Home› Services› Help to Grow
Volunteer Mentoring Experience

My volunteering experience
with Help to Grow

Richard Shaw has been volunteering as an approved Help to Grow mentor for several years, supporting SME owners across a wide range of sectors through the government-backed programme. This experience directly informs how he works with clients through Nexus Blueprint.

Find Out More at Gov.uk → Talk to Richard →

About the Programme

What Help to Grow
actually involves

Help to Grow: Management is a government-backed programme for established SMEs. It runs over 12 weeks and combines structured business education with dedicated one-to-one mentoring — delivered through accredited business schools and 90% subsidised by the UK government.

Richard has been volunteering as an approved mentor on the programme for several years, working with business owners across a wide range of sectors. That experience — sitting alongside SME leaders as they work through strategy, finance, marketing and operations — directly informs how he coaches clients through Nexus Blueprint.

"This programme gave me the frameworks and the one-to-one support to finally get a proper plan in place — and someone to hold me to it."

Help to Grow mentoring is not available for private booking. It is delivered exclusively through the official government programme. If you think your business might be eligible, visit Gov.uk to find out more and apply.

Programme Overview

Cost 90% subsidised — just £750 to eligible businesses
Duration 12 weeks — online and in-person learning
Mentoring 10 hours of 1-to-1 mentoring included
Backed by UK Government — delivered via business schools
Output Growth Action Plan — a written plan for your business
Your Mentor Richard Shaw — volunteer approved mentor

Eligibility

Do you qualify?

Most established SMEs are eligible. Here's what the programme requires — and what rules you out.

✓ You qualify if...
Your business has been trading for at least one year
You have 5 or more employees
You are a senior leader (MD, Director, CTO, CEO etc.)
Your business is based in the UK
You operate in the private or third sector
You have not previously completed Help to Grow: Management
✗ You may not qualify if...
Your business is in the public sector
You have fewer than 5 employees
Your business has been trading less than a year
You have already completed the programme
You are a sole trader with no employees

Applications go through the official government programme — visit Gov.uk to check eligibility and apply.

What the Programme Covers

12 modules covering the
essentials of business growth

Module 01
Foundations of Growth
Understanding what growth means for your business and building the right mindset for change.
Module 02
Vision & Strategy
Defining your long-term direction and building a strategy that connects daily activity to long-term goals.
Module 03
Financial Management
Understanding your numbers — cashflow, profitability, margins — and using them to drive better decisions.
Module 04
Marketing Strategy
Segmentation, targeting, positioning and the 4 Ps — getting your marketing focused on the right people.
Module 05
Operations & Processes
Streamlining how your business runs — roles, responsibilities, processes and efficiency.
Module 06
Digital Transformation
Understanding which technology investments will genuinely help your business grow — and which to avoid.

Plus 6 further modules covering people management, leadership, innovation and implementing your growth plan.

Richard's Track Record

Real businesses.
Real outcomes.

IT & Managed Services

"Richard helped us identify that we had no documented roles or org structure. Having that external perspective — and the support to fix it — made a real difference to how we operate."

IT Services Director
Managed IT Services
Landscaping & Grounds Maintenance

"Working through the finance modules with Richard was a genuine eye-opener. I finally understood where my business was making money — and where it wasn't."

Business Owner
Grounds Maintenance
Product Development

"Richard helped us build a proper Growth Action Plan with clear goals and milestones. Having that written plan — and someone to hold us to it — changed how we work."

Innovation Project Leader
Technology Business

Find Out If You Qualify

Interested in
private coaching?

Richard's Help to Grow volunteering experience informs his private coaching and mentoring practice. If you're looking for structured business support outside the programme, get in touch.

Get In Touch See Business Mentoring →

Other Services

Ongoing Relationship
Business Mentoring
Monthly 60-minute mentoring sessions for CTOs and Directors at six-figure SMEs. Structured, accountable, results-focused.
Find out more →
Focused Intervention
The Blueprint Session
A half-day working session to diagnose your business and leave with a clear, prioritised action plan.
Find out more →