Growth Lab: Darlington
Growth Lab: Darlington is a series of workshops aimed at making business growth easier to understand and achieve. Each month, we’ll demystify a different topic by translating business terminology into straightforward language to reveal the real opportunities awaiting your business.
Join us every month at Innovation Central to uncover powerful tactics, meet local businesspeople who’ve tried and tested them and explore the difference they could make to your own growth.
How I sold to a PLC
You’ve started and grown a successful business, so now what? Selling your company is the most likely exit-route for many founders but what’s the experience actually like? It’s something most business owners don’t get to do more than once in their lifetime, so how can you know what to expect?
Next event // 11th April 2024 / 9:30am - 11:00am
What I’ve learned about selling to a PLC
Steven Armstrong, Founder, CEDREC Information Systems
Steven grew his business from a local operation to a national player over 21 years. When the time came to wrap up his involvement in the business in 2022, he chose to sell to a public limited company (PLC).
In this frank and honest session, Steven will share his experience of handing over to new owners the business he built from scratch. He’ll open up about the lessons he learned along the way and the crucial role his peer mentor played in preparing him for the process.
Format
Fuel up first with a bit of breakfast before the main event, facilitated by Graham Robson and Debbie Simpson. Afterwards, there’s a chance to network and meet others who can support your growth with information and opportunities.
The Growth Lab programme covers 6 growth tactics in 6 months. Each guest speaker will explore one or more of these topics at each event.
- Innovation
- Investment
- Market expansion
- Diversification
- Digital transformation
- Scaling
“It’s so important to keep learning when you’re in business. These events are a great way to explore topics that could bring big benefits by helping you to stay ahead of the curve, spot new opportunities and expand your network. If you’re keen to grow, we’ll connect you to peers, people and projects that can help.”
Event facilitator Debbie Simpson, Innovation Adviser at North East BIC