Profile Solutions Blog

To support local business owners understand how Project and Risk Management tools & techniques can help deliver successful change programmes. Chester based Profile Solutions and NTI (New Technology Innovative), part of the University of Chester. Have teamed up to bring a series of one day workshops to increase awareness of these key business tools. This includes a workshop designs to support the Small Business Owner in the use of Project Management tools and techniques.

Project Management Awareness Day

Careful management of projects is essential if one is to keep costs under control, manage resources better and deliver products on time. PRINCE2 is the de-facto world standard in project management and this workshop will give the delegate a thorough grounding in the fundamental concepts of this well-known methodology.

The workshop will explain how the various concepts within PRINCE2 can be tailored to meet an individual organisations requirements, and how the roles and responsibilities are defined. This day will not only clarify how PRINCE2 works, but also set the delegate up for taking one of the formal qualifications.

    27th September – Burton Manor, Neston, Cheshire, CH64 5SJ – more details
    26th October – Burton Manor, Neston, Cheshire, CH64 5SJ – more details

Project Management for Small Businesses

It is a common belief that project management is only for large organisations, and is time-consuming and inflexible. Our template, however, is designed to bring all the power of PRINCE2 to small businesses, making them more efficient and well-organized. PRINCE2 is the de-facto world standard in project management and this workshop will describe the process and explain how you can take advantage of the University of Chester’s unique scheme.

The workshop will explain how the various concepts within PRINCE2 can be tailored to meet the unique requirements of a small business. This day will not only clarify how PRINCE2 works, but give you a template with which to set-up new projects and monitor their progress.

    30th September – Burton Manor, Neston, Cheshire, CH64 5SJ – more details
    2nd November – Burton Manor, Neston, Cheshire, CH64 5SJ – more details

Risk Management Awareness Day

The recent financial crisis was just the latest in a series of such crises. Poor risk management was a major factor in all of these crises, focusing attention on how effective risk management can support better decision-making for all types of business.

The day focuses on an overview of the Management of Risk (M_o_R) guidance and how it can be applied in real situations. Exercises and workshops are included to support the learning experience, and to help participants understand how M_o_R can support better informed decision-making in their own organizations.

    21st September – Burton Manor, Neston, Cheshire, CH64 5SJ – more details
    20th October – Burton Manor, Neston, Cheshire, CH64 5SJ – more details

Workshops are £175+VAT per person. Multiple bookings and membership (thebestofchester and VCC) discounts available, please call 0845 838 6748 for details.

The following Lean and Six Sigma Awareness Workshops are also available:

- Lean Awareness Day
    Friday 22nd October 2010 – Burton Manor, Neston, Cheshire, CH64 5SJ – more details
    Friday 19th November 2010 – Burton Manor, Neston, Cheshire, CH64 5SJ – more details

- Six Sigma Awareness Day
    Friday 29th October 2010 – Burton Manor, Neston, Cheshire, CH64 5SJ – more details
    Friday 19th November 2010- Burton Manor, Neston, Cheshire, CH64 5SJ – more details 

To book your place please call, or for more information, please call 0845 838 6748 or email info@profilesolutions.co.uk

To support local organisations understand how Lean and Six Sigma tools & techniques can help business performance and world class best practice. Chester based Profile Solutions  and NTI   (New Technology Innovative), part of the University of Chester. Have teamed up to bring a series of one day workshops to increase awareness of local businesses to these tools.

Lean Awareness Day

Lean has been much maligned in recent times and as a result it has forced companies who have adopted lean to go the basics and put the customer back at the centre of their lean philosophy. Lean is a powerful philosophy that can truly transform organisations if you do the right thing as well as it focussing on doing things right.

The day will focus on giving all participants an overview of how lean can be applied in different organisations and functions. Using a combination of simulations, exercises and examples of real companies to help you explore if lean is right for you, how it can be applied and if you are already deploying lean what the next steps should be for your organisation.

Lean Awareness Day – Friday 17^th September 2010 – Burton Manor, Neston, Cheshire, CH64 5SJ – more details
Lean Awareness Day – Friday 22^nd October 2010 – Burton Manor, Neston, Cheshire, CH64 5SJ – more details
Lean Awareness Day – Friday 19^th November 2010 – Burton Manor, Neston, Cheshire, CH64 5SJ – more details

Six Sigma Awareness Day

Six Sigma is not as popular as it used to be and now lean is the flavour of the day. Six Sigma is a very powerful change methodology that can deliver significant benefits to any kind of organisation, especially complex organisations. Unlike Lean, Six Sigma is a focussed analysis, programme management and deliverable focussed approach which may suit organisations that recognise the need for more structure or a deeper level of problem identification and resolution from their change programmes.

The day uses a combination of simulations, exercises and examples of real companies to help you explore if six sigma is right for you or whether a blended approach using other change management tools may be right for your organisation.

Six Sigma Awareness Day – Friday 24^th September 2010 – Burton Manor, Neston, Cheshire, CH64 5SJ – more details
Six Sigma Awareness Day – Friday 29^th October 2010 – Burton Manor, Neston, Cheshire, CH64 5SJ – more details
Six Sigma Awareness Day – Friday 19^th November 2010 – Burton Manor, Neston, Cheshire, CH64 5SJ – more details 

Workshops are £175+VAT per person. Multiple bookings and membership (thebestofchester and VCC) discounts available, please call 0845 838 6748 for details or email info@profilesolutions.co.uk .

The following Project and Risk Awareness Workshops are also available:

- Introduction to Project Management
   27th September – Burton Manor, Neston, Cheshire, CH64 5SJ
    26th October – Burton Manor, Neston, Cheshire, CH64 5SJ

- Project Management for Small Businesses
    30th September – Burton Manor, Neston, Cheshire, CH64 5SJ
    2nd November – Burton Manor, Neston, Cheshire, CH64 5SJ 

- Introduction to Risk Management
    21st September – Burton Manor, Neston, Cheshire, CH64 5SJ
    20th October – Burton Manor, Neston, Cheshire, CH64 5SJ

To book your place please call, or for more information, please call 0845 838 6748 or email info@profilesolutions.co.uk

NWDA Launches Second Phase of Business Mentoring Programme

From today small businesses across the Northwest can benefit from free group mentoring to help improve their business performance, as the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) launches the second phase of its Business Mentoring programme.

Designed to help leaders and senior managers of small businesses to develop their leadership and management skills, group mentoring will be delivered across the region by a network of highly experienced mentors.  It will enable a group of up to eight clients to meet monthly over a six to nine month period in order to mentor each other by exchanging ideas, experiences and learning with the support of a trained mentor. 

Topics covered during the sessions will include leadership development, competency development, creative techniques and a tailor-made ‘role model’ session with a successful business leader or entrepreneur.

The sessions will help group members to improve their business performance through addressing issues currently facing them within a peer mentoring environment and to share their good business practice and techniques, together with their approaches to effective leadership.

Free of charge, group mentoring is aimed at leaders and senior managers of small and micro businesses that have been trading for more than a year, with an annual turnover of less than £500,000 and up to 10 employees.

NWDA Chief Executive, Steven Broomhead, comments:

“We’re looking to develop the next generation of leaders in the region and our quality Business Mentoring programme will help to nurture, guide and develop talent in small businesses across England’s Northwest.

“We’ve had a tremendous response to one-to-one mentoring since the programme was launched last year and group mentoring will give leaders and senior managers of small businesses who might not yet be ready for one-to-one support to receive invaluable help.  Group members will collectively support each other, whilst developing and creating innovative ideas in a facilitated environment, so maximising the effectiveness of this mode of delivery in the region.”

The NWDA introduced its Business Mentoring programme in September 2009 with the aim of establishing 3,000 quality mentoring relationships over a three-year period. In addition to the newly launched group mentoring, one to one mentoring is also available, with e-mentoring scheduled to follow later on this year.  Part of the Government’s ‘Solutions for Business’ portfolio, the scheme is the largest of its kind dedicated specifically to meeting the needs of small businesses in the region and will deliver high quality mentoring in accordance with a regional quality framework.  A number of specialist providers from across the Northwest are responsible for delivering the programme.

Business leaders and senior managers wishing to apply for group mentoring should contact Business Link Northwest on 0845 00 66 888 or at www.businesslinknw.co.uk/mentoring

Profile Solutions are proud to be delivering this programme for Businesses based in Cheshire. If you need to know any more information, you can also email us direct at mentoring@profilesolutions.co.uk.

Businesses with over 5 employees in the North West, can still benefit from the NWDA funding for coaching / training to a value of £1,000 per person.

Although worth noting that the funding structure was changed at the end of December 2009, for future review at the end of Q1/2010. Currently only one person per business (typically the Owner / Director / Senior Manager) can access the first level of funding. Which still allows these people to gain the full £1,000 for training or business coaching / mentoring.

This is based on the first £500 of the training being fully funded, then the next £1,000 of spend being match funded (50%).

For example, training or coaching programme costing £1,000, could be funded by £750 via NWDA and £250 by the Business.

Or a £1,500 programme could be funded by £1,000 via NWDA and £500 by the Business.

As a general rule of thumb you will need to have over 5 employees and based in the North West (Chester and Ellesmere Port eligible postcodes are CH1, CH2, CH3, CH4, CH64, CH65, CH66) and not accessed this funding to date.

When you are reviewing your training in 2010, it is highly recommended you look into this as an option to support your personal, senior management team and business growth.

We are hoping in April 2010, this offer will be extended for Businesses who have accessed this first stage funding for additional 5-6 employees in the same business to be eligible for this funding. So worth getting the process of accessing the funding in progress sooner rather than later.

Remember that this funding can also be used for Coaching in your business (maybe for development of business plans, sales or leadership development) and Higher Education (on a match funding bases only).

If you want to discuss how Profile Solutions can support in delivery of your training or business coaching needs, as well as accessing the funding in areas such as Leadership Development, Interpersonal Development, Change Management, Customer Excellence or PRINCE2®, please give me a call direct on 07977 090 767 or the office on 0845 838 6748.

Warm regards, Steve

For more information on Profile Solutions Limited, click here.

I remember running one workshop where within a group of employees one lady in the group said she had never run a project. At that point I noticed the wedding ring on her finger. After confirming that she was indeed married, I asked “Who arranged the Wedding?”, she soon confirmed she did, and in her words “Wouldn’t trust her Husband to do that!”. When asking further about the day, she also confirmed, that she had a budget (which she kept to), time schedule (to the minute on the day!), risk management (seating of families), specification (dresses, flowers, cake, etc), communication process for stakeholders (venues, suppliers, friends and families) and even risk management (pilot for the day with a rehearsal and pack-up on the catering).

Needless to say, she then realised she has indeed run a very successful project, all be it without the framework we then outlined in the workshop.

This is just a real life example of when Project Management skills are called on. Project Management skills are fundamental if you are involved in any level of management and essential if you run a business.

The ability to run business changes, new initiatives, promotions, events, capital expenditure, business proposals, etc; all involve change and need to be managed correctly in the core areas of Project Management:

• Time – What are the key milestones and dates that need to be met? How long is the project to run for? How and when do we have reviews?
• Cost – Is there a budget for this project? Do we have the funding? Are there contingencies if costs increase? Have we got the required resource for success?
• Specification – What do we want to achieve? What does success look like? How are we going to monitor the outcomes?
  
• Risk – What are the possible risks? How are we going to deal with these if they arise? How will we pilot the project?
• Communications – Who are the key stakeholders? How are they going to be updated?

This is just a short list of the areas, which will need considering on a successful change programme.

If you want to review your approach to Project and Change Management in your business please use our FREE Project Management Health Check, then call us on 0845 838 6748, if you need support or employee training on your change programmes.

Profile Solutions are based in Chester and specialise in supporting Businesses in Project and Change Management from SME’s & start-ups (creating a business strategy for success), to larger organisations by deploying bespoke Project Management Frameworks and documentation for delivering Business Objectives. Remember you may also be eligible for some funding towards training, please click here for more details.

See our online brochure for more details.

To get in contact and find out more, please email Steve Nicholls on steve@profilesolutions.co.uk or call us on 0845 838 6748.