How to Improve Performance: Success stories from the Accelerator project
25 November 2025
Where is your business under-performing? Is it a process, a team member or an entire department? What are you doing that is draining time that could be spent on more meaningful activities like strategy, improved decision-making and upskilling?
Spend time on the business, not in the business. This mantra may make perfect business sense but where do you find the time or make a start?
We’re looking at seven key ways in which you can improve your business’s performance – from seeking out business advice to improving your sales pipeline, exploring new markets, and developing your staff. We’ve included examples of businesses in the East Midlands that have already made some tangible – and sometimes immediate – differences by tapping into support from the Accelerator programme.
Take advantage of sound business advice
Support from a Business Adviser can be invaluable in offering that fresh pair of eyes to help business owners and senior leaders solve their most pressing challenges. It helps them take a step back and assess where interventions are needed – whether that be in their business planning, budgeting and forecasting, sales and marketing, HR, technology or any other area critical to their business.
Solo founder of Pretty Decent, Chris Green, has benefitted from a consistent push in the right direction from East Midlands Chamber Business Adviser, Lisa Baggott on areas including breakeven point, ideal rates and sales planning.
Lisa’s support, together with specialist marketing consultancy through Accelerator, has saved an estimated 20 to 30 hours and has helped Chris avoid undercharging.
Review your financial performance
Where are you against where you need to be? Is there danger on the horizon from increased competition or threats from a change in legislation or tariffs?
A sound understanding of your finances is the key to effective planning and decision-making – not only for long-established businesses but also for start-ups.
Fledging business New Mills Market Hall knew it needed specific financial expertise when it came to restoring the iconic but vacant Market Hall building into a unique, welcoming food and drink space.
An Accelerator Growth Voucher has given the business a much better understanding of tax implications, how best to separate risk between the trading business and the building itself, and put in place agreements to protect the four owners. Most importantly, it means the business is set up to run smoothly and sustainably from day one, without needing to restructure later at much greater cost and disruption.
Implement better systems
Automating manual tasks or improving on existing digital systems not only saves time but reduces errors and costs.
Year-on-year growth at Derby-based Elite Football Development, trading as EFD Sport & Education, meant quickly outgrowing some of the processes created at the outset, including the impact reports for schools which were compiled manually from many different sources.
Support from a High Growth Accelerator grant has enabled the business to purchase industry-specific software which has resulted in faster and more consistent reporting for schools.
Chesterfield-based Get Loos, providers of fully serviced portable toilets for events and construction sites, also needed better systems to match its ambitious growth plans.
A new CRM system and automation tools have been implemented, courtesy of a High Growth Accelerator grant. This has resulted in a saving of around 15 hours a week in administration time, increased conversions and significantly reduced missed opportunities through customer interactions. Input from a strategic management consultant, a High Growth Academy ‘Access to Finance workshop’ and a funded place on the Chamber’s five-day Director Development programme for co-founder Adam Sinnott have further added to the business’s increased competitiveness.
Implement energy efficiencies
Energy efficiency drives down costs and builds resilience for the future.
Hoe Grange Holidays offers sustainable tourism accommodation in Brassington in the Derbyshire Dales. Keen to identify where and when energy was being used and how best to reduce reliance on the National Grid supply, the business signed up for a full premises energy audit, funded by the Accelerator project. This gave them valuable insight into their energy usage and created a compelling case to receive a decarbonisation grant from Derbyshire Dales District Council. Funding has been put towards the installation of extra solar panels and a battery storage system.
The business has already managed to reduce reliance on imported electricity by around 60% and is taking advantage of a cheap rate, night-time tariff. This is leading to savings of £800-£1,000 per month.
Build your sales pipeline
When sales channels that were once reliable start to see a downturn, it may be time to look at alternatives.
Clay Cross business Highlight Crafts is predominantly involved in direct retail sales and training through e-commerce and face-to-face for craft related products as well as classes. Television sales are on the downturn so the business sought to develop its online sales. Google Ads and YouTube advertising campaigns to generate new B2C customer leads have been created as a result of advice from paid digital advertising specialist Liam Lally and an Accelerator Growth Voucher.
Explore new opportunities
Time to look at new overseas markets?
With growth ambitions to target 11 European countries, Glossop-based drinks manufacturer Slõ Drinks sought support on a business diagnostics exercise which identified the need to internationalise the business’s existing website. An Export Accelerator grant has supported the translation of web pages and downloadable documents which has accelerated the business’s export ambitions by at least three months.
Develop your staff
Are your staff equipped with the skills they need to thrive?
Bringing a mentor into the business and learning from peers can be key to staff development. It has certainly been valuable to Sarah Farkas, the Wedding & Events Manager of Shottle Hall in Amber Valley. Accelerator support has enabled Sarah to join the Help to Grow: Management training programme which has resulted in a fresh perspective and the reassurance that there are others facing similar challenges on how to achieve business growth.
Bassetlaw-based global events company Trans-Sport.tv sought to protect its existing contracts and keep its domination of televised world pool events by securing funding from High Growth Accelerator to train and coach new rigger team leaders. A commercial training bursary from the Chamber is also funding two members of the team to attend the Director Development and Manager Development training programmes.
More information
The Accelerator programme of business support and its series of Accelerator workshops run until March 2026. Please note: geographical restrictions apply.
The Accelerator project is funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
