Business Buddies
Maynard Johns is proud to be the main sponsor of a new scheme aimed at helping local businesses to grow and develop. Business Buddies is a new mentoring scheme that aims to marry up a successful business leader with a proven track record in their field with a small local business that wishes to grow.
The project was started by Jane Maynard, who wanted to create a
scheme that offered valuable support to the local business
community, helping business owners to achieve success which, in
turn, has a positive effect on the whole community. She went
on to write a successful bid and bring together a powerful mix of
private and public sector partners to make this scheme a
reality. Business Buddies offers free support to local
businesses in the North Devon and Torridge areas. A mentor
will help business owners develop and implement strategies designed
to generate, lead and support growth in the business, providing a
high quality sounding board for all issues that arise in the
business.
Up to 10 mentoring sessions will be provided to a business client
and this would most likely be with the same mentor although mentors
are used to working in teams where appropriate to ensure that the
business owner gets the support and advice that they need.
“All of our mentors are knowledgeable and skilled business
leaders, managers or entrepreneurs who have experience at a senior
level” Jane says. “They understand the highs and lows
of running a business and they want to support small businesses and
help them to succeed.”
Funded by Leader 4, other businesses supporting Business Buddies include three major high street banks, Barclays Bank, Lloyds TSB and NatWest, all of whom are providing support through their senior managers to assist the project. Pete Ashton, the Chairman of the South West Federation of Small Business who is also a member of the project Steering Group, said “This mentoring project has been long awaited and we are delighted that the Leader 4 fund has agreed to support the project with nearly £100,000 of EU funding, and grateful to Maynard Johns for the idea and writing of the bid”.
Robin Makeig-Jones, Commercial Director of North Devon+ said
“Without the active support of the private sector,
particularly Maynard Johns, this project would not have seen the
light of day.”
If you are interested in receiving assistance from a mentor or in
becoming a mentor yourself, please visit the website www.businessbuddiesnd.co.uk
or call 01237 809167.
Business Buddies also offer a series of training courses available over the forthcoming months. For full course details and the booking form please go to www.northdevonplus.com/what-we-do/business_mentors_training.aspx
