An exciting new business initiative which will help Gloucestershire SMEs grow was launched yesterday.

More than 40 business people attended a thought-provoking event, Good to Great for Growth at the Growth Hub at Oxstalls campus, Gloucester.

It was organised by GAINS (Gloucestershire's Accelerated Impact Network Support) and is aimed at companies looking to grow. It showed how business performance coaching can transform your company through having your strategy, operations, marketing, finances and leadership challenged by someone who has your success and growth as a priority.

The successful event looked at the reasons why both large corporates and local SMEs invest in business coaching and what moving from good to great could mean for your business by overcoming the barriers to growth which may stand in your way.

Good to Great for Growth introduced the new GAINS coaching programme, which is supported by the European Regional Development Fund. This means SMEs who are serious about their growth plans can access subsidised high quality business coaching as well as other business support.

Speakers at yesterday's event included Geraldine McCullagh, project manager GAINS); Josie Truscott, senior lecturer at the University of Gloucestershire and consultant business psychologist with one of the big four professional services and Richard Gray, business adviser at accountants Randall & Payne and a GAINS quality assured coach.

A number of businesses signed up to GAINS at the event - including Moose Marketing&PR and our business publication Punchline-Gloucester.com

Punchline Editor Mark Owen said: "Good to Great for Growth is a great initiative and will help us take Moose and Punchline to new heights as we expand into new areas.

"I was very impressed with the level of coaching at the event and GAINS is providing an ideal opportunity to help fill the skills gap and drive businesses forward."

The programme is limited to just 220 Gloucestershire-based SMEs. For further information please contact Geraldine on gmccullagh@glos.ac.uk or tel. 01242 715400.