New evaluation data published by the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) has revealed the positive impacts of the Small Business Leadership Programme (SBLP), which was delivered by Small Business Charter accredited business schools to support small businesses during the pandemic.
SBLP was attended by over 3,000 participants between November 2020 and June 2021.
The data and analysis show the impacts on participating businesses; these include:
In the six months since completing SBLP, participating firms were 48 percentage points more likely to have seen some level of growth in its total number of employees relative to the control group.
Within 6 months of completing, surveyed participants were more likely than the control group to have taken actions to improve longer term business productivity and tackle the effects of the pandemic.
86% of participating businesses took action within 6 months of the programme.
Just under half (44%) of those interviewed indicated there was at least a partial link between SBLP and their ability to survive the pandemic.
Around 50% of beneficiaries reported improvements in their ability to manage their employees and their ability to lead their business since before their participation in SBLP. Moreover, a majority of these beneficiaries were aiming to make these changes within the three months following the programme.
Speaking on the evaluation findings, Flora Hamilton, Chair, Executive Director of the Small Business Charter and CEO of the Chartered Association of Business Schools, said:
“These latest results show how much of a lifeline the SBLP and access to business schools was during the pandemic. Leaders who completed the course were better equipped with the knowledge, tools and support that they needed to lead change, innovate and grow their business at such a difficult time.”
“It is superb to see the role that our world-class Small Business Charter accredited business schools played in helping SME leaders to build their business’s resilience, productivity and growth potential during the pandemic. The success of SBLP laid the ground for the Help to Grow: Management Course which extended the opportunity to access a high-quality leadership and business growth programme to SMEs right across the UK.”
Developed in collaboration between the DBT and Chartered Association of Business Schools, the 10-week course was a business support programme available to SME leaders in England. The purpose of SBLP was to improve the management and leadership skills of SME leaders, providing them with the tools and knowledge to improve productivity and grow their business.
Initially conceived as a productivity improvement programme, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic meant the scope of the programme was adjusted to give SMEs immediate support to help deal with the economic effects of the pandemic, as well as boosting firm-level productivity.
The UK has a longstanding productivity gap of 16% per worker compared with major competitors in the G7 and ONS data shows that small improvements in management practices can lead to a 10% increase in productivity. The government sought to address this for small businesses attending SBLP.
You can read the full report here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/small-business-leadership-programme-sblp-evaluation-reports