A business mentor provides support by offering assistance, direction and information that empowers the mentee. It's about helping the individual grow and develop and achieve their goals in their career and in business. It's a collaborative relationship, different, and complementary to working with a coach or a consultant.

I typically work with SME’s (Small to Medium Enterprises) which can be anyone from a one person startup to scaling businesses of 500 people. They can be in almost any sector, my key experience is around the issues almost every business has…operational improvements, software, processes, HR and People Issues, Legal and IT.

The thing they all have in common is needing someone with experience who can give them an outside perspective.

Both! For start ups I can bring the benefit of my practical experience in starting and growing a company and advise on some of the pitfalls to avoid. For more established businesses I can help provide a different perspective, a critical eye or help you keep on track from month to month and hold you accountable (if needed!)

Having led operations in my previous business I've had experience with all of the painful day to day stuff that can take you away from the work you’re really passionate about. 

IT: I’m an expert in MacOS and iOS devices, with over 20 years experience using them, managing them and helping teams get the best from them. I’m also experienced in sourcing and implementing all kinds of cloud based solutions with a particular focus on workflow, productivity,  HR and recruitment software.

HR: Over the years, I've put processes in place to deal with all kinds of HR issues from recruitment, onboarding and wellbeing to redundancy programmes and settlement agreements. 

Finance: Are you getting the best from your finance software, or even still running everything from a spreadsheet? I can help you put processes in place to consistently onboard new clients and suppliers, so you have the information you need, when you need it. And so that invoices and bills get paid on time, with minimum fuss.

Legal: I’ve had extensive experience with tender processes, contracts and procurement, confidentiality agreements and putting in place the policies, procedures and documentation that clients demand. While I'm not a lawyer, (and I'll refer you to one when needed), I can help spot when something’s not right or identify what needs to be done to get you through a process letting you focus on delivery of the work you’re really passionate about, rather than worrying about the small print.

My own business grew from 3 founders to a team of 30, with a £4m turnover. Our clients were typically medium to large national and international brands with thousands of employees. So I've also had plenty of insight into working with large organisations and managing projects with multiple stakeholders.

First and foremost a lot of listening! Our first session is free and an opportunity for us to get to know each other and identify where I can help. We can review all the areas of your business to identify improvements, or you might already have something in mind that you want to work on.

Both! I can work on a project basis to solve specific problems, or we can agree on a block of sessions or a number of retained hours every month for me to support and advise you and your team.