Commercial Skills Development:

The Business Accelerator

Caroline Adlem

Myles Bebbington

Balanced scorecard

Developing a business plan…

This is what we’re

selling…This is our market,

our competition…

This is how we reach

our market…

This is what we need

to be successful in

terms of our people

plan…

These are the

systems and

processes

developments /

changes we need…

This is what we’ll

generate in income /

profit.

Masterclass Outputs

Induction:

Product

Descriptions

Risks

Marketing

Masterclass:

Marketing Plan

Sales Masterclass:

Sales Plan

People & Change

Masterclass:

People

Development Plan

Systems & Process

Masterclass:

Systems

Development Plan

Financial

Management

Masterclass:

Financial Projections

/ Budget

KPIs

Business Plan Components

Section Masterclass Key Message

1. Business Concept /

Overview

An overview of your business concept

2. Strategic Goals / Outcomes A description of your strategic aims over the next three

years

3. Product / Services Induction A description of your product / Services

4. Marketing Plan Marketing Masterclass Describes how you will market your product, who your

target market is and what your Unique Selling Point is

5. Sales Plan Sales Masterclass Describes the methods you will employ to sell your

product

6. People Development Plan People & Change Masterclass Describes your current ‘As Is’ culture, ‘To Be’ culture

and how you plan to transition between the two

7. Systems Development Plan Systems & Process Masterclass Describes your current ‘As Is’ systems, processes and

structure, ‘To Be’ systems, processes and structure and

how you plan to transition between the two

8. Financial Projections /

Budget

Financial Management

Masterclass

Describes your forecast costs, income and profit over

the next three years

9. KPIs Financial Management

Masterclass

Describes how you will effectively measure your

performance against your marketing, sales, people and

systems development and financial plans

10. Risks Induction Describes risks to the delivery of your business plan

11. Appendices

Elevator pitch

What is the market for your product / service?

- Market segmentation

How can you grow the market?

- Ansoff matrix

Branding pros and cons

- Brand exercise

Who are the competition in this

market?

- Value curve

What’s the best way to reach the market?

- Routes to market

- Success vs effort

Marketing Masterclass

SOSTACProduct assessment

- SWOT analysis

Competitor landscape

- Value curve

Objectives

- Marketing objectives aligned to strategic business objectives

- Marketing KPIs

Tactical planRoutes to market and success versus effort

Growth strategy

- Ansoff growth matrix

Market analysis

- Market segmentation

Timeline

- Key milestones

Evaluation

-KPIs

Marketing Plan

And the rewards are worth it

Internal and external businesses we have worked with include:

• Information Governance

• Place Services

• Education Transport and Awards

• Energy

• Grounds maintenance

• Facilities Management

• Tenancy Management

• Outdoor Education

• Trading Standards

1. Create income stream for my authority/business

2. Understand our costs and be as efficient as possible in the

way we deliver our service

3. Only do what we have to do to save money

With which statement do you identify?

Set the direction

Define what it means to be ‘commercial’

Get agreement from directors for clarity and direction around

the definition of "commercial"

Understand all your costs

• Are you aware of all your

costs?

– Direct costs

– Variable costs

– Opportunity costs

• Are your costs realistic?

– How does scalability affect

your costs?

The Cambridgeshire Business Hub

A bespoke ‘One-Stop’ service, supported by Central

Government, to help businesses to meet Regulations, and

standardize Enforcing Authority requirements within Food

Safety, Trading Standards, Fire Safety, Licensing and

Health and Safety

Our approach

• Identified and scoped the concept via a working group

• Created a governance board to provide scrutiny and

challenge

• Secured senior stakeholder buy-in to develop the concept

• Participated in the Business Accelerator programme

The Business Accelerator

• Commercial training and coaching, comprising:

– 6 masterclasses: Induction, Marketing, Sales, People and

Change, Systems and Processes and Financial Management

– Coaching and account management support

• Outputs: a live commercial business plan, assessed by teams’

senior stakeholders and independent panel members at a two-

day assessment centre

Our experience with the

Business Accelerator programme

• Experience

– Challenging

– Thought provoking

– Logical

• Lessons learned

– Pre planning

– Don’t do it alone

– Clear objectives

Some key concepts

Balanced scorecard Product development

Progress of the

Cambridgeshire Business Hub

Also known as

Life after EELGA

Progress of the

Cambridgeshire Business Hub

– Re assessed our approach

– Balanced scorecard

– Product development

– Approach to market

– Back office infrastructure

Has it worked !

2014 - £7,500 income

2017 - £50,000 income

Has it worked ?

But Money isn't everything?

Additional benefits !!!

• Understanding of what commercial means to South Cambs

• Staff development

• Change of culture to a “can do” team

• Project management skills

• Development of commercial programmes

• Exposure to a commercial world

• Better regulation

• Less reliance on enforcement

• Better challenges to “red tape”

Any questions?