New Survey Highlights the Impact of Business Support on Growth and Confidence

Recent findings from a customer survey across the Oxford Innovation Space network, which includes The EpiCentre, has reinforced the important role that tailored business support plays in helping companies grow, overcome challenges and plan confidently for the future.

Based on feedback from more than 200 businesses, the survey revealed a consistent trend: organisations that actively engage with business support services report stronger outcomes and higher levels of satisfaction.

Engagement Drives Better Experiences

Businesses that accessed support services recorded an average satisfaction score of 8.6 out of 10, compared with 6.2 among those who had not engaged with support.

The results underline the value of combining flexible workspace with practical business guidance, helping companies make the most of their time within innovation-led environments such as The EpiCentre.

Delivering Real Business Impact

The survey highlighted a range of measurable outcomes linked to business support activity:

• 45% of businesses said support had directly contributed to their growth and development
• 59% reported overcoming key challenges and improving overall performance
• 369 new jobs were created across 80 participating businesses

Businesses also reported benefits including stronger marketing strategies, improved access to finance, clearer business planning and enhanced internal capability.

One business commented:

“We had a cash flow hurdle to overcome and secured access to a £250,000 loan, which enabled us to continue growing.”

At The EpiCentre, customers have also experienced first-hand the value of tailored business support delivered by Innovation Director, Gary Jennings. One client shared that since receiving support from Gary:

“I have worked at putting myself across as more of an expert in my field and the returns have been noticeable. I’ve gained six new clients, and I am being taken more seriously by my existing, long-term clients, which is a revelation in itself.”

Others cited increased revenue opportunities, healthier sales pipelines and more structured approaches to scaling their operations.

Evolving Support for Growing Businesses

As companies develop, their support needs naturally change. The survey identified the highest demand for support in the following areas:

• Marketing
• One-to-one coaching and mentoring
• Business strategy
• Access to finance
• Sales development

This reflects the growing focus among SMEs on commercialisation, sustainable growth and scaling effectively.

A Flexible and Responsive Approach

At The EpiCentre, business support is designed around the needs of individual companies, providing practical guidance, strategic challenge and valuable connections at the right time.

Working closely with ambitious businesses, business support teams help organisations navigate challenges, identify opportunities and build momentum for growth.

Expertise That Adds Value

Behind these results is a highly experienced business support network with expertise spanning leadership, finance, marketing, sales and strategic growth.

Embedded within Oxford Innovation Space centres, these teams work alongside businesses as trusted advisers and connectors, helping them make informed decisions and accelerate progress at key stages of their journey.

The survey findings clearly demonstrate the value of this approach. Businesses that engage with support consistently report higher satisfaction, improved performance and stronger progress compared with those that do not.

Continuing to Evolve

The insights gathered from the survey will help shape future improvements to business support services, ensuring they remain relevant, practical and aligned with the needs of modern businesses.

The findings also reinforce a core principle shared across the Oxford Innovation Space network: when the right environment is combined with the right support, businesses are better positioned to succeed and grow with confidence.