Free, tailored support for start-ups & small businesses across Solent – help your business survive and thrive
In the world of work and running a business – whether it’s a plumber or a café, a small producer or engineering company, a design studio, marketing business or a new tech start-up – there’s often too little time for analysis or forward planning, and certainly not for looking around you to see what opportunities are out there.
It’s hard to feel part of the ‘Business Community’ when you’re working alone or in a small team, and expert advice is expensive – but this is where Solent Partners can help.
Solent Partners is offering small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and start-ups across the Solent region free support to develop their skills, through a business mentoring scheme.
And, as Emma May, Creative Director of Emmerse Studios Ltd, explains: “While we had no formal structure to mentoring, it was great to talk about the entire picture and hone in on key areas of growth, that have produced positive results.”
Emma says the 12 hours of mentoring helped her to change perspectives and take action in areas she probably wouldn’t have done if she had been working alone.
“It always helps to have a second pair of eyes and ears on all the workings of business and especially those blind spots. It's also been beneficial learning from someone who understands what a creative business goes through, and so can empathise with the stage of business I am at and the emotions that go into it.”
What sectors are involved?
Mentoring is being offered from expert business leaders for specific industries, including:
– The visitor economy
– Manufacturing
– The creative and tech industries
– Those wanting to reach Net Zero.
It’s all tailored for your business, with experts who can support you by looking at how to make your enterprise more resilient or more strategic, or to develop bespoke growth plans.
Rachael Randall, Chair of Solent Partners, said: “We want people to apply to receive support from business leaders from relevant sectors, to strengthen their own personal skills, and subsequently to increase the buoyancy of their businesses."
How does it work?
Once you’re accepted on the business mentoring programme you’ll get 12 hours of 1-2-1 support and be matched with a business leader mentor who has experience in your particular industry.
These mentors will share their expertise and personal experience in growing, supporting, and leading successful businesses.
They will help build your unique selling point (USP), gain self-awareness, teach you to focus on your goals, challenge you and help maximise your potential to achieve a strategy that encourages growth and resilience.
The sessions will be specially tailored for your business – to meet your goals and objectives, and will help you overcome barriers to growth, or to launch products, lead a successful team or create strategies to enter new markets.
YES! Creative Beats is one company who successfully applied for the programme.
Emma and Yetta, from YES! Creative Beats, said: “We met with our brilliant mentor, Mick Smith every couple of weeks. Mick has been an amazing support and a wealth of information. He’s completely focussed our minds and helped us to direct our one, three and five year business plan.
“His humorous but assertive approach had made sure we’ve done our ‘homework’ each week but he’s also been on hand to answer all our questions and worries.
“We’d highly recommend him and are very grateful. “
Find out more about the Solent Business Mentoring Programme here.
Apply now
92% of small business owners who worked with a mentor agreed it had a direct impact on the growth and survival of their business. In addition to that astounding fact, 70% of small businesses that receive mentoring survive five years or more, twice the rate of those that don’t.
So why wouldn’t you want a Dragon in your corner?
Find out more about the mentors, and fill out an application form online here.