• Government has today launched Help to Grow: Management Essentials, a new online training course filled with practical advice and resources for small business leaders.
• The free short course is an introductory version of the full Help to Grow: Management course to reach even more small businesses
• Essentials is the latest addition to the Help to Grow toolkit supporting UK small businesses to scale up and grow

Government has today [24/04/2024] launched the new Help to Grow: Management Essentials course, a short online course with practical tips and resources for small business leaders. Based on the 12-week Help to Grow: Management Course, Essentials is suited for leaders of newer or smaller SMEs, or those who are looking to explore the principles of business growth and management before taking the next step and enrolling in the full course.

Small businesses are a vital part of local economies across the UK and supporting them is crucial to delivering on the Prime Minister’s priority to grow the economy. This course will support SME leaders to establish their roots as they look ahead to scale up and grow their business.

Essentials is the latest addition to the extensive package of SME support announced by Government as part of the ‘Help to Grow’ campaign: a one-stop shop for SMEs. The Help to Grow site makes it quicker and easier for business owners to find the resources they need for every step of their growth journey from across government.

Small Business Minister Kevin Hollinrake said:

I’ve met so many business owners who have benefited from Help to Grow: Management, and now with the launch of Help to Grow: Management Essentials even more business people will be able to access the advice and resources they need to scale up and grow.

2024 is the year of the SME and whether it’s through access to finance, support and advice, or removing barriers to growth: we’re helping them go further than ever before.

Help to Grow: Management Essentials is free, with content divided into three easy-to-access modules consisting of short videos and supporting resources covering the essential business concepts required to unlock growth. Business leaders can access the course through the Help to Grow website

Byron Dixon, founder of Micro Fresh said:

These Help to Grow: Management Essentials videos are jam-packed with inspiration and practical tips for small business leaders. I wish I’d had this type of resource available to me when I was scaling my business.

Martin McTague, National Chair of the Federation of Small Businesses, said:

FSB has been making the case for a streamlined, digital taster session version of the Help to Grow Management course, and we’re delighted to see this now delivered. Businesses with fewer than five employees were ineligible for the full Help to Grow course, so this is particularly good news.

This will better fit with the busy lives of small business owners who struggled with the initial commitment for 12-week intensive learning.

It means many more can now access the benefits of Help to Grow and see the benefits of committing to the longer course as follow-up.

Improving the skills of small business owners is in FSB’s DNA, so we’re pleased to see this new option for those wanting to grow their businesses, and the economy.

Michael Hayman, MBE, Chair of the Small Business Charter said:

Designed by the experts at Small Business Charter accredited business schools, the Help to Grow: Management Essentials Course will provide new opportunities for smaller firms to unlock their business potential.

Essentials joins the full Help to Grow: Management Course which has already helped thousands of business leaders develop the skills they need to accelerate growth, productivity and innovation. Together they provide a unique opportunity for businesses across the SME community to benefit.

Enterprise Nation Founder and CEO, Emma Jones CBE, said:

As a delivery partner on the Help to Grow: Management course, we see the positive impact this initiative has on small business confidence and productivity every day. One thing that stands out is the value that working one-to-one with a matched mentor can have, bringing the lessons learned on the course alive in a very practical setting.

Helping business leaders understand the clear benefits that taking time out of the business to sharpen business knowledge can have – and practical support on how to apply that to their own business cannot be overstated.

In 2024, the year of the SME, Government will continue to support and engage small businesses, reaffirming their role as the engines of our economy and the beating heart of local communities and today’s launch builds on a raft of measures designed to help them meet their full potential. Earlier this year at the first SME focused Business Connect event, the Prime Minister announced £60 million new investment to enable up to 20,000 more apprenticeships, slashing unnecessary regulatory burdens through Brexit freedoms saving around £150 million per year for thousands of small businesses, as well as the launch of the Investing in Women Taskforce to boost private investment in women-led businesses and make the UK the best place in the world to be a female founder.