News
100 clients for Business Mentoring Service
Mentor-net, the business mentoring service for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, ended 2010 on a high after gaining 100 clients in its first full year of operation. Jenevora Swann, Managing Director of citruspr based in Lymington, is Mentor-net’s 100th client and is benefitting from the experience and advice of her mentor Emma Lacey, Director of Southampton-based Torque Training.
citruspr is already a very successful specialist travel PR company with a team of four creative staff and fifteen clients. It is currently growing in terms of both clients and staff and, even since starting with Mentor-net in November, it has taken on two new travel clients including a hotel group in New York and a travel company in Crete. However, Jenevora and fellow Director, Fergus Dunipace, are always looking for ways to expand further and so they turned to Mentor-net seeking guidance on how to grow in the current difficult economic conditions. As Jenevora explains: “I was attracted to the Mentor-net Programme by the fact that I could gain professional advice and have someone like Emma to act as a ‘sounding-board’ as we develop our plans to continue to grow citruspr. It is ideal as Emma understands the PR business and can advise from personal experience.”
Emma originally heard about Mentor-net from a local business newsletter and was lucky enough to have her own mentor about 10 years ago as she was starting to build her own business. Emma commented: “ I found my mentor’s advice and guidance invaluable and I feel privileged in being able to offer my experience to other companies and put something back in the way my mentor did a decade ago. I enjoy meeting with Jenevora and Fergus regularly, particularly as we are usually joined by their dog Molly, and I am able to offer them words of advice, encouragement and also challenge decisions about to be made.
And Jenevora appreciates Emma’s assistance with the development of citruspr at this important stage in the company’s success and life, as she comments: “Emma is encouraging us to think more strategically about growing our business, advising us to look ahead financially and at our staffing to ensure we are always working effectively and efficiently both for ourselves and our clients. citruspr has an exciting future ahead and Emma’s business skills and advice are already proving invaluable to us.”
So it’s a ‘win-win’ situation for both the mentor and client and a long-term friendship and business relationship is likely to result.
3rd October, 2011
Mentor-Net has been working with John Crute, Visarion’s Technical Director and one of the founding partners in the business over the last year. John is an experienced technologist with a career spent developing and bringing innovative new products and services to market.
For more www.mentor-net.co.uk/case-studies/
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19th August, 2011
With bad news abounding every time you log on to the Internet, switch on TV or open a newspaper, you’d be hard pressed to imagine anyone wanting to start a new business. But they do.
We have an increasing number of people in just that position who are receiving financial support whilst they do it. We need volunteer Mentors who are particularly interested in helping this group of people.
If you could help them harness their ideas, pull together a realistic business plan and actually start their business, we would love to talk to you. Help us to nurture this enthusiasm and, who knows, you could find yourself mentoring another Richard Branson, or at least someone who can help to make more jobs to support the recovery of our country and our communities.
Call us on 0845 45 86 454 or email to : info@mentor-net.co.uk for more information.
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19th July, 2011
We’re delighted that demand for our Mentors is growing but as every growing business will tell you this causes it’s own problems. We’re confident that we have the mentors to ultimately meet this demand (although we’re always looking for great business people to join our team, particularly in Surrey, Berkshire and Buckinghamshire), but it’s taking us a little extra time to get in touch with everyone who has enquired about working with a Mentor. So if your need is urgent, please do email us again and we’ll be in touch as quickly as possible, otherwise please do accept our apologies for the delay but we promise to be in touch soon.
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6th July, 2011
We’re all for spreading the word about the power of mentoring for small businesses and now, thanks to a Government initiative, we are able to reach a wider audience alongside our Dorset counterparts, DorMen.
In an announcement made on Monday the Government, in conjunction with five high street banks, have launched a new mentoring portal
www.mentorsme.co.uk
The website provides a single point of access for those seeking mentoring and those seeking to be mentors, covering the whole of the UK.
The Government wants to encourage experienced business people to sign up to mentor new and growing businesses.
Business and Enterprise Minister Mark Prisk said:
“From my own experiences running a small business I know how valuable insight can be from people who have done it all before.
“Small business owners have repeatedly told us that the support they value most comes from other experienced business people. For the first time in the UK, there will be a single, cohesive network of mentoring provision.
“Small firms are the lifeblood of our economy and we are determined to give them every opportunity to succeed and secure the long-term growth we need.”
The launch forms part of the Better Business Finance campaign, set up by the Business Finance Taskforce.
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14th April, 2011
In addition to its original catchment area of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, Mentor-net is now working with clients in Berkshire, Surrey and Wiltshire. Word of the service has been spread by Business Link Advisers and other business support professionals, and the service already has six clients outside the original Hampshire/IOW area, with other requests being received weekly. Clients and potential mentors from those areas will be welcomed.
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13th April, 2011
Details of the new Leadership & Management grant funding are now available at http://www.skillssoutheast.co.uk/leadership-and-management.html and offer qualifying companies 50% funding towards the cost of mentor support. If you wish to discuss whether this could save you money, please call any member of the Mentor-net team on 0845 45 86 454, or speak to Skills South East on 0845 026 4298.
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24th March, 2011
Developing skills was food for thought at this table
Mentor Bill Darley (right) with William Smith of WS Group
Wednesday 23 March saw an audience of potential Mentor-net service users and potential mentors gather at the Yacht Haven in Cowes to discuss the issues facing island-based businesses and to hear more about the Mentor-net offer.
Chas Morrison of Mentor-net explained the service
Harnessing technology was this group's discussion subject
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23rd March, 2011
As the Chancellor sat down after his Budget speech today, our mentors began to assimilate some of the headlines ready to ensure that their clients take advantage of anything available to them, pending the full details being released shortly.
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22nd March, 2011
Chas Morrison and Gill Tranter are representing Mentor-net at the Keeping Business Local event at the Apollo Hotel, Basingstoke, on Friday 25 March, from 09.00 t0 16.30. Please pop along and say hello to us if you’re in the area. Over 40 local organisations are attending the event.
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16th March, 2011
Bookings are coming in daily for the Isle of Wight workshop designed to inform potential mentors and potential Mentor-net clients. The free event is at Cowes Yacht Haven on Wednesday next, 23 March, at 16.30 for 17.00, finishing at 19.00. If you would like to join us, please contact Gill Tranter on 01329 223276 or via gill.tranter@mentor-net.co.uk
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