Portsmouth business mentor launches scheme to help owners of small firms

A business mentoring firm has launched a new extension of its existing service to help small business owners who are on a budget. Portsmouth-based Business Improvement Group, which offers mentoring services to business owners looking to improve themselves, has launched a new scheme aimed at small business owners who want to make the same improvements but don’t have the budget to do so.

The scheme, Let’s Talk, which was launched at the beginning of June, allows business owners to get two 20-minute phone or video conference calls each month with one of the Business Improvement Group’s mentors.

This time can be spent discussing anything from personal development to advice on financial issues.

 

Managing director Ian Skinner wanted to launch the scheme after realising how many businesses were in need during the pandemic and wanting to do something to help them.He said: "It was an idea born out of lockdown and my approach to affordability, looking at small businesses in particular. I still wanted people to access professional resources so that’s why we are doing it through phone calls and video conferencing.

“What I am looking to do is look at the smaller businesses which need just as much help as everyone, but don’t have as much to pay for this resource. I want to be available to people who won’t have been able to afford this ordinarily. There’s only so much money you can pay for this sort of thing when you set up a business and especially now when businesses are struggling.

“Lots of people are also starting up businesses at a younger age and they don’t have the experience in starting a business, so that’s what we’re here for.”

The Business Improvement Group was launched in April 2019 by Skinner and offers one-to-one and group coaching, mentoring and business advice with experienced business owners in Portsmouth. It also offers group mentoring sessions through tailored presentations enabling shared experiences and learning, helping people get the most out of their businesses.

Skinner said: “Personal and professional growth aren’t mutually exclusive. To grow professionally you must grow personally and growing professionally helps you to grow personally.”

 

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