
Growing your business
Your growing business is up and running but you need support to expand further, we can help.
Growing your business but need help?
Looking to grow your business is an exciting stage in your business journey. You have built a good customer base and they are receiving your service or product well. However, it can also be intimidating and – similar to starting out – it is important to evaluate, plan and set goals.
Your customers are a great starting point for gathering feedback. By knowing what they want, you can open up new ways of working and understand which products and services you should be focusing on. Your customers are a great starting point for gathering feedback.

As well as existing customers, you will want to know how you can expand your market share. This could include adopting new business models to reach a wider audience or looking at whether you could export your product or service to other countries around the world.
What is true is that you can’t do it all on your own. Finding the right people to support your business growth is a challenge, as well as ensuring that existing employees are motivated and engaged with your plans for the future.
We can provide support and tools to help you analyse every aspect of your growth plans, as well as provide practical advice about the steps that you need to take. Our expert Growth Managers can also work with you on a one to one basis to steer you in the right direction.

Growing a business: Common questions
Similar to when you were starting out, it is vital to create a growth plan. This will help you to evaluate how far your business has come, what has contributed to its growth so far and set realistic ambitions for the future.
You should also use this as an opportunity to analyse your finances and cash flow, create a profile of your typical customers (personas), and evaluate your market and competitor landscape. Once you know where you want to be, it is also important to break your plans down into objectives that are ‘smart’ – specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound. It’s vital to also understand where the risks are and how you will ensure continuity should things go awry.
When the worst happens and you suffer a disruption to your operations, being able to respond swiftly can lessen the impact. Knowing the risks to your business, ensuring that you have adequate insurance, and developing a business continuity plan can help to build resilience and be prepared so you can get back to business in the quickest time possible.
Hiring an apprentice is an excellent way to bring new talent into your business, while developing a skilled and motivated workforce. Before taking on an apprentice, it is important that you understand your legal obligations and what will be required of you. The Government’s Apprenticeships Employer Hub is a good starting point for further information, stories and next steps.
We have also created a useful guide to apprenticeships which can be downloaded from our website.
The policies that you need to have in place will depend partly on which sector you are in and you should seek further advice on what is right for your business. However, if you are an employer, it is worth having HR-related policies written down in a formal staff handbook. This forms a set of rules by which employees should operate, as well as keeps them informed of their rights and responsibilities.
The policies set out should include: health and safety; codes of conduct; equal opportunities; absence and leave; and disciplinary and grievance procedures. In addition, you may also need to be up to date with regards to your responsibilities surrounding the Data Protection Act 2018 and privacy.
With growth may come the need for a formal office and/or additional premises that you can expand into. One place to start from is to identify what you employees like about your current space, and use this to inform your search. In addition, it is important to evaluate what you will need based around your long-term growth plans and whether your new space offers the flexibility to adapt as circumstances change.
Getting the right financial support can really accelerate your growth plans. The ability to access grant funding will rely on your plans and the sector that you are operating in. However, where this is not available, there are a range of other finance options that you can explore, including Government-supported loans.
Being more sustainable makes good business sense. It can foster respect from customers and employees alike, and can positively affect your bottom line too. There are some simple steps that your business can take including recycling, looking at energy use, reducing travel for meetings and reviewing your supply chain.
As part of the Local Enterprise Partnership, we are closely linked with the Circular Yorkshire. Here you will find a range of case studies from other businesses adopting a more sustainable approach and our six benefits to business.
Thousands of UK businesses are successfully growing their business by offering their product or service to customers overseas. To be successful, it is important to plan and do your research into the markets that you want to enter. This will allow you to look at the possibilities, create a strategy for moving forward and set targets that will allow you to keep on track.
The Department for International Trade can help with creating a plan, establishing export markets and choosing the right route to them.
It has recently launched a new Internationalisation Fund to support SME businesses that are looking to grow and expand into new international markets. More information about the fund and how to apply can be found on our Import and Export page.
“The Growth Hub has really good knowledge of the local area, so they are aware of projects going on that we can link into. For us, going self-employed, it has just been that safety net. I’ve always known I can pick up the phone and speak to the advisor at the Growth Hub.”
Jess Slater, Owner, Whitby Gin
Articles
Steps into Digital: LinkedIn Webinar Series
This three-part LinkedIn webinar series is designed to support you at every stage of your LinkedIn journey, from building a presence to leveraging the platform for business growth.
Steps into Digital: Digital Marketing Mastery
Step into Digital this September with Digital Marketing Mastery, a three-part weekly seminar session, hosted at Patch York. Led by Katie Thompson, founder of content marketing service Katie Lingo.
Business Basics Webinar Series
Starting in August 2025, the Growth Hub will one again be joined by Jo Tomlinson from Business Works for a series of fully funded ‘Business Basics’ webinars looking at pricing, planning and all things numbers. The full series will be recorded and hosted on the Growth Hub website.
Events
12th August 20251:00 pm - 3:00 pmFREE
🌎 Growth Hub Summer Showcase - York
Join us on Tuesday 12 August at The National Centre for Early Music (NCEM) for the Growth Hub Summer Showcase, our networking launch event in York. This is your chance to meet the team, build your network and find out about the programmes of support starting this summer, designed to help your business thrive.
13th August 202510:00 am - 11:00 amFREE
🟢 How to get higher in Google: The basics
Want your website to be seen by as many potential customers as possible? Get practical tips from an experienced Search Engine Optimisation professional on how to woo those elusive search engine robots and climb the rankings.
14th August 202510:00 am - 11:30 amFREE
🌎 Business Basics Webinar: Making Tax Digital
Making Tax Digital is the government’s plan to move UK taxpayer’s records from spreadsheets and paper, to a fully digital system. It already applies to VAT-registered businesses and will soon apply to Income Tax records for self-employed individuals and landlords.
Resources
Vibrant and Sustainable High Street Fund Phase 2 - Webinar Series
This webinar series is designed to provide practical guidance and in-depth support with your application. Applications for Phase Two of the Vibrant and Sustainable High Streets Fund are now open, and will close at 5pm on the 31st July.
Featured Webinar Playlist: Wellbeing
Learn how to build resilience and communication, create a positive work environment, and support the mental health of both your team and yourself with our free wellbeing webinars playlist.
Webinar Recording: Why does Intellectual Property matter to your business?
This webinar will equip you with the knowledge to leverage IP for competitive advantage, investor attraction, and long-term business growth, ultimately showing you how a strategic approach to IP can be the difference between success and missed opportunities.