Success stories
Andrew Clements – Creative by Design
A growing number of WA manufacturers are taking up the offer of a free business review and the chance to secure up to $20,000 in matched funding under the Federal Government’s Enterprise Connect initiative.
Launched in 2008, Enterprise Connect is aimed at helping manufacturers and manufacturing services businesses identify and make changes to increase productivity and make them more competitive.
Eligible operators receive a free business health check by an experienced adviser, using a range of diagnostic and benchmarking tools to identify areas for improvement and potential growth.
A comprehensive report is prepared, including recommendations on areas of the business that could be improved and how to go about it.
Businesses can then apply for matched dollar for dollar funding from Enterprise Connect for up to $20,000 to implement the recommendation of their business review.
Balcatta custom storage solutions company Creative By Design successfully applied to take part in Enterprise Connect through Fremantle-based business solutions group Business Foundations – and according to operations manager Andrew Clements, the results have been impressive.
Creative By Design has just received its comprehensive report, and was planning to take the next step and apply for funding.
“It’s always good to have someone come from the outside and look at the business with a clear eye – in this case the report covered many things we already knew about our business, but then uncovered some areas, such as marketing, that could be better,” said Mr Clements.
“We’re now going through those points and looking at how we take the next step.”
Business Foundations Enterprise Connect business adviser Terry Hicks said awareness of the initiative was growing amongst WA SMEs, with more than 30 businesses successfully applying to take part so far this year through Business Foundations alone.
“This is a program that helps businesses step into the future, to take things to the next level, and the only cost is their time,” said Mr Hicks.
“I’ve been into some firms that have a great team, good systems and good profits – but there’s always some small things we can identify that can improve operations even more.”
» Read more about services to manufacturers.
