Clarity, direction, and a plan. For the business you actually want.
Most business owners reach a point where working harder stops feeling like the answer. You’re busy, you’re committed, and you care deeply about what you do – but something isn’t quite clicking. The business isn’t moving forward in the way you’d hoped, and you’re not entirely sure what it needs next. That’s exactly the conversation this Growth Lab is designed to have.
This session brings together people who’ve been at that same crossroads – and come out the other side with a clearer picture of what their business actually needs. Along the way, we’ll explore one of the most useful distinctions in business: the difference between growing and scaling. Not as a theory, but as a practical tool to help you work out where you are, what’s holding you back, and what to focus on next.
Why you can't miss this
Growing and scaling sound like the same thing. In practice they describe two very different paths – and many businesses struggle precisely because they’re trying to do both at once without realising it.
Growing typically means more revenue, more clients, more staff, with costs rising alongside. Scaling means revenue rising faster than your costs, by building systems and processes that make the business more efficient and less dependent on you personally.
Understanding which path fits your business – and aligning everything behind that choice – is one of the clearest ways to start making real, sustainable progress.
This session will help you
- Recognise whether your business is set up for growth, for scale, or accidentally trying to do both
- Understand what your business actually needs at this stage – in plain English, with real examples
- Ask better questions about your time, your team, your margins, and your systems
- Leave with 2–3 practical steps you can take straight back to your business
Meet the speakers
Keynote Speaker
Andrew Marsh
Vistage Chair | Business Transformation Specialist
Andrew Marsh has spent over 20 years leading businesses from start-up through to scale, and now helps other founders and leadership teams navigate exactly that journey. As a Vistage Chair, he runs six CEO coaching groups across the North East, working with business owners who are serious about making the right decisions at the right time.
In his keynote, Andrew will unpack the real differences between growing and scaling, the stages businesses typically move through, and how the founder’s role needs to evolve as a business becomes bigger and more complex. Clear, practical, and grounded in real experience.
The Panel
Panellists to be announced shortly.
We’re bringing together a group of business owners who’ve faced this decision first hand. Watch this space for details.
Louise Kennedy
Managing Director of Oculus HR
Louise Kennedy FCIPD is an award-winning HR leader, speaker and founder of Oculus HR, one of the North East’s leading HR consultancies. After turning redundancy into opportunity in 2013, she built the business from the ground up while raising a family. Today, Oculus supports more than 400 organisations, and Louise is a passionate advocate for ethical leadership, workplace wellbeing and women in business.
Your hosts
John Forth and Debbie Simpson
Business Advisers, North East BIC
Debbie and John will be welcoming you on the day, introducing Andrew and the panel, and making sure the Q&A is open, relaxed, and genuinely useful. No question is too basic. That’s a Growth Lab promise.
What is Growth Lab Sunderland?
A free events series from North East BIC, built around real people sharing real experiences – informal, honest, and held at venues across the city. Growth means different things to different people. It might be more profit with less stress, winning back your weekends, or simply feeling more confident about the road ahead. Come with your questions. Leave with something you can actually use.
Making it easier to take part
We know that balancing business and caring responsibilities is a reality for many. You’re very welcome to attend with children if needed, and there will be a separate space available should you need to step out at any point.
Book your place
Growth Lab Sunderland: From AI Assistants to AI Agents
Date: Friday 5th June 2026, 9:00 - 12:30
Venue: Roker Hotel, Roker Terrace, Sunderland, SR6 9ND
Cost: Free
Priority is given to businesses in the Sunderland City Council area. Not based in Sunderland? Complete the form above to add your name on the waiting list and we’ll be in touch if there’s space. We’d love to see you there if possible!
