Help to Grow: Management Essentials, a free online training course for small business leaders, is now available in British Sign Language.

Designed and produced by the Small Business Charter network of business schools and the Chartered Association of Business Schools team which are behind the well-regarded 12-week Help to Grow: Management Course, Help to Grow: Management Essentials provides an introduction to the essential business concepts for growth through a series of short, practical videos and supporting resources.

The online course was funded and launched by the Department for Business & Trade. The 17 practical, bite-sized videos are accessible via an easy-to-use learning platform. Course participants can now select the British Sign Language version of the videos when registering for the course.

Flora Hamilton, Executive Director of the Small Business Charter, says: “The British Sign Language version of Help to Grow: Management Essentials was created in response to the Lilac Review. 96% of course participants surveyed since the course was launched said they found Help to Grow: Management Essentials useful. By delivering Essentials in British Sign Language, the Small Business Charter is ensuring wider inclusive accessibility to this practical introduction to business growth.”

Michelle Ovens CBE, Founder, Small Business Britain, commented: “It is great to hear that Help to Grow: Management’s Essentials course is available in British Sign Language. Disabled entrepreneurs currently account for approximately a quarter of the nation’s 5.5 million small businesses.  In our Disability and Entrepreneurship report, that we launched last year with Lloyds Bank, we found that over half of Disabled founders had no external support when starting up. The Lilac Review is seeking to address inequality and improve access to opportunities for Disabled entrepreneurs. By doing this, the Review estimates that the UK economy could unlock an additional £230 billion in business revenue. So it is brilliant that the Help to Grow: Management programme is taking a lead in boosting the accessibility of its business support in this way.”

More information about the Help to Grow: Management Essentials course and the full Help to Grow: Management Course can be found here.

More information about the Lilac Review can be found here.

Click here for all the latest news & insights from across our business school network and the Small Business Charter team.

Photo credit: Small Business Charter

Check out the Help to Grow: Management Course RIA Alliance Partner profile here  .