Innovation: at the heart of business growth
INNOVATION needs to be at the heart of any business that wants to grow, says the president of Greater Manchester Chamber, which is heading up a new award for innovative businesses.
The Innovation Award has been set up by Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce and PR agency Weber Shandwick.
Dr Moneeb Awan, president of the Greater Manchester Chamber and owner of mobile technology company Esay Solutions, is driving the Innovation Award’s launch.
He said: “Innovation is at the heart of getting businesses to grow. The challenge for business directors and company leaders is to understand how the ecology of innovation works.
“Innovation describes an outcome, which is not important. The important bit is unexplored creativity and leadership.
“You start with people and engendering the right environment. Think about the people within the company who are creative in the way they are doing things.”
Dr Awan added that business innovation can mean looking outside of the skill set and expertise within your own business to see how business partnerships could work to the benefit of both parties.
“Businesses should not be afraid to work together, and that they should also look to partner with academia,” he said.
“A fear of collaboration and partnership is a mindset that many businesses need to overcome – often the real opportunities come from partnering with organisations that are larger than your own.
“That sort of open innovation can make things happen very quickly, and it is often that speed which catches firms out.”
Watch the video to find out more about the award and why innovation is so important for business.
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Entry is open to all businesses across Greater Manchester that can show how innovation has benefitted their company.
The winning business will receive £5,000 worth of digital consultancy from Weber Shandwick, along with a high speed printer from Brother UK.
Click here to enter for the award – applications take less than 15 minutes to complete.
The award is being organized by the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce and Weber Shandwick, with support from Brother UK, Manchester: Knowledge Capital and TheBusinessDesk.com.
