Be the Business SME Advisory Boards

The Be the Business SME Advisory Boards programme offers companies within the cluster an unrivalled opportunity to access expertise and insight from successful business leaders.

Our virtual Advisory Boards programme will see participating businesses assigned a dedicated board for a 12-month period, with quarterly ‘board meetings’ and ongoing advice that can take your business into another gear of competitiveness.   There is no cost to participating in the programme, although you will need to commit to attending a quarterly meeting and producing an information report to help guide your board discussions.

The programme is a collaborative partnership, delivered with the understanding that you know your own company best, but a fresh perspective can be invaluable, regardless of whether you want to explore new products and markets, planning for growth, dealing with risk, raising funds, or handling the challenges of a changing workforce.

Find out what it feels like to have the support of an Advisory Board by reading the case studies below: 

• Jilbruke and Jenner are directors of Collins Ltd, a vehicle development agency that they founded in 2015. They’ve been involved in vehicle engineering for motorsport for over 20 years, first in their native Australia, and, since 2002, with Formula One in the UK.  Engineers through and through, they realised that if they were to achieve their ambition of delivering high value vehicle projects they would need to raise their game on what Jenner calls “the business side of the business.” Therefore, when the opportunity arose to work with five advisory board members as part of the Be the Business Boards programme, they seized it with both hands. You can read more about their experience HERE.
• Buying out his angel investor just before the pandemic hit left entrepreneur Marcus Trofimov of Silverstone Composites, without his guide and mentor at a crucial point in the company’s development. An introduction to the Be the Business Boards programme came at just the right time. Read more about their experience HERE

If you don’t yet have a formal board structure in place within your business, but would like the chance to call on non-executive director style input, the Advisory Boards programme will give you a taste of how a sounding board on business strategy can help you become more efficient, productive and competitive.

If you’d like to get involved in the programme, or find out more information, visit bethebusiness.com/advisory-boards or email networks@bethebusiness.com. Please do ensure you indicate the Silverstone Technology Cluster as the referring partner. You can sign up HERE.

What happens next?

• Once you are offered a place on the programme, the co-ordinators will contact you to talk through the board preparation and offer any help you need to prepare for your first meeting.
• You’ll receive information about your allocated board members, and an online meetings will be scheduled at times that work for you.
• Before each meeting, you will be asked to produce a summary business report that gives the board members the information they need about your business’s performance.
• At the meeting, you’ll talk the board through your issues, and they’ll give input and ask questions to help clarify your options.

The STC Be the Business programme is supported by Hexagon.