Announcing OB2

OB2: working together to support local SMEs

Oxford Brookes Business School and Oxfordshire Business First have created a partnership to explore and highlight topics relevant to SMEs. The partnership, OB2, seeks to identify some of the key business issues that aren’t being addressed elsewhere, aiming to develop insights and support for local businesses.

Through this initiative, Oxfordshire Business First will become the business network for Oxford Brookes Business School enhancing academic research and teaching with current business practice and experience.

The partners

Oxford Brookes Business School

Provides undergraduate, postgraduate and MBA courses and already has strong relationships with local, national and international companies. It has been awarded the Small Business Charter in recognition of its support for local small and medium-sized organisations.

Oxfordshire Business First

A network of around 1,700 businesses, mostly SME’s.  The focus of the network has been referred as “businesses helping businesses” and has involved initiatives such as the regular BIG GIG Innovation events and mental wellbeing for entrepreneurs.

Topics

Under broad topic headings, OB2 will identify immediate and future business pressures that the OBBS research strengths and the OB1 membership network can address.

The current topics include:

1. Sustainability – what are the key issues that SMEs will need to address – and how get the best results
2. Developing and supporting staff – how to support workers by examining mental wellbeing, professional training and peer support
3. Innovation – what are the important emerging technologies that SMEs can use to increase productivity

Get Involved

OB2 will develop insights into specific challenges through roundtables, workshops and other research methods. It will seek to identify what current support and guidance is available and relevant to SMEs. By partnering with other organisations, it will seek to develop cohesive and easily-applied solutions for local SMEs to address these challenges.

To power this initiative, OB2 would welcome input from local organisations and individuals who can contribute to these projects.