Business Support Case Study: Insley Consulting
About the business
- Business name: Insley Consulting
- Support programme: Big Ambitions Essentials
- Participant name: Emma Insley, Director
Insley Consulting helps charities and social enterprises ensure their big ideas have a sustained impact. They are passionate about helping social purpose organisations to measure and demonstrate their impact.
Why they signed up to the business support programme
There was a downturn in business due to the condition of the economy. Emma sought support from the Big Ambitions Essentials programme to help navigate these challenges, develop strategies to improve their business and increase sales.
What support they received
Emma received a range of support through participation in the Big Ambitions Essentials programme. This included a mix of one-to-one support and participation in training sessions.
Emma worked directly with an Action Plan Advisor, Chris Dowling, with an initial one-to-one action plan meeting. Specific topics discussed included how Emma and her team work with charities to evaluate their performance and finances. The meeting also covered the challenges Emma was facing, including a downturn in business due to the economic conditions.
The specialist support provided focused on strategy and business model, and specifically involved discussions on Emma's plans, her company's market position and their in-house marketing efforts, including website content and social media.
How this has helped the business
The strategic guidance and support provided, which focused on strategy and business model, had a positive impact on the company's ability to secure new projects.
Furthermore, the programme facilitated a review and update of Emma's targets and objectives as these new orders were received, indicating a more dynamic and responsive approach to her business planning.
The discussions around Emma's market position and in-house marketing efforts, along with the consideration of sales for her unique impact dashboard and retainer package, helped Emma to refine her business strategy and explore new avenues for growth.
Wider benefits from supporting this business
The support indirectly benefits the charity sector by ensuring that these organisations can continue to access expert evaluation and financial guidance.
The support provided by the Big Ambitions Essentials programme not only directly benefited Insley Consulting through improved sales and strategic clarity but also has the potential to create wider positive impacts by ensuring the continued operation and potential growth of a business that provides crucial services to the charity sector, ultimately contributing to the more effective operation and impact measurement of these organisations.
The support has been great at helping me to identify new revenue streams and keeping our focus on the sales pipeline. We have recently won several new contracts and our financial position is looking much healthier. The training provided was excellent too, and will help us to strengthen our market position further.
Emma Insley
Contact
For more information on the business support programmes provided by East Sussex County Council, contact the Economic Development Team.
Economic.Development@eastsussex.gov.uk
Big Ambitions Essentials is a specialist support programme for East Sussex businesses, offering one-to-one support and participation in group-based sessions with expert business advisors. It is fully funded by the UK Government and is delivered by Digital Islands on behalf of East Sussex County Council, who manage and support the programme.
