Interim L&D support for growing SME businesses

Your business has grown. Your training hasn’t.

Practical interim L&D management for SME businesses that need structure, direction and expert guidance before they are ready to hire a full-time member of staff.

Book a training audit See how it works

Practical

Flexible

Cost-effective

No corporate waffle

The problem

Too big to wing it. Too lean for a full-time L&D hire.

Most SME businesses reach a difficult middle point. You know training and development matter, but no one has the time, structure or specialist knowledge to look after it properly.

So things happen reactively. Training gets booked when something goes wrong. Managers are promoted without enough preparation. New starters get different versions of the business depending on who happens to onboard them.

This may sound familiar

Training feels inconsistent across the business.
Managers are expected to lead without proper development.
Onboarding depends too much on individual managers.
You have talked about training several times, but nothing has become a clear plan.
You are not ready to commit to a full-time L&D salary.

The bridging point

Marianne Mills sits between no L&D support and a full-time hire.

She comes in as your interim L&D manager to diagnose what is happening, create a sensible training strategy, and help you bring in the right specialist support where needed.

No one looking after L&D

Training is ad-hoc, reactive and often dependent on whoever has the time.

Ready for a full-time hire

You have structure, priorities and a clearer understanding of what your business actually needs.

What you get

You don’t need more random training. You need a plan.

The right L&D support starts with understanding your business, your people and the gaps that are quietly slowing performance down.

Training needs audit

A clear look at what exists, what is missing, what has been tried before, and where the real business need sits.

Practical L&D strategy

A realistic plan that gives your business direction without creating unnecessary complexity.

90-day action plan

A focused route forward, showing what should happen first and how to make it manageable.

Specialist trainer matching

Where delivery is needed, Marianne can connect you to trusted specialists through The Source of the Sauce network.

Manager and team support

Support across leadership, onboarding, sales capability, compliance, wellbeing and resilience.

Flexible interim input

The strategic thinking of an experienced L&D professional without adding another permanent salary to the business.

How it works

From messy training to clear direction.

Conversation

We start with where the business is now, where it is heading and what feels difficult.

Audit

Marianne looks at what exists, what has worked, what has failed and what is being avoided.

Plan

You receive a clear L&D plan with priorities, actions and recommended next steps.

Match

Where needed, you are connected to the right specialist trainers for specific delivery.

Move forward

Your business stops guessing and starts developing people with purpose.

This is for you if…

You run or lead an SME business.
You have around 50 to 250 people.
Training feels inconsistent, reactive or unclear.
Your managers need more structure and support.
Your team is growing faster than your systems.
You are not ready to hire a full-time L&D manager.

Why Marianne

Experienced, practical and human.

Marianne Mills is an experienced L&D professional, trainer and founder of The Source of the Sauce.

She understands what actually works in a room, not just what looks good on a slide deck.

Her approach is straightforward, practical and built around what your people need now.

No jargon. No overcomplicated frameworks. No training for the sake of training.

“You get the strategic thinking of a seasoned L&D professional without the full-time salary.”

Start here

Book a training audit with Marianne.

If your business has grown but your training has not caught up, start with a practical conversation.

Marianne will help you identify what your team needs, what is getting in the way, and what the next sensible step should be.

Book a training audit Ask about interim L&D support

The Development Problem

Practical insights for growing businesses that know training matters, but do not yet have a dedicated L&D function.

Marianne Mills helps SME businesses bridge the gap between having no one properly looking after learning and development, and being ready to hire a full-time L&D manager.

AET Level 3 Award in Education & Training

Empower the next generation of beauty professionals 🤍

Understand educator roles & professional standards

Plan, deliver & evaluate learning experiences

Neurodiversity awareness training included

Create inclusive, positive learning environments

Assess learners & provide meaningful feedback

Free membership — Source Of The Sauce

Investment

£50

per month · flexible payments

Don't Take My Word For It!

What learners and clients say about Marianne and 2M Training.

I met Marianne 09.04.2021 via a Zoom training assessment. She instantly made me feel at ease. Her kind nature and extensive knowledge shone through the assessment. She was encouraging and supportive to all of the team involved. She showed genuine interest in our chosen subjects and this was reflected in her questions and enquiries. She gave constructive feedback and advice on how to further improve our work. She went the extra mile by sharing her own story, and interests in education. She also shared further learning tools in her own time. I couldn't have asked for a kinder, more thorough trainer to help me through my nerves and subsequently my training presentation. I hope to spend time learning from Marianne again in the future.

– Amy Langley-Smith

Marianne is the most amazing teacher I've ever had! Without a doubt she is the most enthusiastic and patient person out there. She injects life, humour and compassion into her sessions and nothing is ever too much trouble. She encourages you to grow and strive for better with such selflessness. Honestly she picked me up and told me I could achieve my dreams when I didn't have the strength to see it myself; now I'm running two successful businesses and it's all credit to her.

– Eleanor Clifford

“Level 3 AET exceeded my expectations. Marianne is a passionate and knowledgeable teacher. The course and the delivery was absolutely outstanding and the level of teaching was out of this world. I was very impressed and I would highly recommend Marianne as a trainer.”

– Steve Osword (Steve Oswald Hypnotherapy)

“Marianne delivered the Level 3 AET course that I attended a few weeks ago. A very relaxed training style set her apart from other trainers I had studied with. Passionate about the subject matter and attentive to all of her learners, I would recommend Marianne to deliver training to any of my contacts.”

– David Cross, Transport Manager at J F Pearce & Sons Ltd

Marianne is an amazing teacher; she has plenty of time for all of her students. She frequently goes the extra mile and genuinely cares about her students’ achievement. She is diligent, caring, dedicated and strives to deliver the best training she possibly can to everyone and anyone.

I feel incredibly lucky to have been taught by her. Her approaches are suitable for people of all different abilities (I am registered blind).

– Lauren Monument

“Marianne is an excellent teacher. Using personal experiences to shape her lessons really helped me to understand the material better and bring it to life. A great teacher who is very real and supportive in her comments and feedback.”

– Amy Browning

“Marianne is a highly talented and inspirational tutor. I was already a trainer when I went on her course, but learnt so much and gained new techniques that I can put into practice in my own training room. The resulting confidence and reassurance alone makes her course worthwhile. Without Marianne, I doubt I'd be the successful and highly rated trainer that I am today.”

– Dave Coomer (Health and Social Care Trainer)

“Marianne was approachable and made the learners feel at ease. I feel comfortable and confident that I have all the tools to be able to teach adults. I would recommend this teacher and would recommend 2M Training.”

– Sharon Morgan