Digital Drive empowers Max Purpose Psychology to flourish online
Business Durham’s Digital Drive County Durham, a £4m programme funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), has supported Max Purpose Psychology to buy new technology and develop new digital skills.
Founded by Maxine Caine, Max Purpose Psychology aims to support education leaders, psychologists and small business owners through one-to-one and group supervision and coaching to find their purpose and flourish.
Maxine approached Digital Drive looking for funding support to buy the equipment she needed to run her fledgeling business, including a laptop, iPad, printer and shredder.
The powerful new equipment gives Maxine more flexibility and greater reach, as she can now conduct online group supervision sessions with clients from around the world. It’s also empowering her to create her own videos for her website and online modules to support her face-to-face training in schools.
Beyond the funding, Maxine expressed her immense gratitude to the Digital Drive programme as it reaches its completion and particularly her Digital Adviser James Miller – for their invaluable support.
She had been planning to outsource her website development but with James’ support, she has been able to create and launch the website herself.
She explains: "James has gone through the process with me in baby steps, to get a domain registered, email address set up, and with his help I’ve learned how to use WordPress to set up and manage my own website.
“He's patiently taught me about search engine optimisation (SEO), how to set up Google Search Console and Google Analytics, and most recently setting up my customer relationship management (CRM) system. All these are words I had never even heard of last year.”
The real value for Maxine has been this learning and lots more besides in social media strategy and content creation tools. Rather than a ‘done for you’ service, being supported to learn how to do everything herself means that she has the know-how and control over her own systems, which is sustainable and will save her even more money in the long-term.
Looking to the future, Maxine has a wealth of opportunities she is excited about. She plans to transition to working full-time in the business, develop further collaborations and bring on board some associates. She will also be developing training for Emotional Literacy Support Assistants (ELSAs) and Mediating Learning Support Assistants (MeLSAs), so they can work more effectively with children with complex needs.
James Miller, UMi’s Digital Adviser for the Digital Drive programme, said: “It’s been a real privilege to support Maxine in applying for equipment funding and developing her digital skills. She’s got a great springboard to grab all those exciting opportunities and grow her business as much as she wants.”
Sarah Slaven, Managing Director at Business Durham, said: “Digital Drive County Durham has played a vital role in empowering Maxine’s business to flourish online, not only gaining valuable knowledge but also the independence to maintain her own website and leverage digital tools effectively. The success of Max Purpose Psychology exemplifies the impact of the Digital Drive programme which has supported over 1,800 businesses since it started in 2017. In addition, Maxine’s entrepreneurial journey has also benefited from Business Durham's other programmes, including the Durham Ambitious Business Start-Ups programme. As we near the completion of Digital Drive County Durham, we remain committed to supporting small businesses in County Durham. We are actively exploring new initiatives that will continue to provide invaluable guidance and assistance to entrepreneurs, ensuring their ongoing growth and success."
Digital Drive County Durham is a programme being delivered on behalf of Business Durham, the business support service of Durham County Council, to help small businesses make the most of digital technology. This project will conclude this summer.
Durham businesses can look forward to new support programmes by Business Durham, which offers a wide range of support to guide businesses of all sizes and stages through its programmes, funding, property and partnerships.