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The latest group of agents and operators to take part in a business development programmes say their companies have benefited from a much-needed reality check. .jpg)
Ten agents and operators in London have just completed the Growth Programme, set up and run by management consultants Transitions, and subsidsed by ABTA and ITT. Twenty-four members of agency consortium Worldchoice have already taken part in the course, which offers five one-day sessions every two weeks. The course has a waiting list of 60 people in the industry. Worldchoice Human Resoures and Training Manager Sue Sharman, who listened to the group's final presentations at the end of the couse, said, "One of the main things this group said was that it gave them the chance to sit down and share information and ideas with peer groups. For our own agents it also helped with strategy and how to encourage staff to get involved in the busienss." The course is designed and delivered for businesses across all sectors, not just travel. Transitions director Shailendra Vyakarnam, also director of the Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning at Cambridge University said: "It started off for owners of small businesses. But we have now run the couse about 45 times, mostly in the Midlands and southeast England, for businesses of all sizes and shapes, from just a few employees to a few thousand." The course aims to help businesses take a step back from everyday issues to work out a strategy to improve profits. "Most people go into business with a variety of motivations but get overtaken by day-to-day events. Having time out to talk about the future with per groups is a luxury. But you can only do so much yourself - you need to take time out," said Vyakarnam. The course advocates taking time to assess the company's target customes and revenue streams. Businesses that continue to run their companies in the same way as they have always done will never be able to improve, warned Vyakarnam. "Unless you take different actions you will not get a different result" he said. One of those who took the course was Advantage Commerical Director Julia Lo Bue-Said, who said the course's key subject areas of strategy, finance, marketing, people and 'from vision to action' proved useful. "I've learnt that, as a business, Advantage already does an awful lot in terms of the five key areas but there is also a great deal more we an do centrally to ensure we continue to deliver a high performance to both members and business partners." THE PROGRAMME'S FIVE MESSAGES - Know how the business makes money
- Get to know the company's break-even point and what difference a 1% change could make
- Align the right staff to the company's values
- Outline the organisation's vision and objectives
- Know the direction of the business
| "People get overtaken by day-to-day events. Having time out to talk about the future with peer groups is a real luxury" |
| WHAT THEY HAD TO SAY | | | .jpg) "I did the course so I could evaluate what we were doing in business and develop a real strategy. It's been great to network with people form other businesses and share information and knowledge, especially finding out that we are not the only ones dealing with certain issues."
SARAH SEARSON, MANAGING DIRECTOR, SKIWORLD | .jpg) The course was great value and gave me the opportunity to step back from the business and focus on more formal staff development. It also gave me insights into other travel businesses and a new perspective on ways of doing business."
EDWINA LONSDALE, MANAGING DIRECTOR, MUNDY CRUISING | .jpg) "I was nominated by my managing director to go on the course for management development. The best thing about it is that it involves a sharing of ideas from colleagues across the industry, and it gives you the opportunity to stand back from work and think about strategy. This is relevant for us as a business as we have new management and are looking to re-engage and understanding our customers and their values."
ANDREW RUSSELL, PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT MANAGER, INGHAMS TRAVEL | .jpg) "The course was well run and there was ample time to exchange views and experiences. It was this part of the course that made it stand out from others I've been on. It personally allowed me to revitalise my way of thinking. You will only benefit from thiscourse if you are willing to contribute and get involved in all the sessions."
JULIA LO BUE-SAID, COMMERIAL DIRECTOR, ADVANTAGE | .jpg) "I decided to go on the course to refresh my knowledge - and I have achieved exactly that. You are so busy dealing with the day-to-day running of your business that you forget to look at where it is going and how it is going to get there, especailly in small and medium-sized companies. It's hard to find time to analyse what is happening as well as ensuring the business is breaking even.
The beauty of the course is the interatction and input of the people that attend. We all signed a non-disclosure agreement so we were all very relaxed to talk about company profits without any conflict. If things we iplemented didn't work we would consider why." PATRICIA ROSSELLO-PALMER, MANAGING DIRECTOR, MEDINLAND | |
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