Taking You To The Top
Oi Mei Wrightson joins the founders of SUMMIT on their ascent up Pendle Hill to find out more about this unique new partnership that provides business growth through leadership, mentoring, marketing and community
On a blustery sunny day, Pendle Hill set the scene for the launch of SUMMIT, Guided Business Growth.
The five directors along with their team and supporters, ascended Pendle and discussed why they decided to merge their successful businesses – Forward Thinking at Brockhall Village and Latitude Marketing in Clitheroe – to start this new entity.
Andy Henderson, formerly of Forward Thinking, explains: “After working together for 18 months, we saw the potential in two businesses coming together that were intrinsically linked and aligned in purpose. We saw that together we have the approach, the marketing, the creativity, the community, the culture improvement programmes and everything that you need to grow any business in any industry.”
Raising the flags at the top of the hill and taking a moment to enjoy the beautiful views, the Three Peaks in the distance seemed to be a fitting analogy to the SUMMIT business offering.
SUMMIT PROGRAMMES
SUMMIT provides three programmes for business leaders, directors and founders. Their strategy targets solopreneurs, scale-ups and larger businesses with boards and large teams. Each of the programmes can also be viewed as pathways with stages along the climb.
“We really shine a light on where the business is now and the vision of where it needs to be in the future, giving clarity and focus,” adds Andy. “We work through a process or pathway that highlights obstacles, opportunities, what’s holding you back, what’s stopping you from climbing that mountain, might you be stumbling or unusually, have you reached a plateau?
“Usually there is this one intrinsic thing, a component that’s missing. It’s really finding out what obstacles are stopping growth. Generally, businesses have the answer, but they are just so close to it they can’t either see it or they don’t drill down deep enough. We’re all about guiding and helping people build the strategy to their own summit.”
SUMMIT MARKETING
The SUMMIT experts can provide marketing strategy, creative and full execution. Sarah Clemson, formerly of Latitude Studios explains: “We can work to suit. You may need the full pathway or just an aspect in isolation, for example a rebrand, website, digital or social media campaign or a company brochure. We have in-house capability to reposition a business, launch new products and services, or open up sales pipelines and new markets. Businesses aspire to be differentiated from their competitors, creating attraction beyond price and standing head and shoulders above the rest, we see their value and uniqueness, which creates alignment and conversion.”
SUMMIT COMMUNITY
Summit have a successful community brand Your Affordable Board (YAB). YAB events offer peer-to-peer support for small business leaders and industry-specific communities, as well as helping build communities inside larger organisations.
“Everyone wants a community, but no-one knows how to build it. We are experts at building communities,” says Andy. “Whether it’s building communities for solopreneurs so they can come together and help each other solve problems or whether it’s helping larger businesses build industry-specific communities around the work they do in their sector, we have a really good formula to bring people together and understand more about each other.”
As an example of an industry-specific community, SUMMIT has been working with UCLan to build a cyber community with a vision to make Lancashire the safest place to do business. The events have been extremely successful with 50 plus attendees per session and rising – it’s becoming a tour de force.
“YAB is about exchanging and structured helping, not awkward selling. Whatever your business does, community is key because people can get behind that. Business becomes purposeful when you can build a community that is aligned to achieving a common goal.”
Whereas many in business focus on money and profit, Andy concludes: “We’re different in the fact that we put people, relationships and impact first and everything else follows naturally.”
For anyone who wants to run their own business coaching operation, SUMMIT are now offering franchise opportunities, by joining SUMMIT as a Growth Guide and Community Builder.
For an opportunity to experience a SUMMIT Business Strategy Mapping session or join the SUMMIT YAB community, find your nearest group and unlock your free guest pass on the SUMMIT website.
Summit
Suite 12 The Conference Centre
Gleneagles Drive
Brockhall Village
Old Langho, Blackburn BB6 8AY
01254 427500
jennieh@tothesummit.co.uk
tothesummit.co.uk
