Lancashire County Council expand scaleup support service

New year, new way of doing business? Are you a business owner or manager looking to start the year with a new mindset and performance?

Two Zero is a business support service for scaleup business leaders in Lancashire. Led by Lancashire County Council, its mission is to help Lancashire's scaleup leaders learn, grow their business 20 percent and create jobs.

Following a high number of businesses expressing interest in the Two Zero programme, Lancashire County Council has announced it will provide funding for another 10 companies to take part, taking the total number of firms engaged on the Scaleup Leaders Network to 50.

Eligible businesses are being invited to apply to the programme now.

What is Two Zero?

Two Zero's Scaleup Leaders Network works with the owners and managers of fast-growing businesses in Lancashire through a combination of coaching and peer sessions, helping them to learn from other businesses on the programme over a 12-month period.

Businesses currently taking part in the fully-funded programme include Moorhouse's Brewery, Equestrian Surfaces, Hive Land and Planning and Red-Fern Media.

The Scaleup Leaders Network is delivered by Cube Thinking, a Lancashire-based high growth business consultancy which previously delivered Two Zero's highly successful Scaleup Resurgence programme during Covid-19.

The programme involves masterclass sessions on areas including strategy, accessing finance and Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) as well as one-to-one performance and leadership coaching and peer group sessions with other companies on the programme.

What does it involve?

• One-to-one performance and leadership coaching
• Group scaleup masterclasses including on key areas of strategy, accessing finance and ESG
• Peer learning with some of Lancashire's fast-growing scaleup companies
• 12-month scaleup business strategy reviewed quarterly with performance clinics

What they say about it

Justin Cove is director at Hive Land and Planning, a surveying and planning consultancy formed in 2018. He is currently taking part in the Scaleup Leaders Network.

He said:

"Our core offer is our quality of advice in all aspects of our work and our personal touch. We're focused on growth, with the critical path being recruiting the right type of person. We have two new starters in December taking us to eight and we've always thought of 12-15 staff as our sweet spot.

"My personal ambition is to help build a team structure that can support the long-term future of Hive and not be afraid to diversify. We saw the Scaleup Leaders Network as a great way to challenge ourselves and understand our capacity to embrace change, which we hope will bring about improvements in everything we do.

"The programme has already given us plenty of food for thought and opened our eyes about how a business like ours should plan for the future. I'm a firm believer that you can never stop learning and should always find new ways to innovate."

Selection criteria

Businesses must:

• be in Lancashire
• have 10 plus employees
• have a minimum of 20% growth in staff or turnover in previous three years with an ambition to accelerate

Businesses will be reviewed by a selection panel, and chosen in accordance to the selection criteria.

How to apply

Companies can apply for the Scaleup Leaders Network

Two Zero - Scaleup Leaders Network  

Application deadline: January 31, 2023.

Wider business support

For wider business support, such as financial, start up, development and recruitment, see our business support section.