The Design Business Association and NESTA are pleased to announce the final list of design consultancies selected for the fast growth initiative Small / Medium / Large (S/M/L). Each company will receive an equal share of a subsidised programme of business strategy mentoring worth £50,000, which will be provided by creative industry investors Pembridge Partners LLP.
The Small/Medium/Large scheme is a collaboration between the Design Business Association, Pembridge Partners LLP and NESTA, offering a unique combination of strategic planning and business mentoring. The programme aims to assist those companies involved to grow in a fast, sustainable way and to create performance role models for the UK design industry as a whole.
The 8 companies selected for Small / Medium / Large are:
- Caulder Moore, London
- Clock Creative Communications, Bury, Lancashire
- Hoop Associates, London
- JAB Design Consultants, Liverpool
- N1 Creative, London
- Stand, Glasgow
- Stocks Taylor Benson, Enderby, Leicestershire
- Uniform, Liverpool
The benefits of Small/Medium/Large are clear for the design companies involved. Ben Davies, Director of Rodd Industrial Design, one of last year's S/M/L companies says: "For Tim (Rodd, Managing Director) and I, inclusion in the scheme meant that suddenly we had the ability to tap in to the kind of design industry expertise that would help us accelerate and sustain our long-term growth plans."
The programme addresses the vital need within the creative industries and the UK design sector in particular, for a better understanding of what it means to grow and develop a consultancy beyond that of a "lifestyle" business. Research completed by the DBA and Design Council last year showed that the UK design industry comprises a large number of fragmented and small design agencies.
This research also found a fundamental gap in awareness levels when it comes to the majority of UK design businesses addressing the issues of growth, performance and sustainability. This was evident in the fact that eight out of ten design consultancies employ less than five people and half of all design business owners have no long-term plans for their agency. Growth of those companies often reaches a certain level then stops - design consultancies with over 50 individuals are still the exception.
What seems to be a poor growth trend in the UK's design sector could be down to various issues such as a lack of commercial motivation, where commercial growth is perceived as "headaches" or "selling out". In addition a misunderstanding of management needs can affect the most entrepreneurial business if it is without tactical level or formal management skills. A shortage of distinct role models in the design industry and the unknown path of succession planning often means there are no well travelled exit routes for owner-managers wanting a way out from their design companies.
For the industry's success and longevity in a ever increasing global economy Small/ Medium/ Large looks to promote that business growth while looking to understand the individualities of such a creative service sector.
The design consultancies came from virtually all regions of the UK and ranged in size from two person firms up to close to the upper size limit of 20 full time employees: all companies in what the European Union calls the micro and small business category. Applications came from both DBA members and non-members. All the companies who applied took part in a 25-minute telephone interview and received a tailored profiling and benchmarking report indicating the issues that could be holding their companies back from where they want to be. The final eight design consultancies were selected from over 50 companies from across the UK and were selected on wide range of criteria including profitability, structure, commerciality and market awareness among others.
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