An East Boldon training company has grown and taken on major national clients, thanks to training support and advice from Business Link.

Footprint Learning and Development boasts major blue-chip customers, including Barclaycard and Home Group for its bespoke training courses in team building, leadership and management, work life balance and sales and customer service. It now has an annual turnover of between £200,000 and £300,000.

The business was founded five years ago by its three directors: Mandy Holloway, Tom Welburn and Vicky Holland, who had all previously worked in learning and development for large organisations such as Barclays and Orange.

Training is designed and delivered by the directors, who use self-employed associates to support peaks in delivery. The events are delivered on the clients’ premises across the UK and they ensure they integrate into the customer’s business culture and work in partnership with the client.

“Clients and delegates will say that we feel like part of their company, so we are not seen as external consultants who like to hit and run,’’ says Mandy. “We keep that relationship going, providing additional support and advice free of charge. Our delivery style is radically different – weaving our client’s values and competencies into what we do to bring it to life for the participants. We are all experienced at designing competency frameworks and understand how important it is for businesses to have strong values at this time.’’ As soon as the company was started, its directors turned to Business Link for help. Business Link provided advice and provided access to funding from the North East England Investment Centre (NEEIC) to help with training on the basics of starting a business from drawing up a business plan, developing marketing collateral and training in, and the development of, higher level courses.

These courses included Neuro-Linguistic Programming, which studies how the unconscious mind works, to enable individuals to develop key skills such as communication and negotiating, and the personality profiling tool MBTI.

“The MBTI training on its own has been invaluable and has brought in a lot of extra work,’’ says Mandy. “The qualification enabled us to secure additional work and also to further develop the quality of the events we are delivering.’’ The company estimates that the training programmes have contributed £30,000 to the bottom line in six months. Business Link also helped Footprint Learning and Development find a new accountant, saving about £300 a year in fees, and helped find legal advice for a restructuring of the company board.

“Business Link was really helpful with advice. Certainly the business training that we went through was a great validation for us and gave us confidence that we were on the right lines with our business plan. They provided us with copies of example business plans and that was useful,’’ says Mandy. “They were very supportive and happy to take time with us and gave us lots of information.’’ The Business Link adviser who worked with the company, Colin Jones, says: “Footprint is a small company and the team are passionate about what they do. They are great to work with because they are always looking to the future and are keen to develop their own skills sets to the benefit of the business. They are open-minded in pursuing new avenues of personal development, so they really walk the walk, as well as talk the talk.’’ The company is currently reviewing its strategy, looking to further broaden its client base, to seek further opportunities to gain awards for the work they carry out and to move on from word-of-mouth recommendation to a more structured marketing approach.

Mandy added: “When this process is completed, we will have no hesitation about seeking further Business Link assistance.”

Business Link has a team of expert advisers who offer advice, help and information to individuals and companies across the region, giving them access to the ‘business brains’ who will help to get their business idea off the ground, or grow their existing company. For further information about Business Link visit www.businesslink.gov.uk/northeast or call 0845 600 9 006.