Upcoming Events
Access to Capital - October 2025
This workshop is designed to help entrepreneurs develop growth strategies tailored to their small and medium-sized businesses. It focuses on best practices, tools and approaches to adopt to successfully expand the business while maintaining optimal resource management and ensuring long-term profitability.
Workshop objectives
- Provide participants with practical, proven strategies to grow their business.
- Helping entrepreneurs understand different growth paths (geographic, product, partnerships, etc.) and how to adapt them to their situation.
- Provide tools to manage growth effectively, optimizing human, financial and material resources
- Help anticipate growth challenges and prepare solutions to address them.
Topics covered:
- Identify different sources of financing (loans, grants, investors)
- Preparing a business plan for funding applications
- Present your project to investors and financial institutions
- Government funding and programs for entrepreneurs
Target audience:
Entrepreneurs looking for funding, aspiring business creators
Workshop Content
Introduction to SME Growth
Why growth is essential for SMEs
- The benefits of growth: increased turnover, greater visibility, strengthened market position.
- Growth challenges for SMEs: resource management, quality maintenance, risk management
Types of growth for SMEs
- Organic growth: increase sales, expand customer base, optimize existing operations
- External growth: mergers, acquisitions, strategic partnerships, geographic expansion.
Developing a growth strategy: key steps
Analyze growth opportunities
- How to identify new market opportunities: market research, competitor analysis, listening to customer needs
- Develop a clear strategic vision to guide business growth
Develop a solid growth plan
- Establishing a detailed growth plan: objectives, specific actions, resources required, deadlines
- Balancing short-term and long-term growth: maintaining operations while exploring new opportunities.
Geographic growth: expanding beyond your current market
Local and international expansion
- How to assess if the company is ready to expand geographically
- Local expansion strategies: opening new points of sale, diversification of products and services
- Strategies for internationalization: analysis of foreign markets, adaptation to local cultures, international logistics
The challenges of geographic expansion
- Gérer la complexité accrue, la réglementation locale, et les risques liés à l’expansion
- How to effectively manage teams across different geographic locations.
Innovation as a lever for growth
Innovate to differentiate yourself
- Develop new products and services to capture new market segments.
- The importance of continuous innovation to maintain competitiveness and meet changing customer needs
Embracing technology for growth
- How to integrate new technologies to improve existing products, optimize processes and offer new services
- The impact of digitalization: digital tools for operations management, marketing, and customer relations.
Strategic partnerships and collaborations to drive growth
Leveraging partnerships to accelerate growth
- Identify the right strategic partners: other companies, academic institutions, suppliers, industry players.
- The benefits of co-creation: collaborations in new product development, co-marketing, and resource sharing
The importance of networking and alliances
- How to create strategic alliances with other SMEs or large companies to increase reach and resources.
- Participate in business networks, trade shows and conferences to explore new opportunities
Financing to support growth
Financing options for SME growth
- How to finance growth: bank loans, private investors, venture capital, public subsidies, crowdfunding
- Choosing the right financing option according to the needs of the business: short-term financing vs. long-term financing.
Investor criteria
- What investors look for in backing a growing business: return on investment, growth potential, management team.
Managing the challenges of growth
The main challenges when growing
- Maintaining company culture while developing the team and processes.
- Managing human resources management: recruitment, training, and talent retention
- How to maintain quality and customer satisfaction during a phase of rapid growth.
Strategies for managing growth risks
- Anticipate financial, operational and human risks linked to growth.
- How to structure the company to cope with growth: strengthening management, processes and logistics.
Measure and track performance during growth
Implement performance indicators
- Identify KPIs (key performance indicators) to monitor progress towards growth objectives.
- Measure profitability, productivity, market impact and customer satisfaction
Evaluate progress and adjust strategy
- How to adjust strategy based on results: reassess objectives, reallocate resources, modify tactics.
Teaching methods
- Interactive Lectures: Introduction of theoretical and practical concepts followed by group discussions to explore ideas in depth
- Case Studies: Analysis of real cases of companies that have experienced successful growth and companies that have encountered challenges during their expansion
- Practical workshops: Creation of a growth plan for each participant's business, taking into account the specificities of their sector.
- Question and Answer Sessions: Discussions and exchanges with technology experts to solve participants’ specific challenges.
Workshop duration
- 1 full day (9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.), with breaks for informal discussions and networking among participants
- Possibility of follow-up sessions to delve deeper into certain strategies or answer specific questions about financing or geographic expansion.
Target audience
- SME Entrepreneurs: Business owners looking to expand their market, develop new products or establish themselves in new territories.
- Growth-stage entrepreneurs: Those who already have a business running and want to accelerate their growth.
- Startups: Founders of early-stage companies who want to take the next step in terms of development and scaling
Speakers
- Growth Strategy Consultants: Experts in Business Strategy and Business Development
- Experienced Entrepreneurs: Testimonials from entrepreneurs who have experienced rapid growth and successfully managed the associated challenges.
- Financing and Investor Specialists: Practical advice on financing methods to support growth.
Workshop location
- Suggested location: Conference room in a coworking space or business center.
- Virtual Access: Hybrid workshop allowing participants to follow online if necessary.
Post-workshop follow-up
- Individual Coaching: Coaching sessions to help implement growth strategies.
- Networking: Create a support group for participants to exchange ideas, resources and contacts.
- Webinars and additional training: Sessions on specific topics such as human resources management during growth or crowdfunding for SMEs
- This workshop will help participants acquire practical skills to successfully grow their SME while anticipating challenges and optimizing available resources.