BizSmart helps scaling business owners navigate their growth journey by sharing the tools they need to increase profits and value while also making businesses easier to manage. Flight Academy – its structured scaleup system – is tailored to business needs and focuses on the major challenges to scaling identified by the ScaleUp Institute. An online learning platform supplements learning through over 30 modules with 80 supporting video tutorials.

Participants begin with four themed SmartBoost sessions dealing with leadership and vision, the principles of building for value, creating a laser focus through 90-day planning and championing execution through a robust and consistent business ‘rhythm’. Its flagship service SmartBoards is part of this programme and creates peer to peer communities among participating leaders. These involve groups of six participants from diverse backgrounds and non-competing sectors.

The 90-Day planning is a recurring thread through the monthly themed SmartBoard sessions in which a theme is introduced based on a module from the core ScaleUp Pillars. Members are prepped to bring a challenge for the board and then each has a spotlight session from which they commit to actions.

Once a quarter, focus is put on members’ 90-day plans which are shared with the group. Ahead of this, members can attend separate planning workshops with their senior leadership teams. The planning process is supported with a software package that captures the plans, aligns team members to each task and allows business owners to track progress. 

Bizsmart primarily helps businesses based in Worcestershire but has launched a franchise of its successful model in Gloucestershire and is set to launch in Birmingham. Its ScaleUp Radio podcast has reached 25k downloads.

In the last six years, BizSmart has worked with 590 business owners.  All those participating in 2022 report increased confidence or leadership capacity along with increased ambition. The vast majority (94%) also report better connections with other businesses and peer networks. A third of participating businesses raised finance and 78% of participating businesses identified new markets for their products and services, with 72% accessing these new markets.

“We have received a Platinum award for customer service. Bizsmart has significantly contributed to the success of the last 12 months not only through its outstanding support, guidance and insight but also by facilitating the peer-to-peer network, whose input has been invaluable. Bizsmart is the ideal partner should you wish to scale-up your business.” Matt Busby, Founder/ MD – The Name Label Company

“Overall the team is more empowered and motivated, everyone feels more included in the future plans and ambitions of the business. This is despite a very challenging year of external influences negatively affecting revenue, cash and profitability.” Faith Guest, MD – Tools of the Trade

“We’ve stopped our unprofitable Lead Generation offering, hence the drop in staff numbers and the reduction in turnover but increase in profit once the exceptional 70k buy out is taken into account.” Nigel Busby, Founder/ MD – InControl Marketing

BizSmart [2022] website