40 East Sussex firms sign up for free expert support, with weeks left to apply

40 East Sussex businesses have signed up to Time to Grow in its first eight weeks, a new programme that pairs established firms with an experienced specialist for free 1-to-1 support. Places remain, but applications close at the end of November.

Launched in September, Time to Grow is funded by the Sussex and Brighton Strategic Authority and East Sussex County Council. It is open to businesses across the county, outside Brighton and Hove, that have been trading for a while and want to grow.

Each business starts with a diagnostic to pinpoint where help would make the biggest difference. It is then matched with one of 20 specialists for up to 16 hours of 1-to-1 support on that priority, from winning customers and pricing to finance, websites, social media, AI and leadership.

The specialists are experienced practitioners, many running their own Sussex businesses. They include Kerry-Anne Kitson of Toucan52, who has spent more than 20 years helping businesses with websites and search; James Armstrong of Social Firefly, a Construction Marketing Awards 2024 finalist; and Marcus Morgan-Etty of SingleThread, who spent 25 years running businesses before specialising in brand and positioning.

Kerry-Anne Kitson said: "I work with small and growing businesses that know their websites could be doing more for them but aren't always sure where to start. Through Time to Grow I'll help businesses identify what's working, what isn't and what practical improvements can make their websites perform better for them."

Gavin McWhirter, Programme Lead at Digital Islands, said: "Over the past two years we've worked with more than 100 East Sussex businesses. Most didn't need more advice. They needed the right person, for the right problem, at the right time. That's what Time to Grow is built around, and the response since September shows how much appetite there is for it."

So what's the catch? There isn't one. It's fully funded, there's no invoice and no upsell. It starts with a 20-minute discovery call, and if Time to Grow isn't the right fit, the team will point you to support that is.

Time to Grow is for businesses based in East Sussex (not Brighton and Hove) that are established and trading, typically with 2 to 20 staff and around £100,000 or more in turnover, and keen to grow. Businesses can book a free 20-minute discovery call to check eligibility at https://digitalislands.org/specialist-business-growth/. Applications close at the end of November and places are limited.

Time to Grow is funded by the Sussex and Brighton Strategic Authority and East Sussex County Council. It is managed by East Sussex County Council and delivered by Digital Islands.