Small Business Journey

Small Business Journey- The Route Map To Business Value










		Better Payment

		Developing Skills

		Invest in your employees and their skills

		Diversity

		Equality

		Health and Safety

		Managing Resources

		Marketing with a Cause

		Minimising Waste

		Volunteering



	Invest in your employees and their skills

	How to get started in a small way

	Think about the skills you need in your business, now and for what you hope to achieve in the future Talk to staff about the skills they have and those they would like to develop Consider informal routes for spreading learning - like how employees with valuable skills might transfer them to others through coaching or mentoring Where off the job training is relevant and valuable, see how you can help trainees both to accommodate their workload and to focus on their learning Remember the need to develop management skills too, maybe by reviewing your own performance and learning from experience, or talking to other businesses, your accountant or other advisers.

	Who can help you to go further?

Strengthening the performance of your business, enhancing its competitiveness and protecting its future in the ways outlined here are really just a matter of common sense. But if you are committed to achieving major business benefits in this way, then it often helps to get help. National Help Skills for Employers from DfES helps you as an employer to make better informed decisions about developing staff and building your business by investing in the workforce. www.skillsforemployers.gov.uk. The Learning and Skills Council www.lsc.gov.uk is building up sources of information on funding and planning education and training for over 16 year olds in England. It also has a helpline on 0870 900 6800. Modern Apprenticeships for 16-24 year olds are available in over 80 different sectors of industry and commerce. Call 08000 150 140 or see www.realworkrealpay.info. Forum of Private Business member information service includes details on skills development. You can contact them at emailto:mis@fpb.co.uk Business Link provides practical and easy to use information and support for SMEs on a wide range of issues including training. Business Link - Training Local Help Check with your Chamber of Commerce or other business advice services for local contacts. Also ask local colleges and universities about how they might be able to assist you. Online Help www.investorsinpeople.co.uk Investors in People (IiP) provides a framework that you may find helpful for investing in people to achieve results. www.yourpeoplemanager.com Linked to IiP, Your People Manager is a service specifically for managers of small businesses. www.learndirect-business.co.uk LearnDirect gives smaller businesses easy access to flexible business focused courses either on-line or at learndirect centres. If you are in Scotland go to www.lds4b.com. www.theworkfoundation.com The Work Foundation combines leading-edge analysis of the modern workplace with practical experience of what inspiring and successful businesses look like today. It is part research institute, part business consultancy, part advocate.

	It's Common Sense

This briefing paper is one of a series of +points that make up The Journey - a route map designed to help you build a business that people value. You need only do one if you like. It's your journey. It doesn't have to be time consuming or complicated. It's basically common sense.

Each 'How-To' briefing is available in pdf or word formats. To read the PDF document with a screen reader please link to the Access Adobe website which provides useful tools and resources. Adobe also has a free online conversion tool for PDFs.

PDF file Developing Skills.pdf
size 166kb

Word file Developing Skills.doc
size 42kb