British Big Sew Bee entrepreneur and finalist Lauren Guthrie weaves a bold new chapter for her Birmingham business Guthrie & Ghani after government-backed help help grow: Management Course: Management Course.
Guthrie, a leader in the UK sewing and craft scene, founded the company with her husband in 2013, turning her lifelong passion into a thriving business for Moseley. Originally a fabric and Haberdashery store, it has grown into a multifaceted lifestyle brand that includes retail stores, e-commerce platforms and sewing schools that have become a hub for creative manufacturers in the UK and beyond.
In 2023, determined to expand further, Guthrie took part in Help for Growth: Management Courses Offered by Aston Business School (Management Courses), one of the small businesses accredited institutions that offer the program. The course aims to equip small business leaders with strategic tools and guidance, which proves that Gusri’s next big move is crucial: the acquisition of one of her major suppliers.
“The course completely changed my mindset,” Gusri said. “This gives me confidence in how to evaluate opportunities and build business structures to support growth leaps and strategic understanding. That’s what drives Guthrie & Ghani forward.”
The acquisition, completed in November 2023, allows the company to expand its product offerings and enter the B2B market and supplement the base that has already reached direct to the consumer. Since then, the company has grown its team to 15, including the appointment of operations managers to support sustained and sustainable expansion.
As a mother of three little children, Guthrie works three days a week and focuses on focus, systems and strategies to be crucial to her success.
“I absolutely love sewing and making my own clothes and I hope others can experience the same creativity and pride,” she said. “This course helped me build the right structure while being true to my spirit and maintaining a healthy work-life balance. Now I know my time is spent on things that really matter.”
Today, Guthrie & Ghani operates on three core pillars: retail, education and community. Its product range includes carefully selected dressing fabrics, Haberdashery, sewing patterns and kits, as well as a calendar for an increasing number of in-person and online sewing classes.
Flora Hamilton, executive director of the Small Business Charter, praised Guthrie’s story as a model of how small businesses can scale with the right support.
“Lauren is a great example of the real economic and social impact that a combination of creativity and strategic leadership can lead to,” Hamilton said. “Her journey from a sewing bee finalist to a successful business owner shows the value of a female business growing through tools and networks. We are honored to support Lauren’s leaders by helping Lauren: Management: Management: Management.”
Growth Help: Management courses are 90% of government-funded SMEs’ leadership and development programs. The 12-week course is offered by a national network of small charter-accredited business schools, including online and in-person classes, 10 hours of 1-to-1 instruction, and an extensive peer network. Its mission is to increase UK productivity and economic resilience by strengthening small businesses’ leadership.
