Date: Wednesday 1st December 2027
Time: 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM
Location: TBC, Salford
Cost:
£30 Non Member +VAT
How SMEs Can Innovate and Compete Without a Big Budget
Innovation can sound like something reserved for businesses with large R&D teams, but many of the most valuable improvements come from solving everyday customer or operational problems in a better way. For SMEs, the real challenge is finding ways to make meaningful improvements when time, money and specialist resources are limited.
This event will explore how smaller businesses can innovate using the people, knowledge and resources they already have. The conversation will consider how to identify opportunities for improvement, involve employees in finding solutions, make better use of existing technology and work with external partners to access skills or expertise they cannot justify bringing in-house. It will also look at practical examples of businesses making changes to products, services or ways of working without significant investment.
Attendees will gain ideas for making innovation part of everyday business activity, helping them improve efficiency, strengthen their offer and remain competitive without needing a large budget.
About The Speakers
Claire-Marie Boggiano
STRIDE Facilitator & Leadership Coach
Claire-Marie is a Chartered Engineer holding an MBA from Manchester Business School. Claire-Marie is a guest lecturer in Change Management and Entrepreneurship at Manchester Business School. She is the alumni lead for MBS Women Leading in Business group and regularly hosts the Institute of Directors Women’s Forum in the North West. Claire-Marie is a committee member of the IoD Manchester and has recently commenced working with EEF The Manufacturing Organisation to raise the profile of Women in Engineering. Claire-Marie is an expert in Change Management for many years and delivers the Day 3 workshop of the STRIDE programme – Oakridge’s 6 month leadership programme for female middle management development. Her workshop focuses on the managing business aspect. This is the final element of the programme and supports women attending to learn more about how they can impact their organisation, bring others with them and to become a role model for others. Claire-Marie is a member of the Manchester City Council International Women’s Day Steering Group. To any challenge Claire-Marie brings energy, focus and action. Her core skills include “breaking eggs”, “building gladiators” and “making connections”. Claire-Marie believes organisations and teams succeed by working with the imagination and talents of their people.