Småland and the Islands: Helping SMEs to achieve growth

February 2011 is when the first workshop is being held to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to generate sustainable development. Eleven more workshops are planned in 2011.

The workshop series is being arranged by the Jönköping International Business School (JIBS), and in December 2010 planning is under way for additional dates. The programme consists of twelve workshops, each of which will hopefully attract at least 25 participants from SMEs in Småland, Västra Götaland and Skåne.

“Since the funding decision came at the end of November 2010, we have only had time to plan the subjects and the venue for the initial meetings," says Leona Achtenhagen, the project manager, adding that they have also produced marketing material that will be sent out to companies in early January 2011.

Work is under way, alongside this, on a project website that is expected to go on stream around the end of the year.

Many different topics

The workshops build on inspirational lectures, group discussions based on case studies, reflections on the specific situation of the companies participating and exercises related to the focus of the workshop. Some of the subjects raised in discussions are project management, lean production, management accounting, business law, generational handovers, IT investments and acquisitions, alternative forms of financing, creative marketing, and negotiations, decision-making and pitching concepts.

"We have booked some speakers and are working on finding a structure that matches the practical way of doing things that the series is based on."

Horizontal criteria

As regards the project´s horizontal criteria (environment, gender equality and diversity), so far Lena Achtenhagen has had positive experience across the board when she has presented the project to financiers, companies and external experts.

"We have a lot of faith in this idea and want to help small and large companies to grow, while drawing attention to entrepreneurial places around the region by using them as workshop venues."

Read the article in swedish