Cardiff Business School’s Help to Grow programme offers critical support for SME leaders
Cardiff Business School’s Help to Grow programme offers critical support for SME leaders
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As small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) navigate economic uncertainty and evolving market conditions, Cardiff Business School’s Help to Grow: Management programme is offering a lifeline. Since its launch in 2021, the scheme has supported hundreds of business leaders in Wales and beyond, guiding them through a 12-week development programme focused on sustainable growth.
Led by Professor Jane Lynch, Director of the Help to Grow programme and Professor of Procurement at Cardiff Business School, the course aims to help SME leaders design and implement a five-year growth plan tailored to their business needs. Delivered in partnership with the UK Government and coordinated by the Chartered Association of Business Schools (CABS), the programme is 90% subsidised, making it highly accessible for small businesses.
“Help to Grow Management is delivered by business schools across the UK accredited with the Small Business Charter,” explained Lynch. “As a business school, we not only research, we teach, but we engage very much with small business leaders in our local community.”
Since welcoming its first cohort in September 2021, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Cardiff Business School has continually adapted the course delivery. While initially held online, the programme now uses a hybrid approach, offering flexibility for busy entrepreneurs.
The curriculum is both comprehensive and practical, covering a range of key business areas. “Some of the topics include innovation strategy, accelerating digitalisation, marketing strategy, entering new markets, branding, recruitment, organisational design and financial management,” Lynch said. “One of the big challenges for company leaders is knowing when to bring in experts and how to do it cost effectively. We cover all of that within the course.”
Participants benefit from sessions led by 11 academic experts at the school, complemented by 10 hours of one-on-one mentoring and peer mentoring within the cohort. “Generally, when you bring a consultant into the business, you probably have one person who tries to be more of a generalist. What you’re doing when you come to us is you’re being introduced to lots of different experts in their fields, not only UK experts, but global ones too,” she added.
While the programme is centred on growth, Lynch emphasised that it’s not about pushing businesses to expand before they’re ready. “Sometimes people come on the course to affirm what they’re already doing, to think about some new ideas. Even if they can’t implement them straight away, maybe it’s something they want to build into their five-year plan,” she said.
Despite the current economic challenges, Lynch sees growing demand from sectors like digital tech, cyber, and health services. “Digitalisation has exponential growth, and there’s heavy investment by government in areas like AI. We’ve had everyone from cyber companies to physiotherapy clinics come through the programme,” she said.
The next Help to Grow cohort at Cardiff Business School starts in September. Lynch hopes even more businesses will take the opportunity to pause, reflect and build resilience. “None of us can afford to be complacent at any one time. We’ve always got to be forward planning. And that’s what Help to Grow gives you, the headspace to think not just about now, but the future too.”
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