New South West business venture launched to harness community spirit and help companies collaborate
A new company has launched that will allow businesses across the South West to team up and secure new regional, national and global projects.
Collaborate South West is for business owners and leaders who want to grow their company by teaming up with others to deliver bigger projects.
Founded by Annabel McCabe and Mandy Swift, the company has already secured its first 20 company members in a range of key sectors and is now launching across the region.
Co-founder Mandy Swift said: “By teaming up like-minded business leaders, Collaborate SW will lead to new ventures, new opportunities and new business. It’s scaling up to succeed.
”The pandemic saw people turn to friends across the business community like never before. Collaborate SW harnesses that spirit and takes it further, giving you the collaborative platform to add a whole new way of working into your business.”
Collaborate SW also provides structured learning, peer-to-peer support and an international-level masterclass series for its members. The first masterclass is from vice president of US tech firm Lumen, Julia Fraser. There will be a framework for sharing ideas and best practice, as well as overcoming challenges, including accountability sessions, access to a range of experts in key business areas and a ‘virtual board’.
Mandy and Annabel held senior positions at a range of successful regional companies before founding Collaborate South West.
Co-founder Annabel McCabe said: “Collaborate SW gives you the structure and the people to deliver stand out joined up work. Now is the time for bold new approaches. We’ve had a brilliant response from the business community and those eager to create a positive future for themselves and the region.”
The first members include Phil Sampson of Sampson Hall and Sarah Knight of Sarah West Recruitment.
Phil Sampson, founder of business strategy experts Sampson Hall, said: “COVID has opened everyone’s eyes to new possibilities and opportunities, including ways of working together. With home working now de rigeur and entrepreneurialism key to our recovery, collaboration in a trusted and virtual way becomes so important.
Collaborate SW offers an opportunity, way more powerful than networking, where businesses can work, learn, support and share in a very unique environment.”
The company has also set up a ‘give back’ fund. By donating £100 a year of each person’s membership fee to the Collaborate SW give-back fund, the aim is to raise £15,000 to help people suffering with mental health and emotional well-being issues in the South West. Members will help develop the approach and award funding.”
Sarah Knight, Managing Director of Sarah West Recruitment, said: “What makes working in this part of the world so special is the supportive, community feel that exists between organisations. Never has this been demonstrated more than in recent months as we’ve all pulled together. I’m delighted to be involved with Collaborate SW. I love the focus on encouraging businesses to get together, work together, draw on each other’s expertise and help drive economic growth.”
Member Matt Young, of Devon social media specialists MrMattYoung, said: “Work should be about collaboration. No one is expert at everything. We all bring something to the table and together we can be stronger. I’m excited about working with and alongside other organisations, to ensure we all benefit in the long term.”
Mandy added: “At a moment of unprecedented uncertainty across society, we have to seize the moment. For us, that’s creating a truly collaborative community of business owners and leaders who ultimately want to grow, give-back and make a lasting difference.”
For more information go to www.collaboratesw.co.uk
