Grow your business

The continuing growth and development of your business is as important to us as it is to you. We can provide free and impartial advice, support and direction for any business related enquiry. You can contact us in person, by telephone or email for personal, one to one service - we're here to help.

We have brought together information and links to websites that will help you grow and transform your business. Find out more from the topics below.

Boost your sales and marketing

Effective sales and marketing are at the heart of any successful business. Marketing strategies often need to be refreshed and refocused in order to boost sales to existing customers or attract new ones. Similarly, a revitalised sales strategy may open up new markets or sales channels such as exporting Follow the links below for more help, advice and guidance.

• Marketing Donut: Use the tools on offer to review your marketing and sales strategies. For instance, is your pricing still relevant? Could you make use of a website? Should you explore a new distribution strategy or hire a sales agent?
• GOV.UK, -Growing your business: Find out more about attracting new customers or increasing sales to existing ones Make sure you watch their video on the different ways to sell to customers
• Department for Business and Trade - Get Exporting: Exporting can open up whole new markets and opportunities. Contact the Department for International Trade for free and specialist advice on how to market and sell your product overseas.
• Business is Great Britain: Has a wealth of information on starting and growing your business.
• New Anglia Growth Hub: The Growth Hub provides assistance and direction for growing local businesses. It can help you with a variety of topics, such as finding new contract opportunities.
• Contracts Finder: Find out more about supplying goods or services to the government and its agencies.

Improve and develop your product

Consider improving your original product, process or service or developing and introducing new ones. Continued market research is crucial to finding out how you can improve or develop your product. It's also a great way of keeping track of your competitors. Follow the links below for more information.

• Marketing Donut: Advice on product research and product development Plus find out how to correctly market your new product to raise consumer awareness.
• Be the Business: aims to inform, educate and collaborate with the businesses of Britain to boost business productivity and restore us to the forefront of business performance worldwide.
• Innovate UK: Find out about the advice, support and funding on offer for business innovation and product development.
• Catapult: Support, equipment and facilities to research and test new ideas and products.
• Menta, growing business: Menta have 30 years experience in helping local companies carry out research and development for new ideas and products.
• New Anglia Growth Hub: Get free support and assistance from their specialist advisors on developing new ideas, marketing and funding support.
• Intellectual Property Office: Protect your new product and check that it isn't contravening intellectual property laws.

Grow your workforce

Hiring new staff or training your existing workforce in new skills is the first real step towards growing your business. Something simple such as improving customer service can have a huge impact on your business. Retraining staff and hiring new employees isn't always costly and there is plenty of help and practical, financial support available, find out more from the links below.

• Gov.UK, hire and train staff: Gives a brief overview of employment opportunities and training schemes on offer. You can also check current employment regulations and what your responsibilities are as an employer.
• Apprenticeships: Hiring an apprentice is a great way to expand, enrich and diversify your workforce.
• West Suffolk College offer a wide range of employee training, work and industry placements and recruitment (including apprentices).
• ACAS: Find a wealth of information on employment and management, there is also a step by step guide to recruiting
• Job Centre Plus, help for recruiters: Find a range of recruitment services, including the small business recruitment service
• National Careers Service: Find local training courses specific to your business.
• HM Revenue and Customs: HMRC provides comprehensive and essential information on employing people and paying business tax, such as PAYE. Make sure you take advantage of their free elearning tool and webinars

Find new funding

There are a number of funding opportunities on offer for growing businesses. This is part of the government's commitment to help growing and forward thinking firms reach their potential. Visit our Find funding page for more information, or contact us for bespoke advice.

Find new premises

The need to increase production, store more products or having the facility to display stock might mean you need bigger premises. We can help you do that - visit our Find land and property page or contact us for one to one advice.