Developing your skills as a London business owner

The business world moves quickly and there are always new challenges and opportunities.

When you're running a small business in one of the most fast-paced cities in the world, it pays to be agile and forward-thinking.

The benefits of bringing new skills into your business go well beyond a simple knowledge boost.

They can have a positive impact on every aspect of your and your employees' lives and contribute to your long-term success, both professionally and personally.

This blog provides a list of training opportunities currently available to help you develop your skills and improve your career prospects.

Benefits of upskilling yourself or your staff

• Stay ahead: by keeping on top of your learning, you get to stay ahead of your competitors and find new solutions for your business challenges.

• Productivity: things change fast in the business world. Learning about the latest productivity tools or improving internal processes at your company can give your business a boost.

• Employee retention: it's been shown that if you allow your staff to attend courses and learn on the job, they tend to remain loyal to your business.

• Adaptability: in London's ever-changing, bustling culture, knowing how to adapt your business to your customers' needs and current trends can make a huge difference to your sales.

• Happy customers: the more you upskill and innovate, the easier it is for clients to refer you to their networks.

Business skills to develop

Digital

With good digital and IT skills, you can further your understanding of data – how to gather it, how to analyse it, and the important things it tells you about your small business.

• City Lit Institute:

  • Digital and IT skills: build your understanding of digital skills for the workplace over eight to 16 weeks. Develop in areas such as presentation, collaboration and project management. Free to most learners.

  • Digital skills for deaf people: support your deaf employees in improving their digital skills.

• Fareport Training:

  • Data analyst apprenticeship: learn about crucial data insights and analyses and how to interact with internal and external stakeholders.

• Idea Store Learning:

  • Digital skills in the workplace: the skills you need to help you promote or sell your product of business online.

• Lewisham College:  

  • Data protection and security: this course is for businesses working with personal data to understand the law and compliance requirements.

• London South East Colleges (LSEC):

  • Digital Marketing – Certificate: this course is the right foundation if you have little or no previous digital marketing experience.

• Mary Ward Centre:

  • Essential digital skills qualification: learn about managing information, creating and digital content, transacting securely and staying safe and responsible in the digital world.

• Merton Adult Learning:

  • Digital skills for the workplace: enhance your digital skills for the workplace with our courses from beginner to advanced.

• Morley College:

  • Digital Skills: identify different parts of a PC, set up an internet email account, perform internet searches, create and save documents using MS Word, using devices and handling information, being responsible and staying safe online, including social media, creating and editing documents.

• New City College:

  • AI for business short course: AI is transforming businesses globally by automating tasks, enhancing decision-making and improving data-driven strategies.

• Newham College: 

  • Website design and development: learn to design, plan and create a website for a client brief.

  • Principles of cyber security: this course provides sector awareness of cyber security.

  • Essential digital skills: ideal for beginners looking to build confidence with everyday technology and online tasks.

• South Thames Colleges Group:

  • Digital skills and business administration course in Tooting: this free course boosts your confidence in computer use and admin skills, leading to a Level 1 digital skills qualification.

  • Level 1 course in digital technology and business at Merton College: this year-long course introduces business and IT, offering two qualifications.

• Successful Mums:  

  • Digital promotion for business: this course supports SMEs with their online presence, helps raise brand awareness and find new customers. 

  • Digital skills for working remotely: equip your employees with digital and administrative skills to support flexible remote working in a digital world.

• Waltham Forest College:

  • Digital skills for work - Level 1: this course is for learners who want to develop their digital skills.

  • Digital skills for work – Entry 3: this award is for learners who want to develop their digital skills to prepare for their career.

  • Digital and IT skills: the award in Digital and IT skills is for learners who want to develop and extend their digital skills.

• Westminster Adult Education Service (WAES):

  • Digital and computing skills: courses related to digital and computing skills intended to help ease skills shortages in Greater London.

• WM College:

  • AI-powered social media and content creation: a course on using AI tools to spark creativity and produce dynamic social media content.

  • Adobe certified professional in digital video using Premiere Pro: this course helps SME owners and entrepreneurs to build confidence in video editing using professional post-production workflows.

Marketing

Being strong at marketing means you can more effectively promote your products or services, reach a wider audience through social media and digital advertising, build a business website and much more.

• City Lit:

  • Business and Marketing courses: learn to start, grow and market your business with flexible expert-led courses online, in-person or hybrid.

• Fareport Training:

  • Multi-channel marketer – Level 3: learn skills for marketing the green economy and the benefits of an environmentally sustainable business model.

• Idea Store Learning:

  • Digital marketing – creating and building a business: the skills you need to help you promote and sell your product or business online.

• London South East Colleges: 

  • Digital Marketing: this course is designed for those who desire to form a foundation due to little or no previous digital marketing experience. 

• Westminster Adult Education Service (WAES):

  • Graphic design skills: courses related to graphic design skills intended to help ease skills shortages in Greater London.

Leadership, management and business

Effective leadership and management skills help with guiding and motivating employees, making strategic decisions, solving problems and making sure the business runs efficiently.

• Capital City College:

  • Business Administration: gain a detailed understanding of admin skills to progress your career.

• Estu Global:

  • Commercial Innovation & Change Leadership (CICL) apprenticeship programme: equipping SME owners with the skills to lead complex change and shape services that are innovative.

• London South East Colleges: 

  • Principles of team leading: develop and improve your practical skills in order to become a successful team leader and improve the morale within a workplace. 

  • Lean organisation management techniques: get an understanding of the lean management system and how to implement business improvement techniques and effective teamwork.

• Merton Adult Learning:

  • Free business startup courses: our courses enhance the talent of individuals, impacting on their lives and on Merton business opportunities.

  • Free craft business startup courses: develop skills to start your craft business.

• New City College:

  • Business startup short course: designed for aspiring entrepreneurs, this course covers essential topics such as business planning, marketing and financial management.

  • Business skills level 1 award (AAT): a course for small business owners and entrepreneurs who want to strengthen their business and management skills.

• Newham College:  

  • Business Management: on this course, you can develop your knowledge of business and management.

• South Thames Colleges Group:

  • Level 3 Business and Administration Apprenticeship: gain valuable and transferable workplace skills and experience while earning a salary, on this two-year paid course.

  • Startup skills: boost your chances for success with our free short course, designed to enhance your business startup skills.

• Successful Mums: 

  •  Level 2 certificate in Business: from finance to social media marketing, this course covers the essentials of setting up a business.

• Sutton College:

  • Entrepreneurs – start up your business: this is not just a five-day course, it is your fast track to financial independence and turning your business idea into a profitable reality.

• Visionnaires:

  • Start your own business: this course will give you the practical tools to start and grow a successful business.

  • Remote working for self-employment – level 1: turn your skills and hobbies into paid work, manage your own time and decide on hours that are convenient for you with this short course.

• Wandsworth Lifelong Learning:

  • Business Administration BTEC Level 1 Award: this accredited course will teach you the skills that employers are looking for.

  • Introduction to being an entrepreneur: this course provides guidance on starting and running a successful business.

  • Introduction to starting an online business: this short course covers the basics of starting an online business, ideal for turning ideas into practical digital ventures.
     

Language and communication

Learn the crucial skills you need to communicate effectively with customers, suppliers and employees, build strong working relationships and convey your vision and values in a compelling way.

• City Lit Institute:

  • English language skills: a free course to help improve your English reading and writing skills, with support from qualified, experienced tutors.

  • ESOL: Improve your English language skills: develop the most in-demand common skills for work, such as problem-solving, decision-making and collaborating. Free to most learners.

  • English for deaf people: learn transferable skills in writing, presentation, spelling, grammar and communication.

• London South East Colleges:

  • English Functional Skills: improve your English reading and writing skills for work with both day and evening courses.

  • ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages): a course that provides a start to speaking English.

• Morley College:

  • English: a beginner course designed to help you improve your grammar, reading and writing and develop English-language skills commonly used in business.

• Newham College:

  • ESOL for adults: develop your speaking, listening, reading and writing by focusing on everyday English.

• South Thames Colleges Group:

  • 19+ ESOL Adults English Language Skills: improve your reading, writing, listening and speaking skills and boost your employability. There is a fee for this course.

• Sutton College:

  • ESOL for those whose first language is not English: courses for small business owners to improve their English and develop communication skills.

• Waltham Forest:

  • Functional Skills English (Day): this course if for you if you want to improve your English speaking, reading and writing skills.

  • Functional Skills English (Evening): this course is for you if you want to improve your English speaking, reading and writing skills.

• WEA:

  • English functional skills: improve your English reading and writing skills for work – with day and evening courses available.

Health

• Lewisham College: 

  • Safeguarding and prevention: this qualification is to support anyone who is responsible for the safeguarding of people and to help prevent radicalisation.  

• London South East Colleges (LSEC):

  • Understanding Nutrition and Health – Certificate: this qualification provides a comprehensive understanding of the key topics surrounding nutrition and health.

Maths and numeracy

Having strong maths and numeracy skills can help you in life and especially business. You're better able to make sound financial decisions, manage stock levels and forecast growth.

• City Lit Institute:

  • Maths: work with qualified and experienced maths tutors to develop your skills in problem-solving, analysing and decision-making.

  • Maths for deaf people: Maths courses taught in British Sign Language (BSL).

• London South East Colleges: 

  • Maths – functional skills: this course is perfect for improving your maths skills, either for work or further study. 

• Morley College:

  • Maths: a free beginner course designed to give you a comprehensive introduction to maths and help you apply those skills in business.

• Newham College: 

  • Maths – functional skills: functional skills maths courses from entry level to level 2.

• Sutton College:

  • Maths functional skills or GCSE: having a functional skills maths qualification or a good grade at Maths GCSE can open so many doors for you.

• Waltham Forest:

  • Functional Skills Maths (Evening): handle everyday numeracy with confidence and gain essential maths skills.

• WEA:

  • Maths functional skills: this maths course will give you confidence in your maths ability and boost your numeracy skills.

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Hospitality

• Lewisham College: 

  • Lewisham College Hospitality Hub: Lewisham College Hospitality Hub proves work-based training programmes.

• Umbrella Training and Employment Solutions: 

  • Senior culinary chef: senior culinary chefs research, responsibly source and develop products.  

  • Hospitality supervisor: for those who are capable of independently supervising hospitality services.  

  • Food and beverage team member: for those starting in hospitality and passionate about delivering excellence.  

  • Commis chef: for chefs wanting to develop their skills and progress their culinary careers.  

  • Chef de partie: perfect for those who wish to develop their culinary and management skills.  

  • Hospitality manager: perfect for those who provide vital management to teams.  

  • Hospitality team member: develop adaptable hospitality skills to support teams and deliver great service.  

Social care

• Merton Adult Learning:

  • Health and social care courses: are you looking to enhance your career opportunities in health and social care?

Sustainability

A good knowledge of sustainability can help you save money in the long run.

Learn how to put in place sustainable practices to make your business more energy efficient, reduce waste and lower your impact on the environment.

• Merton Adult Learning:

  • Green skills courses – construction and rail industries: are you looking to upskill your workforce or enhance your career in the construction and rail industry?

• New City College:

  • Air Source Heat Pump Systems (ASHP): a course specifically aimed at giving fossil fuel plumbing and heating engineers the training and skills they need to install heat pumps.

  • Electrical Energy Storage Systems: training for practising electricians, electrical technicians and engineers with experience in electrical installations.

  • Solar Photovoltaic (PV): this training course enables delegates to meet the requirements of the National Occupational Standards Environmental Technologies Units.

• South Thames Colleges Group:

  • Net Zero Training Hub: paid courses designed to develop workforces with the skills to help businesses meet important emissions targets.

• Westminster Adult Education Service (WAES):

  • Green skills: WAES offers a range of courses related to green skills, intended to help ease skills shortages in this key sector for Greater London.

Accounting and finance

• Capital City College:

  • Accountant assistant: get the knowledge and expertise required to make meaningful contributions to organisations.

  • Professional accounting technician: get the skills, knowledge and industry recognition to progress to higher-level positions.

• Croydon Adult Learning and Training

  • AAT Accountancy courses at CALAT – levels 1 to 4: AAT courses to equip small business owners with the essential accounting and finance skills.

• Merton Adult Learning:

  • Bookkeeping courses: for SMEs to upskill your workforce with practical bookkeeping skills to drive business growth.

• New City College:

  • Bookkeeping Level 1 award (AAT): this qualification is suitable for aspiring entrepreneurs, introducing them to the fundamental concepts of bookkeeping.

  • Bookkeeping Level 2 certificate (AAT): this qualification provides an introduction to basic bookkeeping practices, making it well suited to small business owners and entrepreneurs.

  • Bookkeeping Level 3 certificate (AAT): advanced bookkeeping skills are in high demand for SMEs as they look to streamline their financial reporting and tax processes.

  • Accounting level 2 certificate (AAT): this qualification focuses on bookkeeping, accounting software and costing, providing a strong foundation for entry-level accounting roles.

• Sutton College:

  • Bookkeeping level 2 certificate (AAT) – online: a qualification to further develop the introductory bookkeeping practices and processes.

Customer service

• London South East Colleges:

  • Principles of customer service – certificate: this course is designed for those looking to provide good customer service.

• Newham College:

  • Award in customer service: this is a short course providing knowledge of basic customer service skills.

• Wandsworth Lifelong Learning:

  • Customer service for hospitality: a hospitality programme helping business owners and their workforce build key customer service skills.

Looking for government-funded skills bootcamps for small business founders?

Find your next bootcamp to upskill yourself or your business – with up to 90% of training costs covered for small businesses.

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