77 BUSINESS FEATURE place to maintain my ethos and grow while balancing my family life. Now, I know that the limited time I have is spent on the things that really matter.” Guthrie & Ghani now operates across three pillars: retail, education, and community. The business offers highquality handpicked fabrics, haberdashery, sewing patterns, dressmaking kits, and a growing range of in-person and online courses for sewing enthusiasts. Flora Hamilton, Executive Director of the Small Business Charter, said: “Lauren is a brilliant example of how small business leaders can turn passion into lasting impact. From Sewing Bee finalist to business owner, her journey shows what’s possible when creativity meets strategic support. The fact that she’s not only grown her business, but acquired a key supplier and created local jobs, all while balancing family life, is incredibly inspiring. Help to Grow: Management exists to empower leaders like Lauren to scale up, build resilience, and realise their full potential. “Her success is also a great example of the economic and social value created when female-led businesses are equipped with the right tools and mentorship. We’re proud to support ambitious founders like Lauren across the UK.” The Help to Grow: Management Course is a 90 percent governmentfunded leadership programme for SME businesses, delivered by a network of Small Business Charter accredited business schools. The course runs over 12 weeks and includes online and face-to-face sessions, 10 hours of one-to-one mentoring and peer networking. Its mission is to increase economic growth and productivity through improved management and leadership practice. 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 percent 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 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. www.smallbusinesscharter.org/help-to-grow-management
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