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Alliance Business School leads the way for fast growing businesses

30 Jan 2018

Alliance Manchester Business School has launched a new initiative targeted at ambitious growth businesses

Image of The Times Top 100 Graduates

The Scale-up Forum will provide a peer-to-peer network for ambitious scaling up businesses primarily but not exclusively located in the North West. 

The launch event attracted over 80 business figures from across the North West who discussed the challenges of fast business growth.

Key note speaker, serial entrepreneur and chair of The ScaleUp Institute Sherry Coutu, noted how scale-up founders and leaders have consistently told the ScaleUp Institute about the great value they derive from learning from their peers. “Strong, trusted peer networks between scale-ups can have a powerful impact on the performance of scaling up businesses”.

The challenges of business growth were debated by a panel of fast growing businesses, including founder and CEO of web hosting company UK FAST Lawrence Jones, leading app developer Apadmi, medical device company Crawford Healthcare and digital technology company 365 Response.

Fast growth companies face particular challenges: hiring talented employees; building leadership capability; accessing customers in new markets at home or overseas; and accessing the right combination of finance.

The Scale-up Forum will give businesses at all stages of the scale up journey the opportunity to share experiences and lessons with peers to mutual business benefit. It will also provide a platform for links to the internationally recognised talent, skills and knowledge of Alliance Manchester Business School and the University of Manchester.

Associate Dean for Business Engagement, Dr Andrew James, commented: “Alliance Manchester Business School recognises the importance of fast growth companies and we’re delighted to be leading this initiative. There will be more Scale-up Forum events coming soon addressing talent recruitment and retention; how to build leadership capability; and strategies for accessing new customers”.