What is the Help to Grow: Management Course?

If you’re leading a small to medium-sized enterprise (SME), you may have heard of the Help to Grow: Management Course. The course was launched in April 2021 by the UK Government with the ultimate goal of improving business growth and productivity. 

Naturally, growth can mean something different for every company. Given the unpredictable nature of the last few years, resilience in the face of continuous change is a significant challenge for many SMEs.  

Fortunately, the course provides a comprehensive introduction to the core elements required to lead a small business to growth, and to feel more confident about your own management and leadership abilities.   

The Help to Grow: Management Course is comprised of 12 modules,  mentoring support, and peer-to-peer group sessions. In total, you will benefit from 50 hours of leadership training spread over 12 weeks in a way that allows you to focus on your business without being distracted from your business.  

Modules are delivered by business experts through a mixture of face-to-face and online sessions and include case studies from successful SME leaders. Alongside the modules, you will be matched with a mentor that will help you apply what you learn to your own business and leadership challenges during one-to-one sessions.  

Ultimately, the goal is a tailored Growth Action Plan, that you will develop through the sessions to get your business where you want and need it to be.   

The Help to Grow: Management Course modules are taught by SME experts at Small Business Charter- accredited business schools. The team at your chosen business school will use real-world examples, proven tools and methodologies, and their own experience.  

You will finish the course with the confidence and knowledge to lead on the design and implementation of change and innovation in your business, boosting performance and productivity.  

The 12 modules that make up the Help to Grow: Management Course are: 

Strategy and Innovation 

In the first module of the course, you will examine how to keep your business competitive and relevant as markets and customers change. Building on your current business model, you will identify key opportunities for your business and its future direction.  

Digital Transformation 

The second module addresses the benefits of digital adoption for SMEs and where your company could improve productivity with the assistance of technology. On top of that, this module details how businesses can mitigate the risks of technological transformations.  

Winning New Markets 

This module is in the form of a case study and provides the opportunity to work with fellow cohort members and discuss examples of market expansion. The business example will also consolidate the learnings from the first two modules.  

Vision, Mission and Values 

You will learn how to craft a consistent and authentic narrative about your vision that underpins your customer value proposition and supports internal performance.  

Developing a Marketing Strategy 

This module shows you how you can develop your value proposition, understand market segmentation and get to grips with the decision-making process of consumers. There is also information on the importance of database marketing.  

Building a Brand 

In the second case study, you will perform a deep dive into a company that has successfully established its brand. The session enables the cohort to reflect on marketing strategies that engage customers and how a vision can support it.   

Organisational Design 

Create conditions that will enable individuals and teams to thrive. This module will enable you to create a high-performing workplace by looking at organisational design and practices. 

Employee Engagement and Leading Change 

During this module, you will look at the impact of managerial practices on employee performance. There will also be details on how the engagement and wellbeing of staff can be improved through a variety of initiatives. 

High Performance Workplaces 

This case study looks at the management practices a business has implemented to create a high-performance workplace. The Help to Grow: Management cohort will review practices and see how SMEs can adapt to be competitive employers over time.  

Effective Operations 

Evaluate your organisation’s current performance and explore avenues for growth. There will be a discussion on what kinds of operations can encourage productivity and profitability.   

Finance and Financial Operations 

Financial decision-making can be difficult and stressful, if you’ve never had to do it before. This module focuses on financial planning and how you can measure your financial health.  

The final part of the programme is a case study that encompasses all the modules covered. While looking at another SME’s growth journey, you will shape and refine your own Growth Action Plan.  

The breadth of material covered in the modules means that, irrespective of where you are on your business and leadership journey, you will benefit from the course. Here are just a few examples of the unique takeaways experienced by our course participants.  

In terms of growing leadership skills, Damini Sharma, the CEO and Co-Founder of construction company The OM Group, said: ‘My two biggest takeaways from the Help to Grow: Management Course were how to build resilient teams, whilst becoming a stronger and more confident leader.  

‘Also, even though it may seem lonely at times being at the top, you are not alone when you have a peer network, like the one that I have access to now as a Help to Grow: Management Course alum.’ 

Other businesses have looked to address the issues that their employees face and improve engagement as well as staff retention.  

Chris Davidge, General Manager at leather manufacturer Peter Jones ILG, noted, 'Our people aren't just looking for a financial reward, they're looking for a package that enables them to be looked after for the long term.' On the back of the Help to Grow: Management Course, Davidge and the broader company have been able to implement practices that make the company a better place to stay long-term.  

Additionally, businesses have leveraged the guidance from the course for changes to their digital infrastructure. Helen Necrews, Managing Director of ITeC Digital Training, found the ‘Digital Transformation’ module the most useful.  

At the time, her business was looking at implementing cloud technology and the module helped reaffirm that she was taking the right course of action. This included ‘purchasing the right infrastructure for data, so it’s secure and safe.’ 

Finally, for some small business leaders the course has provided clear, actionable guidance on how to grow. 

Andrei Ceteras, Managing Director of Surrey-based care provider, MedUKCare, said 'I owe a lot of my company’s success to the Help to Grow: Management Course. I managed to double my workforce from 5 to 10 people and increase my revenue by 250% in 1 year.' 

While co-founder and CEO of Accu, Martin Ackroyd, said “The Help To Grow: Management Course has given me the skills and confidence to take our business to the next level. Learning from a mix of key business frameworks and real-world case studies, we have been able to successfully drive revenue growth from £8m to £12m in just one year.” 

On the back of far-reaching benefits like these, 91% of SME leaders surveyed say they would likely recommend the programme to another business leader.

The Help to Grow: Management Course is available to any business operating for a year or more, in any sector other than charity, that employs between 5 and 249 people. Participants must be within senior leadership positions such as CEO, Chief Operating Officer and other Director level posts, or be a senior manager with staff reporting to them. 

For companies who would like to send more than one participant, the Help to Grow: Management Course accepts up to two participants from a business with 10 employees. Those who previously attended the Small Business Leadership Programme (SBLP) are also able to sign up for the course. 

You can join a Help to Grow: Management Course in 50+ business schools across the United Kingdom. Find out more about a school near you here. 

Click here to find the course that is the most convenient for you. From here, registering is very simple: 

• Find the course that's most convenient for you 

• Register your details with your chosen business school. 

•  They will be in touch to take your payment and explain how the onboarding process. 

If you’re not ready to talk select to a business school yet, but would like to know more then you can request more information here. 

If you experience issues with any part of registering for the Help to Grow: Management Course,  please contact the Small Business Charter. 

You can reach us through email or by phone: 

Email us: questions@smallbusinesscharter.org 

Call us Monday to Friday, between 9am and 5pm: 0203 006 0751