Business Mentoring

South Tyneside firms can now tap into a bank of business knowledge and expertise to help them grow and prosper.

A unique business mentoring project has just been launched across the borough whereby an experienced person who has been in or actively still in business are matched up with companies planning to expand and become more profitable.
 
The majority of the mentors are still running successful businesses, while others have established and then sold businesses and are happy to pass their expertise on to others.

The new free mentoring scheme is not a troubleshooting exercise to help ailing businesses, but a positive plan to offer on-going help, advice and support.

TEDCO’s networking champion Gordon Hanna is about to promote the mentoring scheme directly to businesses during a series of events being held across the borough aimed at building relationships between companies.

The Mentoring Project is one of the many enterprising projects being delivered by TEDCO on behalf of the South Tyneside Means Business programme, which is backed with £16.2m of Government funding to help boost enterprise in the borough.

Gordon Hanna said: “This is a tremendous opportunity for businesses across South Tyneside to get first class advice from experienced professionals.

“People who have been there, seen it, done it, can save businesses from perhaps making the same mistakes. Businesses in South Tyneside should certainly not fail from lack of knowledge or support.

“Our mentors have the vision and expertise to help business grow and bolster the local economy – creating jobs in the process.  The mentors also set goals and objectives and act as a sounding board for business people.  We want to inspire businesses to grow.”

As well as inviting businesses to get in touch to find out more about the mentoring service Gordon is constantly on the look out for more business mentors and client to join the project.

Gordon added: “Ideally we are looking for senior experienced business people still running successful companies but who have perhaps afforded themselves the luxury of a more strategic role giving them time to help others.

“Equally a mentor may be someone who has recently sold a business and is looking for a fresh challenge.  Mentors can be old or young, but they must have the experience needed to pass on to other businesses.”

For further information on the mentoring scheme please contact Gordon Hanna on 07917421281 email ghanna@tedco.org 

Photograph: Gordon Hanna, TEDCO