Innovation Master Classes planned for Noosa and Gympie
The Innovation Master Class is a business development program aimed at owner managers of small and mid sized businesses (SMEs) with ambitions to grow and achieve their potential. The next two programs are now confirmed for Noosa - for businesses from both Noosa and Sunshine Coast Council areas - and in Gympie.
Noosa program: 9 Oct to 15 Nov, Peregian Digital Hub, aimed at owner managers from SMEs in the Noosa or Sunshine Coast Council areas, five half-day sessions.
Gympie program: 31 Oct to 11 Dec, to run at TAFE Queensland Gympie Campus, aimed at owner managers from SMEs in the Gympie Regional Council area, four half day sessions.
Contact Colin Graham at Causeway Innovation to register your interest and to stay up to date on these programs.
Participants at 2017 Innovation Master Class in Noosa
The Innovation Master Class is an applied business development program designed to meet the specific needs of owner managers of growth oriented SMEs – a key contributor to innovation, economic and jobs growth in regions.
The program typically runs over two months and includes with a series of half-day workshops, practical assignments and a final Showcase session to present plans and progress to a small invited audience of business and community leaders. The core target audience is owner managers with growth ambitions, who are open to learning and run a business with 3-20 staff. We also consider expressions of interest from people outside this group if they have clear expectations as to how they can benefit and apply the key ideas from the program to their business. The program includes businesses from a wide range of sectors including food, creative and digital, tourism, professional services, media, health, education and environmental industries.
Workshop in action with growth businesses at QUT Brisbane. Photo credit: Marvin Fox Photography
The program takes participants through a step-by-step approach to understand innovation and provides practical tools to help participants apply key concepts to their businesses.
The content includes:
Strategy: clarifying the objectives of the owner manager and business
Generating ideas: where new business ideas come from, digital disruption and opportunities
Evaluate and shortlist ideas – including attractiveness and market validation
Test or pilot: including Minimum Viable Product
Implementation: prioritising actions and making time
Benefits for participants include:
Working on Your Business: time and structure to think about the bigger picture of your business and identify opportunities for growth
Ideas to Actions: exposure to, and opportunity to apply, new ideas to drive business growth and profitability
Build a productive and lasting peer group: network and learn from liked minded business managers, personal connections built through the program tend to last.
Build exposure for your and your business through the Showcase session: highlighting business direction to key people and networks in your area
The Innovation Master Class is designed and facilitated by Colin Graham of Causeway Innovation. Colin has international experience working with businesses of all sizes - from startups to over 50 of the world's leading businesses. He was International Product Manger for Dulux based near London, worked with the Career Innovation Company in Oxford and established award winning Innovation Centres for startup businesses in Aberdeen, Scotland and the Sunshine Coast, Australia. In recent years, Colin's focus has been on supporting the developments of small to mid sized businesses with the ability to grow and create new opportunities through innovation.