Manchester and the surrounding area are among the most attractive places in the country for those looking to move or expand an existing business, or set up an entirely new one.
But how can a business flourish in this environment? There are a few steps worth looking into.
Embrace the Manchester spirit
Manchester, like many major British cities, is a product of several historical quirks. By understanding the forces that have shaped this place, you can start to understand why it is the way it is. The values that define Manchester are resilience and innovation. It has weathered several economic storms and reinvented itself multiple times since it was founded by the Romans almost two thousand years ago.
Understand the market
Manchester is a fairly diverse and disproportionately young city. Your customers and would-be workers will come in many shapes and sizes. Here is where market research plays a major role. If you’re aiming to sell to the locals, then you’ll need to establish whether a viable market exists for your products and services.
Leverage digital marketing
While we shouldn’t discount the value of real-world, physical marketing, the fact is that digital marketing is a fairly unavoidable part of running a modern business. Maintain an online presence on several different social media platforms. Your market research should inform your approach to these matters. If you’ve determined that your customers prefer a certain platform, then so too should you.
Think about the environment.
Manchester is gradually undergoing something of a green transformation. A Clean Air Zone is in the works – but that’s just one aspect of a more general shift in regulation and attitudes. It’s worth going greener even in the absence of rules that say you should, because it’s fair to assume that those rules will shortly be with us.
If you’re able to hire a legal team with experience in ESG policies, then you can be confident that you’ll stay ahead of this particular problem.
Invest in employee wellbeing
Healthier employees tend to be more productive employees in the long term. By fostering a workplace with a positive culture that supports human health (including mental health) you’ll not only attract the best employees, but help them to work at their optimum.
Support local causes
Larger charities have a greater reach, but smaller ones do good work at community level. Often, these smaller charities are able to be more effective, as they can react faster to new situations on the ground, and they have a better awareness of local issues. By partnering with a local charity in Manchester, you’ll demonstrate that your business is contributing to the city, rather than just taking from it.