Business Growth Programme

Creating the future you want for your business and for you

Step back from your day-to-day to work on your business with our exceptionally talented entrepreneurial business experts

The Business Growth Programme (BGP) is designed specifically for owner-managers to take the opportunity to step back from the day-to-day demands of running your business and access our exceptionally talented entrepreneurial business experts who can help you achieve your ambitions for the future. By the end of the programme, you will have the ability and confidence to develop and implement a comprehensive and robust strategy that will take you and your business forward.

Why BGP?

BGP is focused on equipping you with the knowledge, confidence, and capabilities to meet your own future ambition, whether you are:

• Seeking to grow your business more quickly and achieve increased profits;
• A business already growing rapidly where the issue is about controlling the growth;
• Needing to develop a robust strategy focused on an exit plan;
• Seeking clarification of goals and drivers;
• Looking to sharpen your management and leadership capabilities.

This programme has the experience, trust and expertise to support you in developing the dynamic capabilities to create the future you want for you and your business.

A track record of success

Here is just a small list of companies we have helped realised their dream, some of which are household names:

• Go Ape – Tristram and Rebecca Mayhew both attended BGP in 2004 and 2010 respectively and have grown their business from just 5 sites in the UK in 2004 to 35 UK sites and a dozen more in the US today. It is now an employee-owned business.
• Hotel Chocolat – Angus Thirlwell, CEO, attended BGP in 2000 with his company, known then as Chocolate Express. Rebranded as Hotel Chocolat in 2003, it now has over 100 stores in the UK and Ireland, 4 in United States and 22 in Japan.
• Vox Group – Brian Leech, CEO, attended BGP 2014 and has since grown the business five-fold to over $25M revenue in 2022. Vox Group has been now acquired by Communisis parent company OSG.
• Nosh Detox Delivery – Geeta Sidhu-Robb attended BGP in 2013, which help them cut cost by 28% and grow the business by 110% compared to the year before BGP.
• Shield Medicare – Richard Salvage, Founder, attended BGP in 2004 and went from zero profit to £1,500,000 in the first year following his participation in BGP. Richard sold Shield Medicare for a significant eight figure sum.

Who is this programme for?

Typically, BGP is for ambitious owner-managers looking to scale and grow their business, that have:

• been in operation for at least three years;
• a turnover of between £0.5 million and £30 million;
• a staff of 5 to 100.

In some circumstances, BGP is also appropriate for managing directors and other senior team members of privately-owned businesses who have strategic control, but not necessarily an ownership stake. If you don’t quite meet the criteria but feel your business will benefit from the BGP, please get in touch to discuss your individual situation at mukhthair.badhan@cranfield.ac.uk or +44(0)1234 754300.

The BGP has a strong selection process that aims to ensure businesses that do come on the programme will see tangible benefits. Upon application you will first talk to an executive development advisor and if necessary may be referred to a BGP counsellor for further guidance.

What you will learn

The Business Growth Programme is centred on the reality of your business – your current challenges, opportunities, future goals and ambitions. Because of this, the benefits you gain will be unique to you and your organisation. During the programme you will:

• Develop a robust strategy and plan for your business, ready for implementation.
• Make immediate improvements personally and professionally.
• Be allocated a business counsellor dedicated to working with you and who will visit your business.
• Benefit from a non-competitive peer group, who will input, challenge and support your ambitions.
• Become part of a unique, powerful network of like-minded entrepreneurs.
• Leave the programme feeling energised and confident to take your business forward.
• Have access to market and competitor information.

How does it work?

The BGP is built around a core developmental process whereby each individual participant develops their own growth strategy for their own business and a plan to implement that strategy.

To enable this, the programme consists of a simple yet rigorous structure, comprising three key blocks of strategic thinking to help you achieve goals.

Where are we now?

• leadership and time management, strategy, technology, process, team, finance.

Where are we going?

• sales, marketing, personal, business.

How do we get there?

• change management, measurements.

Core content

Content is delivered by means of lectures from Cranfield University faculty and associates, all experts in their fields and with proven business experience. They key themes that lectures fall under are:

• Internal Processes
• External Influences
• Strategy
• Leadership

Topics such as strategy, marketing, sales, finance are all covered within these key themes.

What will I get out of it?

The benefits you achieve from your BGP experience will depend on your particular situation. Here are some of the typical benefits that past participants have achieved:

• Faster and managed growth.
• A more valuable business.
• A robust and rigorous plan.
• More confidence, focus and energy.
• Improved profitability.
• Greater clarity about personal goals and drivers.
• More effective leadership capabilities.
• Work-life balance improvements.
• Improved management skills.
• Greater confidence in the future.
• Less stress, more time off and more fun!
• An exit plan (if desirable).
• A life-changing and inspirational experience.

Find out what some of our past participants have taken away from the programme.

The role of our counsellors

Eligibility

To be considered for a place on the BGP, what we typically look for is owner-managers of businesses that have been in operation for 3 or more years, with a staff of 5 to 50 and a turnover between £0.5m and £20m. In some circumstances, we will also consider managing directors and other senior team members of privately owned businesses who have strategic control but not necessarily an ownership stake. 

The BGP has a strong selection process that aims to ensure businesses that do come on the programme will see tangible benefits. Upon application you will first talk to an executive development advisor and if necessary may be referred to a BGP counsellor for further guidance.

Listen to how past participants have benefited

Concessions

20% discount (tuition fee only) for Cranfield School of Management Alumni who have attended one of our eligible leadership programmes.

Tuition, course materials and lifelong access to Alumni Membership benefits are included in the price of this course.

Location and travel

Cranfield School of Management is situated in Bedfordshire close to the border with Buckinghamshire. 

The School is located almost midway between the towns of Bedford and Milton Keynes and is conveniently situated between junctions 13 and 14 of the M1.

London Luton, Stansted and Heathrow airports are 30, 90 and 90 minutes respectively by car, offering superb connections to and from just about anywhere in the world.

For further location and travel details

Location address

Cranfield Management Development Centre 
Wharley End
Cranfield
Bedford
MK43 0HG