Walker Business Transformation
Teesside business owner Lee Walker started up Walker Business Transformation six years ago to help businesses and organisations across the UK achieve their potential by becoming more efficient. Former IT Manager Lee had secured a good number of clients but had ambitions to expand and build contacts in the North East.
The Challenge
For Lee, the challenge his business faced was to secure a stronger foothold in the region and broadening his geographical coverage for his consultancy and training services. Knowing what grants and support were available to him were part of the challenge. But with UKSPF, he found more support was available through Like Us and TVCA partners, RTC and Orangebox.
The Solution
It was these organisations which helped provide Lee with the leg-up he needed. He has both benefitted from and passed on his expertise in Lean Six Sigma – a practice to make firms more efficient and reduce waste – through workshops on the Tees Valley Supply Chain programme.
Lee added: “They’ve provided a whole range of solutions – we’ve had grants and access to businesses we wouldn’t have previously had access to. They’re managed to open doors for us and we as a business have benefited from also winning work and delivering through the framework they have in place.”
He also accessed grant support from the Expertise Programme to help develop a business plan and marketing strategy for his firm.
The Benefits
The connections he’s forged have helped him generate more business for both him and those he has worked with. Lee said: “It has really opened doors for us in the region.
“With the help of the Tees Valley Supply Chain programme, I organised and delivered Six Sigma workshops tailored for local businesses. I also built strong connections within the local business community, which helped raise my profile and generate new consultancy leads.
“The benefit to Tees Valley businesses is they can find ways of becoming more productive and more efficient within their organisation in the services and products that they provide.”
The Future
On the back of a year of growth, Lee is keen to see what other support may be on offer.
He added: “I’m hoping the Government will continue with the programmes as they stand for the foreseeable future. I think there have been great programmes pulled together. I’d be interested in tapping into some of the other programmes that I haven’t tapped into this year.
“I’m looking forward to seeing what else is on offer in 2025.”
To find out more about Tees Valley Supply Chain Programme, go here.
Support is fully funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. Support is conditional based on eligibility and suitability checks, and for one-to-one productivity support the completion of a diagnostic.
Tees Valley Supply Chain is delivered by RTC North on behalf of the Tees Valley Mayor and Combined Authority, and the Tees Valley Business Board.