Over 14,000 SME business leaders have enrolled on the Help to Grow: Management Course, data released today by the Department of Business and Trade reveals. The latest independent performance evaluation conducted by Ipsos UK also highlights the impact the programme is having on improving business resilience during difficult economic conditions.
Delivered by more than 60 Small Business Charter-accredited business schools across the UK, the 12-week Help to Grow: Management Course was created to help SME leaders improve their leadership capabilities and resilience.
Econometric analysis of official data sources up to March 2023 demonstrates that the course is delivering on these objectives and having a positive effect on business survival rates. Firms completing the course were more likely to be operating one year post-COVID-19 than non-completers, highlighting its contribution to SME resilience against the pandemic and subsequent economic shocks.
The evaluation highlights that 75% of programme completers surveyed report that Help to Grow: Management increased their business’s resilience to external economic factors, while two in five (42%) indicated it helped their business recover from the pandemic and associated economic challenges.
It also illustrates that participants are better able to withstand economic uncertainty through changes to their business models, more confident leadership, improved strategic decision-making, enhanced financial resilience and greater operational stability.
14,420 business leaders have enrolled on the Help to Grow: Management Course since it launched in July 2021 and 11,915 SME leaders have completed the 90% government-funded course to date. In addition to the course’s impact on business resilience and adaptability, the latest review also demonstrates that the programme is delivering strongly on diversity outcomes.
Four-in-ten (40%) participants are female leaders - more than double the 14% of UK SMEs that are female-led - while 13% come from ethnic minority backgrounds, again over double the proportion of overall UK SME leaders. In addition, 70% of business leaders are based outside of London and the South East.
Flora Hamilton, CEO of the Chartered Association of Business Schools and Executive Director of the Small Business Charter, said: "The latest performance data highlights that the Help to Grow: Management Course is making a real difference to businesses and their leaders. Companies that took part were more likely to weather the economic shocks of recent years, and the vast majority of alumni tell us they feel more confident leading their business after completing the course. That's a fantastic result for the individuals, their teams, and the UK economy.
"We’re proud of the breadth of leaders and businesses the programme is reaching. Because it’s delivered by more than 60 business schools across the UK, the geographical reach is remarkable. With more than double the proportion of female and ethnic minority leaders compared to the wider SME population, the course is also helping to unlock potential in business leaders that has too often been overlooked."
A long-term effect
Help to Grow: Management combines online and face-to-face sessions with 10 hours one-to-one business mentoring and eight hours peer networking.
The independent evaluation highlights that 92% of alumni reported improved confidence in their ability to lead and manage their business post-course, with the same percentage stating that they would be likely to recommend the programme to another business leader.
In a further demonstration of the wider benefits of the programme, 90% of leaders who have completed the course stated they had shared knowledge from it within six weeks of completion. Additionally, almost two-thirds (61%) of course completers have continued engaging with the programme via its Alumni Network, with 88% of those rating post-course events positively.
Mark West and James Wilkes met on the Help to Grow: Management Course at Bristol Business School in 2022 and continued to meet as part of a cohort group once a month after completing the course. The pair recently joined forces to launch FDC Digital - a SaaS platform that helps schools manage and maintain quality childcare.
Mark West, co-founder of FDC Digital said: "Help to Grow: Management delivered far more than either of us anticipated. The peer network we built afterwards – supported by Bristol Business School – gave us a level of trust and insight into each other's businesses that you simply can't manufacture. When the idea for FDC Digital came together, I already knew James well enough to know that we would work well together. Now we're focused on getting into 250 schools this year and showing what this platform can do for the sector."
The research also highlights that the one-to-one mentoring sessions provide an additional safe space for participants to build confidence and often gave them the conviction to make changes in their business.
Help to Grow: Management Essentials
Figures have also been released for the first time for the Help to Grow: Management Essentials programme. The free online resource is designed to explain the essential business concepts required for growth and aimed at leaders of newer or smaller SMEs, or those wanting to start exploring the principles of business growth and management before taking the next step into the full course.
Since launching in April 2024, 1,675 small business leaders have participated in the modular, self-paced course.
About Help to Grow: Management:
Help to Grow: Management is a 12-week course designed to support business leaders and their senior managers to increase resilience, innovation, and growth within their organisations.
Developed and delivered by the network of Small Business Charter accredited business schools, the course is available in more than 60 locations across the UK and is 90% government funded. It 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. Individuals completing the course automatically join the Alumni Network, where they have access to an ongoing programme of exclusive events, content and partner offers, as well as the support of a UK-wide peer network.
The Small Business Charter (SBC) empowers small business success through its network of expert business schools. Developed 10 years ago by Lord Young, the previous Department for Business, and the Chartered Association of Business Schools, the SBC was established to signpost entrepreneurs, small businesses, and local economic stakeholders to business schools in their region with the expertise to help them thrive. There are 67 SBC accredited business school centres of excellence across the UK which are trusted partners of local stakeholders and the national government to deliver effective leadership and productivity programmes and small business support to drive economic growth.