing powerpoint designed by boost.

Dave Cottrell, CEO of a busy SME and senior consultant at boost consultancy, presented a taster session of current organisational development thinking on how to improve your business conversations.  ‘The learning gave me sensible, relevant suggestions in a relaxed environment’ explains one SME leader delegate.

Spirits ran high when the winner of our free prize draw was announced as Nick Slimmon of SJA International. Nick was pleased to win the bottle of Chateauneuf-du-Pape and stated ‘I never win anything!’ Our next event will continue to hold a free prize draw so future delegates will be in with a chance to win, too.

‘The breakfast boost is a great way for SME leaders to take time out and have a fresh look at the way they think about their business’,  says Emma, boost manager. ‘We had a great turnout, and everyone enjoyed meeting new people, learning about new businesses and having a taster of the learning that boost consultancy offers’.

The next breakfast boost will be on Tuesday 12^th June, 2012. Please contact Hannah by clicking here or calling 01903 228093 to book your place. Places are already going, so book early.

This month we heard the fantastic news that a Big Lottery Reaching Communities bid for a client was successful, securing them £300k for the next five years. This means we maintain our 100% success rate with them, having already produced successful bids for the Transition Fund and Children in Need.

The youth work and advice charity, based in South East London, originally commissioned boost’s bid-writing services for a one year period. Working with them initially to identify funding priorities and develop a funding plan, boost has also helped the organisation to identify partnerships for European Social Fund programmes. We’re hopeful our winning streak will continue for the latest bid we’ve submitted, for £173k from the Social Action Fund.

The CEO of the charity says “After many years of doing our own fundraising in-house, we decided to give boost a try, since then we haven’t looked back. During the last 10 months boost have raised £420,566 for us - and we are still waiting for decisions on two further applications. Asking boost to co-ordinate our fundraising strategy has proved to be one of our best business decisions”.

Emma Hotston, boost manager says “We’re delighted to be able to use our bid-writing expertise to make such a significant difference to this charity. We have a number of ongoing bid-writing contracts and the feedback from our clients shows the main benefit to them is that they don’t have to commit to a permanent fundraiser’s salary. If we’re not successful for them, they’re under no obligation to renew the contract”.

Despite fierce competition for funding, 2011 was a great year for boost’s bid-writing clients, for whom we raised over £1m. 2012 is set to continue the momentum with bids scheduled in for DFID’s international programme, Comic Relief and the soon to launch Greater London Authority Youth programme. Phew!

boost held our January learning and networking event for SME leaders and managers at the Burlington Hotel, Worthing. Delegates came from all over Sussex, and boost had its highest attendance of delegates so far!

The breakfast boost was free to all attendees, and proved an excellent way to start the business day. Attendees networked with like-minded Sussex SME leaders and managers whilst enjoying breakfast.  The boost events are also about learning, and our speaker Dave Cottrell, senior boost consultant and CEO of asphaleia, presented the first of a three part series on mental models which was about crucial conversations.

“boost’s event was thought provoking and enjoyable. It enabled me to take some time out to reflect on my business and learn something new whilst making some great contacts,” explained one delegate, a Managing Director of an SME.

The first breakfast boost prize draw proved to be popular with delegates. Lydia Carey of ProTalent Limited was the proud winner of a bottle of Chateauneuf-du-Pape. There will be a chance to win the grand prize of a bottle of Chateauneuf-du-Pape for delegates at our next event, too.

“The breakfast boost is going from strength to strength with both new and returning delegates,” said Hannah, boost consultant. “The opportunity to learn about mental models and crucial conversations has been popular with local business leaders who would like to increase their knowledge and have a tasty breakfast at the same time.”

The next breakfast boost will be on Tuesday 27^th March and places go fast, with tickets already being booked. If you would like to book your place, please click here.