Corby-based SME process improvement expert is one of 2,500 trained mentors helping small businesses

Simon Davey is a highly-trained process improvement professional with more than 25 years working in the food industry. He now runs Simon Davey Consulting with the aim to help small businesses that can’t afford a full-time improvement manager to get the best out of their business and staff.

Simon said: “I studied business and finance at college. Once I'd completed my education, my first role was with a marketing company, working on many varied campaigns for a multitude of companies. Realising that I had too much energy for an office role, I moved into manufacturing.

“I worked mainly in food and drink and fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), gaining expertise and knowledge across many departments and building my understanding of the end-to-end manufacturing process.

“From there, I moved into continuous improvement (CI). This was something that I not only enjoyed but had a natural ability for. My journey in CI has allowed me to work with businesses that provide apprenticeship training, third-party printing and retail.

“In 2020, I decided to start my business as a business performance adviser, imparting my knowledge to start-ups and SMEs to make sure they're set up for success.”

Simon wanted to extend that work and experience further through the Help to Grow: Management course.

He said: “Creating lasting relationships and improving knowledge are the key reasons I decided to join the scheme as a voluntary mentor. You can always learn from other people. I take satisfaction from my mentees' journeys as I gain new knowledge and see their businesses grow at the same time.

“I enter every mentoring relationship to create a legacy with my mentee. I have had mentees contact me to discuss ideas and get advice outside mentoring sessions, because they believe in me and my experience. That inspires me to help them more.”

According to the Office for National Statistics, improving and developing management practices can result in a productivity boost of up to 10 per cent. * 

The Help to Grow: Management Course offers senior business leaders one-to-one support from an experienced and fully rated business mentor included in 50 hours of leadership and management training across 12 weeks, with the government covering 90% of the costs involved. Training is delivered via a national network of over 50 business schools.       Emma Jones, founder of small business support platform Enterprise Nation, part of the consortium of businesses contracted to recruit volunteer mentors for the course, said: “It’s so important right now for businesses to be able to access high quality support like this.    

“The Help to Grow: Management Course online platform allows businesses to find the perfect mentor so they can start to put what they have learned into practice.”   

A digital platform uses data and weighting technology to pair businesses with mentors based on location, sector, and mentoring support required along with real human support. Mentors sign up on a voluntary basis and offer a commitment of 10 hours, over 12 weeks, plus time to engage in training offered by the Association of Business Mentors.    

In exchange for offering their time and experience, voluntary Help to Grow: Management Course mentors receive significant value in the form of industry recognised mentor training, networking opportunities with other mentors, and the ability to join a national effort aimed at supporting the growth of the UK economy by increasing small businesses’ productivity.   

Led by business support group Newable and including Enterprise Nation and the Association of Business Mentors the consortium was appointed by the Government to develop a national network of business leaders and experts who will share their skills and experience with firms on the practical management training course.   

For those interested in becoming a mentor, sign up here.   

* ONS (2018), Management practices and productivity in British production and services industries - initial results from the Management and Expectations Survey: 2016