THE boss of a dynamic and fast-growing translation service business decided to see if she could translate other people's ideas into success at her own firm.

Recognising the importance of training and development in the workplace, the managing director of the Kidderminster-based company Midland Technical Translations, Sue Clark, decided to see for herself how other companies succeeded.

She used Managing Directors' Development Initiative (MDDI) funding to attend a structured course where she became proficient in using a range of tools to evaluate the effectiveness of her business, as well as benefiting from the exchange of ideas with other business leaders.

MDDI focuses on the learning and development needs of directors and includes a free assessment leading to a personal action plan.

Up to £1,000 can be provided towards the cost of the learning through the Business Link West Mercia initiative, delivered in the two counties through the Chamber of Commerce Herefordshire and Worcestershire.

Sue said: "When you are running your own business it is often difficult to know if you are doing the right thing. The course we chose seemed an ideal way of benchmarking our practices against other businesses, many of which employed more staff and had higher turnovers than us."

"The seven-week programme involves attending just one morning a week. It has given me some excellent business tools to evaluate our productivity and efficiency, which perhaps hasn't been looked at since we first devised our business plan.

"The course is very well-organised and delivered in a relaxed environment and I have found the topics extremely thought-provoking.

"I have enjoyed working with other delegates from a spectrum of industries across the two counties, many of whom have faced the same challenges I have.

"Hearing about their own business experiences has reassured me that I am not alone."

For more information about MDDI, contact Business Link West Mercia on 0800 104010.