Sarah Armson, Doorcerts Manufacturing UK Limited
Sarah Armson, Commercial Manager of Doorcerts Manufacturing UK Limited, participated in the Help to Grow: Management programme at Nottingham University Business School in 2023.
The Help to Grow: Management programme, launched to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the UK, aims to equip business leaders with the skills and knowledge necessary to drive their organizations to new heights.
Doorcerts Manufacturing specializes in the production and sale of standard and bespoke fire doors. Due to legislation changes, the business was growing rapidly. To ensure the company could keep up with the expanding need and to maximise on the business potential, Sarah joined the Help to Grow: Management programme.
The course was recommended to me by an old colleague who had attended previously. I felt the ability to select a mentor for advice and expertise was a unique feature when comparing to other management courses.
The programme provided intensive workshops focused on strategic leadership, with facilitators providing insights into effective decision-making, fostering a growth mindset, and leading teams through change. Through collaborative sessions with industry experts, Sarah discovered strategies to foster innovation. She also received guidance on optimising her company’s digital presence and marketing strategies and was then able to feed these back to her team.
The programme also encouraged participants to explore partnerships and diversify product offerings. With the help of mentors and expert consultants, Sarah was ultimately able to identify a gap in the market and set up her own business, Actifire.
I started Help to Grow: Management as a Manager of Doorcerts Manufacturing and finished the course having set up my own business, Actifire. Without the course, I don’t think I had had the knowledge or confidence to set up my own business. I would whole-heartedly recommend this course to anyone looking to progress in their career or grow a small business into something greater. The tutors and mentors answered all my questions and more. Alongside that, the people that I met in my cohort were great allies when it came to discussing or raising issues with any content that we were learning.
Sarah’s participation in the Help to Grow: Management programme significantly contributed to her confidence as a business leader and was fundamental to her decision to start a new business. This therefore highlights the positive impact of targeted management support on the growth and sustainability of SMEs in today's competitive business landscape.
Find out more about Help to Grow: Management and Executive Education programmes at Nottingham University Business School.
