Help to Grow: Management event
Ivan McKee MSP has highlighted the importance of supporting Scotland’s community of small businesses in order to protect future economic stability.
The Glasgow Provan MSP addressed CEOs and senior managers from some of the most ambitious Scottish SMEs at an event organised by the Small Business Charter.
Business leaders gathered at Trades Hall of Glasgow, gaining insight from leaders including Alisdair Gunn, Director, Glasgow City Innovation District, and Dr Julie McFarlane, Founder of Academy for Enterprise Education, Business Development Consultant, on ways to keep employees motivated while working more adaptively to meet evolving demands.
Delegates also heard from Professor Adrian Furnham, a world-renowned organisational psychologist and consultant, who gave advice on how to become a better and more resilient business leader to keep employees engaged in their roles.
Building an entrepreneurial mindset was also a core theme of the day, addressing the psychology of management, teamwork and motivation. Businesses explored how they can improve job satisfaction to support increased productivity.
Scottish SME leaders from a variety of different sectors attended the event, but all had one thing in common; they were all graduates or current participants of the Help to Grow: Management Course – a 12-week course designed to help business leaders and their senior managers to increase resilience, innovation and growth within their organisations.
The importance of growing Scottish SMEs
Speaking at the event, Ivan McKee MSP, said: "Growing and supporting the Scottish SME sector is critical to our future economic success. I'm delighted to have taken part in the Help to Grow: Management Alumni Network event and speak with some of the business leaders that have benefitted from the course. A key theme that came from the conversations I had, and what many leaders say helped unlock their potential, is the mentoring and peer-to-peer networking.
“Building relationships with your peers and the wider SME community is an invaluable tool, so it was great to see first-hand how this works with Help to Grow: Management Alums.
“I wish all the business leaders I met today all the best and would encourage other leaders looking for support to explore how a Help to Grow: Management Course could help them.”
Pam Wilson, Director of Stirling-based Kevin Wilson Master Builders said: “This Help to Grow: Management event has been a fantastic experience. It has allowed me to reconnect with my colleagues from the course and make new contacts from other cohorts. The speakers did a great job at carrying on from the Course content and I look forward to actioning some of their insights.”
The 90% government funded Help to Grow: Management Course is designed to fit around existing work and personal commitments, providing business leaders with more than 50 hours of online and in person training including 10 hours of one-to-one mentoring.
It is delivered by Small Business Charter accredited business schools.320 SME leaders had finished the course by February 2023 across six Scottish universities including University of Strathclyde, University of the West Scotland, Heriot-Watt University, Robert Gordon University and University of Stirling*.
Individuals completing the course automatically join the Alumni Network, where they have access to content and partner offers, support of a UK-wide peer network, and entry to exclusive events.
Business leaders can find out more about Help to Grow: Management and sign up for the course in your area here.
