Small business owners are being offered the opportunity of financial training for key accounts staff in the latest government initiative aimed at SMEs.
“Accounting staff really are the unsung heroes of the small business community,” said Adam Harper, Director of Professional Development at the AAT. “Keeping on top of developments in legislation is a technical challenge and is likely to be time-consuming for most small business owners.”
A 2007 HBOS survey found that 75% of small businesses were run by Directors with no financial training and 55% of SME business owners, with sole responsibility for financial matters within their firm did so without any form of external professional financial assistance.
“It’s a false economy for business owners not to get professional help with their finances, or to get some financial training themselves”, continued Harper. “The costs incurred by basic errors or ignorance could make a big difference to a small business at this time.”
The Government is now providing additional training support for privately-owned SMEs, employing up to 250 people, to help them increase their productivity. A number of key SME Finance areas have been identified and training is available through stand-alone modules or ‘thin’ qualifications that address specific skill areas, like introductory accounting and bookkeeping which are awarded by the AAT.
For further information about the AAT, its financial qualifications and the accountancy services offered by its members, check the ATT site or call 0845 863 0802
To find out more about the UK Government’s ‘SME Flexibilities’ funding programme*, please contact your local ‘Train to Gain’ Broker or call 0800 015 55 45. (*This funding scheme is not available in Scotland)
Watch the video ‘Colin: A new kind of Superhero’ here.
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