Online course for small business leaders launches in partnership with Greater Manchester universities

Four Greater Manchester universities are collaborating on a new online-only programme for small business owners to develop their skills.

Manchester Metropolitan University, University of Bolton,?University of Manchester, and the University of Salford have launched the OPEN SME programme of one-hour sessions across four modules to help small business owners improve their skills and drive growth. The programme is fully funded by Greater Manchester Combined Authority and Business Growth Hub for business leaders throughout the city-region.

Course content covers four key modules:

• Finances – The power of understanding your finances
• Digital – Understanding how to maximise the digital future
• Markets – Keeping up with quickly evolving business industry
• People -Building and retaining a high performing team

Hour-long online training sessions cover a range of topics within in each module area of the programme. A short self-assessment quiz at the start of the programme is used to guide participants on a route through the topics covered to best meet their individual learning needs.

The OPEN SME programme is available for small business leaders in Greater Manchester looking to increase their productivity, ?profitability, resilience, and sustainability with the guidance of experts from the region’s leading universities.

The online platform for the OPEN SME programme launches on Thursday 5^th May, with registration for businesses interested in taking part able to do so via the programme’s website.