Resources

Keep up to date with the latest Business Growth Hub / Lancashire manufacturing news, blogs, client case studies and our 50 factsheets.

Tuesday, June 21, 2022

Lancashire manufacturers win Red Rose Awards

A number of SME manufacturers, including several supported by our Manufacturing Growth Fund, were recognised with awards at Lancashire’s 2022 Red Rose Awards in June.

Monday, June 20, 2022

The best way to promote the world of engineering is to open your doors

Welcoming people into your factory on National Manufacturing Day is a great way to inspire much-needed young people into the engineering profession, as Manufacturer Advisor Steve Wilkinson explains from his own experience.

Monday, May 23, 2022

Plot your way to success with Value Stream Mapping

If you want to realise improvements in your competitiveness, you first need to understand exactly how your process works in reality, not just how you think it works. That’s where Value Stream Mapping (VSM) comes in – and the Lancashire Manufacturing Growth Fund can help.

Tuesday, May 10, 2022

Digital marketing and sales is the new frontier for manufacturers – don’t fall behind

Social media, e-commerce, blogs, SEO… the online world can seem like a daunting space to an SME manufacturing business. Nevertheless, effective digital marketing is now a crucial consideration for any successful enterprise, even the most traditional of B2B manufacturers.

Tuesday, April 12, 2022

Cyber crime: Take it seriously before it’s too late

Cyber attacks are becoming more elaborate and convincing every year, but too many businesses are not taking it seriously. We explore why SME manufacturers are particularly in danger, how COVID-19 has increased the risks and what you need to do to boost your defences.

Thursday, March 3, 2022

How to avoid the pitfalls of firefighting and make time for change

Organisations that value firefighting and heroic firefighters more than they value learning – and developing good problem-solvers – will struggle to achieve manufacturing excellence.

Monday, February 21, 2022

Fox Timber

Established in 1965, Fox Timber supplies a wide range of timber products to both trade customers and the general public, including treated (tanalised) timber, fence posts and gates, and firewood and briquettes. The majority of these products are designed and produced in its own workshops.

Saturday, January 1, 2022

50 Manufacturing Factsheets

Find a factsheet and access our diverse information on complex manufacturing topics.

Thursday, December 2, 2021

It’s never been more important to understand your cashflow

The COVID-19 pandemic has left many manufacturing firms short on cash. In this blog we explain why ‘cash is king’ in business, share some tips on how to improve liquidity and outline the cashflow risks every business needs to be prepared for.

Wednesday, December 1, 2021

Manufacturing Leadership: Managing by Walking About

We share our observations from the first cohort of the Made for Manufacturing programme, which takes Manufacturing Leaders on a ten-week journey of virtual workshops and peer-to-peer learning to achieve excellence in their business.

Thursday, November 11, 2021

Digitalisation can be a gamechanger, but not without manufacturing excellence

Before entering the exciting, and often daunting, world of digital technology and automation, manufacturers should first focus on embedding the principles of manufacturing excellence into their business.