The Small Business Charter (SBC) has published a new report, ‘Empowering Small Business Success: The Gateway to Knowledge, Innovation and Growth’, highlighting the important role SBC-accredited business schools play in supporting the UK’s small business community.
The findings show that business schools are the primary institutions business leaders turn to for support, with 81% of respondents stating their first interaction with a university was through a business school. An overwhelming majority (96%) reported that this engagement had a positive impact on their business.
These initial connections often lead to a deeper engagement, with over half (52%) of small businesses continuing to have further engagements with their local business school or the wider university, averaging 4.5 follow-up interactions. By being brought into the business school and university ecosystem, these ongoing engagements unlock further value by producing further benefits for businesses and their leaders’ personal development.
Government-backed initiatives, such as the Help to Grow: Management Course, are the most common first point of contact, indicating that public investment in business support schemes is generating long-term value for SMEs.
Beyond funded activity, business leaders access a range of business support from business schools and the wider university. These include executive education, networking events, student placements, and knowledge transfer partnerships.
Amidst an uncertain backdrop domestically and internationally, the survey shows that leaders are clearly looking for ways business schools can support them in developing their leadership and management capabilities (56.5%), diversification strategies (45.3%), and their AI and digital adoption strategies (42.9%).
This report concludes the SBC’s 10th anniversary celebrations, which included events across Northern Ireland, Wales, and Scotland, culminating in the SBC Conference and Summer Reception in London, during which SBC Chair Byron Dixon launched the results.
This was followed by keynote speeches from Isobel Stephen, Director General, Domestic and International Markets and Export (DIME) Group, Department for Business and Trade, and Martin McTague OBE, National Chair, Federation of Small Businesses, which highlighted the important role business schools play in driving small business success.
Commenting on the findings, Byron Dixon OBE, Chair, Small Business Charter and Founder and CEO, Micro-Fresh said:
“This report highlights the valuable role business schools play in supporting small businesses. By connecting entrepreneurs with the wider university network, business schools help unlock new opportunities for growth and innovation. The key message is simple: if you're a small business looking for support, your local business school is a great place to start.”
Lord Karan Bilimoria CBE, DL, Patron, Small Business Charter said:
“Our universities and business schools create opportunities for students, faculty, our communities and the businesses that drive our economy. This research demonstrates a long-held hypothesis: that a one-time interaction with a business school frequently unlocks further opportunities for business development and growth.”