Exemplas

Hitting All the Right Notes: How West Yorkshire Business Boost Helped JHS Expand Globally 🎸 We're excited to share how West Yorkshire Business Boost supported John Hornby Skewes & Co Ltd (JHS) in amplifying their international presence! Since 1965, JHS has evolved from a guitar distributor to a global powerhouse with 60 brands and thousands of product lines. While exports already represent 30% of their business, breaking into emerging markets presented significant challenges. The Export Journey: Our expert team provided JHS with: 🌎 Free export advisory services to develop targeted action plans 💰 £2,000 match-funded export grant making international opportunities accessible 🛩️ Strategic guidance pivoting focus from South America to a key Shanghai trade show 🧠 Specialized export workshops to upskill their international team The Harmonious Results: ✅ Secured new customers in China, the Philippines, and the UAE ✅ Revitalized fading client relationships ✅ Expanded business in Chile, South America, Canada, and India ✅ Projected 20% growth in international business this year ✅ Plans to expand their international team to meet growing demand As Paul Smith, Managing Director at JHS, notes: ""The support we've had from West Yorkshire Business Boost has been excellent – they very quickly understood us and what we wanted to do. Without the advice and funding, I don't think we would have gone to the trade show. That support de-risked the trip and took the pressure off us. Now, not only have we secured new customers, but it's put us back on the map."" Read the full case study here: https://lnkd.in/e-8ezWtN The West Yorkshire Business Boost project is being delivered by Exemplas and key partners and is funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF). In West Yorkshire, the West Yorkshire Combined Authority leads the implementation of the Fund as part of the Mayor’s ambition to make West Yorkshire the best place to work, learn and live. #ExportSuccess #InternationalTrade #MusicIndustry #BusinessGrowth #WestYorkshireBusiness

Driving SME Growth: The Blueprint for Effective Business Support Our latest insight paper in partnership with Leeds Beckett University unveils a research-backed Blueprint for driving productivity and growth in SMEs! At the core of effective business support lies the productivity-growth nexus. Our research shows these elements are interdependent - you can't effectively support one without addressing the other. The Blueprint identifies critical elements for success: ✅ Structured diagnostics to identify precise needs ✅ Expert coaching for knowledge transfer ✅ Deep organizational engagement ✅ Formalised productivity and growth management practices The impact speaks for itself: • 98% of participants applied productivity concepts to other areas of their business • Almost zero dropout rates from start to completion • Measurable productivity improvements in follow-up studies In today's challenging economic landscape, this Blueprint offers a proven pathway to support SMEs in becoming more productive and growth-oriented. Download our full insight paper "From Insight to Impact: A Blueprint for Supporting SME Productivity and Growth" at https://bit.ly/40yr0ME to learn more. #BusinessGrowth #SMEsupport #Productivity #EconomicGrowth Dr Ollie Jones Rob Sale Martin Coats

🏢 The Economic Weight of Small Business 🏢 As of November 2024, the UK is home to 5.5 million businesses, with a staggering 99% qualifying as Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs). 🔍 These businesses aren't just numerous – they're economically vital, generating a combined turnover of £2.7 trillion, representing 51% of the UK's private sector turnover. 💰💼 Despite their outsized economic contribution, policy discussions often gravitate toward macro-economic levers. ⚖️ While these are undoubtedly important, we believe there's a compelling case for giving equal weight to micro-economic factors that directly impact SME performance. 🚀📊 #SMEs #UKBusiness #EconomicGrowth #UKEconomy #SMEsupport #EconomicImpact Source: Department for Business and Trade, "Business Population Estimates for the UK and regions 2024: statistical release" (November 2024). UK Government. Available at: https://lnkd.in/geqihFYs

In January, we hosted our 'New Approaches to Supporting SME Productivity and Growth' event at The Knowledge Exchange (TKE) at Leeds Beckett University. The event showcased our valuable partnership with Leeds Beckett University and the Insight Papers we've co-developed—bringing together academic research and delivery expertise to design grassroots SME business support programmes that drive growth and productivity at the local level. We're delighted to share feedback from one of our speakers Adam Bennett. This testimonial perfectly captures what our event aimed to achieve: creating a place where tangible results and real business transformation can inspire others. To find out more - read our Insight Paper on understanding business productivity: https://bit.ly/3W4KxkZ #productivity #growth #SME #westyorkshire Martin Coats Rob Sale Dr Ollie Jones

With economic growth at the top of the government’s agenda, tackling the UK’s productivity puzzle has never been more critical. While macroeconomic policies—investment, planning reform, and industrial strategy—set the economic climate, productivity and growth will be driven by what happens at the firm level, particularly for SMEs, which make up the backbone of our economy. Since 2023 Exemplas has been working in partnership with Leeds Beckett University, on behalf of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, design and deliver business support programmes helping SMEs become more productive and grow. These programmes, have involved the deployment of research validated frameworks and tools, allied with advisory support, at scale within West Yorkshire. Together we have published a series of four Insight Papers, which analyse data from delivery of these programmes and identify trends and emerging patterns that point to the common issues holding back SME productivity and growth. 🚀 Key Findings ✅ SMEs focus on increasing output rather than just cutting costs, but hesitate to pursue growth due to concerns about meeting increased demand ✅ Firm-level support should help businesses balance increasing throughput while growing market demand ✅ Critical SME knowledge gaps include flow management and sales/marketing coordination ✅ Firm-level support must develop core capabilities, especially planning and change management ✅ Programmes need robust diagnostic dialogue and structured advisory support engaging personnel across the business 🚀 Impact Our programmes with Leeds Beckett University have supported 600 SMEs with research-validated approaches, resulting in: ✔️ 98% of businesses applied learning beyond the programme ✔️ 95% took action to boost productivity or growth ✔️ Measurable improvements in bottom-line productivity. 🔄 Scaling Regionally and Nationally The approach we have been delivering in West Yorkshire could be scaled into other regions or nationally, working alongside other new university partners in different regions (who would work alongside Leeds Beckett University), to generate measurable economic benefits. This could offer low-investment intervention which if scaled to a critical mass of businesses would generate impact in a modest time frame. Want to know more? View a summary of our Insight Paper below and here: https://bit.ly/3DenSg2 #productivity #westyorkshire #growth #SME

Over the past year, the Leicestershire Business Advice Service has provided those running or looking to start a business in Leicestershire with expert advice and access to workshops, tailored to their current business stage and needs. Funded by the UK Government via the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), through the district councils of Blaby District Council, Harborough District Council, Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council, Melton Borough Council, North West Leicestershire District Council and Oadby & Wigston Borough Council and delivered by business support experts at Exemplas. Our advisors have been hand-selected, with decades worth of combined experience, both working with and running their own businesses. Our experts are perfectly positioned to understand the unique requirements and challenges that SMEs face in today’s market. Together, we drive business success by offering tailored mentoring and coaching, with a focus on growth at every stage of the journey. Whether it's navigating challenges, enhancing strategy, or unlocking new opportunities, Exemplas have the expertise to provide SMEs with the insight and connections businesses need to thrive. The transformative power of the Leicestershire Business Advice Service is evident in its impact on local businesses. For instance, Harima, the owner of Tailored Taste, met with our expert advisor, Gau Naik, who helped her identify an opportunity for expansion by marketing her product range to a luxury international audience. This shift in focus allowed Harima to consider hiring additional staff to manage the increased business resulting from the heightened interest—all within just three months! Or, Anna Jeffreys, who rediscovered her passion for work after only a few sessions with our fantastic advisor, Chris Gueffier. Helping her to reignite her enthusiasm and hope for greater success by identifying ways to enhance her growth potential, such as improving her website and increasing organic traffic. After receiving this support, she mentioned that Leicestershire is filled with a community of businesses and that the LBAS organisation plays a vital role in bringing them together. Find out more about the service and its success in our video below ⬇️⬇️

❤️ Love is in the air... and so is productivity in West Yorkshire! This Valentines Day we're celebrating the perfect match with Exemplas and Leeds Beckett University in delivering the West Yorkshire Business Productivity Service on behalf of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority. Like all great partnerships, ours brings together the best of both worlds - Exemplas' expertise in business support delivery and Leeds Beckett University's academic excellence. Together, we're helping businesses boost their productivity and fall in love with more efficient ways of running their business. Our collaboration has created a service that's truly transforming businesses across West Yorkshire. From manufacturing to professional services, we're matching companies with the expert support they need to thrive. Find out more about this partnership in our four co-authored Insight Papers: https://lnkd.in/ei7MtgCs #BusinessSupport #Productivity #WestYorkshire #Partnership #ValentinesDay

Supporting SMEs isn’t just about offering advice—it’s about delivering meaningful, impactful change. As part of the partnership between Exemplas and Leeds Beckett University, we’ve identified six key delivery principles that drive the success of business support programmes. ⬇️⬇️ These principles aren’t just theory—they’ve been proven effective in programmes like the West Yorkshire Business Productivity Service, delivered on behalf of West Yorkshire Combined Authority. By fostering collaboration, reflection, and customisation, we’re helping SMEs unlock their potential and drive economic growth. 💡 Which of these principles do you think is most critical for success? Let us know in the comments! Want to know more? Access our Insight Paper: https://lnkd.in/eid4Xqs5

Trust Electric Heating a forward-thinking company based in Garforth, has leveraged the West Yorkshire Business Productivity Service (WYBPS) to support their ambitious growth and drive operational efficiency. Working with Exemplas and Leeds Beckett University, Trust Electric Heating embarked on a transformative journey to optimise their productivity and improve business processes. The result? Streamlined operations, enhanced staff training, and better resource allocation — all of which have helped them scale their team and meet increasing demand. 📈 Key Highlights: 🔹 Trust Electric Heating’s growth journey, from 17 to 37 staff in just 6 months 🔹 Optimisation of factory operations, leading to improved productivity 🔹 Insights gained from a user-friendly diagnostic tool, which revealed opportunities for process improvement 🔹 A strong company culture that drives success — “We hire for culture.” Olivia Hullah, Marketing Manager at Trust Electric Heating, sums it up perfectly: “Since working with the West Yorkshire Business Productivity Service, we have experienced significant growth in both total sales and productivity.” Read the full case study to discover how a tailored, data-driven approach can lead to real results for businesses. 📊💡 🔗 https://lnkd.in/edMRihJt 💡 Learn more about Exemplas’ and Leeds Beckett University’s co-authored Insight Papers on our productivity and growth work can be found on our website: https://lnkd.in/eYwcyyEf #BusinessGrowth #Productivity #Innovation #Sustainability #NationalProductivityWeek #CaseStudy #WestYorkshire #BusinessSupport #HeatingIndustry #Manufacturing West Yorkshire Combined Authority

Today is Inventors Day! 💡🚀 Innovation isn't just about brilliant ideas—it's about creating ecosystems that nurture and support inventors who can transform regional economies and solve critical challenges. Inventors are the backbone of economic resilience and growth. They: ➡️ Generate new industries and job opportunities ➡️ Drive technological advancements that solve real-world problems ➡️ Attract investment and talent to local communities ➡️ Create intellectual property that can sustain long-term economic development Regional economic success isn't about competing globally—it's about investing locally. By supporting inventors through: 💰 Accessible research funding 🤝 Robust mentorship programmes 💡 Collaborative innovation spaces 📈 Strategic skills development initiatives At Exemplas, we collaborate with a broad range of organisations to deliver business support contracts and grants. Our strong links with universities, chambers of commerce, incubation labs, and others, ensure that business owners get the tailored expert advice, and funding they need to grow. #NationalInventorsDay #Innovation #EconomicGrowth #RegionalDevelopment #Entrepreneurship #BusinessSupport