Blackpool business sets sights on national growth

State-of-the-art technology training facilities support The Small Business Academy’s expansion

Blackburn, September 2022. The Small Business Academy, a Blackpool-based business, is preparing for national growth after upgrading its training facilities with state-of-the-art interactive display technology. Working in partnership with Preston-based AV2events, The Small Business Academy has introduced the Promethean ActivPanel to establish a business blueprint that will help the company expand UK-wide.

The Small Business Academy is a training, mentoring and support hub for small businesses that provides quality, practical training and affordable co-working spaces to drive sustainable growth.

Founder of The Small Business Academy and former Dragons’ Den contestant Nikki Hesford spotted a gap in the local market after identifying that training provision was not keeping pace with the technology trends seen in education.

Nikki explains: “These days, classrooms are packed full of collaborative solutions that really engage children in learning. When they enter the world of work, it’s like going back in time. With The Small Business Academy, we’ve taken inspiration from what works so effectively in education, and applied it in a corporate training environment.”

Bringing classroom technology into business training

Traditionally used in school settings, the Promethean ActivPanel is also well suited to business applications. Supporting the effective delivery of training, it provides ‘plug and play’ access to a range of functionality, including an instant whiteboard, screen sharing and connection to cloud-based platforms.

The Small Business Academy worked with AV2events to design the technology set-up for the training facility. Lee Wilson, AV2events Director, comments: “Businesses increasingly recognise the need to provide scalable, digitally-powered meeting and training experiences. The next generation of workers coming through schools has high levels of expectation for technology, plus it’s far more effective than traditional paper-based methods. I’ve really enjoyed working alongside a fellow local entrepreneur on this project. Nikki is an inspiration, and while The Small Business Academy is a great resource for businesses across Lancashire, it’s now also a springboard for national expansion.”

Having created a technology-charged blueprint to launch a nationwide franchise, Nikki is excited about her future expansion plans. She concludes: “Looking back at our initial training facilities and comparing them to how successful they are now with the ActivPanel, I am extremely impressed with the advancements. We are more than ready to expand from here, and I’m very excited to see what the future holds.”

About The Small Business Academy

Founded in 2017 by multi-award-winning entrepreneur Nikki Hesford, The Small Business Academy is an all-round source of support for small and start-up businesses. Nikki started her own business at just 23, as an undergraduate and single mother, and struggled to find the practical training she needed to build a successful business. The Small Business Academy was designed to help like-minded start-up owners get professional help with vital skills such as marketing, so they leave with enough knowledge to manage their own marketing until they can afford to outsource it.

About Promethean

Promethean is a leading education technology company working to transform the way the world learns and collaborates. From our founding in Blackburn, England, more than 25 years ago to our global operations in 22 countries today, we’ve continued to explore, innovate, and inspire—designing learning and collaboration tools that are built for breakthroughs. Our award-winning interactive display, ActivPanel, and lesson delivery software, ActivInspire and ClassFlow, were designed to engage students, connect colleagues, and bring out the brilliance in everyone. With headquarters in Seattle, Washington, and offices worldwide, Promethean is a subsidiary of the NetDragon Websoft Holdings Limited (HKSE: 0777) group of companies. Visit PrometheanWorld.com.