Testimonials from 2026

“The SEO sessions with Ian have been so valuable in helping me work differently – I now have accounts for Google Search Console, Google Analytics and even Google Tags. Subsequently I’m tracking our website traffic more closely and bumping up our content to appeal to Google as an ‘expert’ source.

Since attending Martin’s AI workshops, I’ve become very good friends with ChatGPT, Gemini and CoPilot – all of which I use to help me write content, edit photos and set out customer correspondence. I can’t believe how much easier this has made things for me. I’ve set up a Zapier account for automation and have automated simple tasks that were taking me ages to do manually.

It’s taking me longer to get to grips with SEO but its already making a difference to our processes and it’s like handing over some of the admin to another ‘staff member’. As a micro-enterprise, this is game-changing for us!

Through attending these workshops and subsequent networking opportunities I’ve been contacted directly for business, and this has resulted in two new orders, which is wonderful!

I also heard about East Midlands Chamber’s East Midlands Manufacturing Network (EMMN) via Accelerator workshops and have already attended my first network meeting to connect with fellow manufacturers.”

- Natalie Weaver, Director, Ashfen Windows & Doors

“Martin delivered an outstanding AI workshop that has had a lasting impact on how our team approaches artificial intelligence. The session was both insightful and practical, sparking meaningful conversations with customers and partners that continue to this day. It challenged us to think more strategically about how we leverage AI and the opportunities available to us.

I would highly recommend Martin and this workshop to any organisation looking to deepen their understanding of AI in a business context.

*Ironically, this was written with the help of AI…thanks, Martin, you know what they say, practice what you preach!”

- Dean Tillett, Managing Director, Status Metrology

“Our business, Gudrum Classics is eCommerce retail, and we have been trading for around 20 years.  We are a team of ten, based in Newark. Following attendance at the Newark & Sherwood Business Growth Conference for the first time in late 2025, we were introduced to the Chamber.

We were made aware of the wide range of support available through the Chamber, including the Accelerator Workshops and have been taking advance of them ever since.  As of February, all ten team members had been on at least one course.

We have covered areas like: Customer Service, Branding, SEO, Google Analytics, Workflow Building, Finance and more.  I can honestly say that from every single course, we have been able to find some takeaways that will make our business strong and better. These have either been immediately implemented or are the process of being implemented depending on the level of complexity."

- Gerrard Smith, Managing Director

“At this stage, the main outcome of attending the Mastering Graphic Design course has been an increase in my knowledge and understanding of the capabilities of Canva and Adobe design software. Prior to the course, I was not aware of the full range of tools and functionality available within these platforms.

While I have not yet implemented new technologies or processes in my work, the course has given me a clearer understanding of how these tools could be used in future tasks, including ideas around layout, branding consistency, and more efficient use of design features. This learning represents a new capability for me, as I am now better informed and prepared to adopt new design processes when appropriate."

- Dee Kalakoti, Founder

Dee Kalakoti Video Production

“I attended the HR Essentials workshop as part of the Accelerator Programme for businesses based in Bassetlaw, and I found it extremely valuable. Sarah Loates was highly knowledgeable, delivered the content in a friendly and engaging way, and clearly tailored it to the specific needs of the Accelerator businesses on our course.

I particularly benefited from the clear explanation of the proposed employment law changes for 2026, including the introduction of day one rights. This knowledge gave me ideas for new training products for my leadership development business. The workshop also gave me practical ideas about employing my first employee, especially around using a term-time contract versus a full-time role. This insight meant I was able to employ someone sooner than I had originally planned.

I would 100% recommend this course to other businesses in the local area. It was genuinely useful to me both personally, in terms of developing new business ideas, and professionally, in supporting the growth of my business."

- Rachael Sullivan, Founder

“I really enjoyed the HR Essentials Workshop and found it welcoming and helpful.

Even though I have been in HR for four years, there were lots of hints and tips that would help me work smarter. The updates on what is happening with employment law were very useful in helping us prepare. With me was our apprentice who found the whole thing very informative and helpful.

A great course for someone just starting out."

- Karen Somerset, HR Adviser