Be the Business Mentoring Programme

Specialist support in mentoring for company leaders and employees is now available for free as one of the Silverstone Technology Cluster’s growth programmes with government-backed network Be the Business.

The Mentoring Programme can provide employees of businesses based in the STC region with a dedicated expert on a variety of disciplines.

Please view our video which will give you a good overview of how the Mentoring Programme can be a really powerful tool and hear from those who have ‘been there – done that’ and benefitted hugely from the support and experience.

Since 2018 Be the Business have been positively impacting the UK economy’s productivity by matching advisors from leading firms with SME Founders to help accelerate their growth and competitiveness. Backed by Government and supported by leading businesses, the scheme is structured to give ongoing support and advice to participants to ensure successful outcomes.

Last year, 18 STC business leaders secured support under this scheme, and they told us they’re already seeing the benefits, just 12 months on! You can read their reviews here.

Specialist advisors that are part of the Mentoring Programme include:

• Head of R&D at Siemens
• Head of Engineering Services at BAE Systems
• Head of Sales Commercial Segment at Amazon
• Programme Lead – Strategy & Future Programmes at Rolls Royce

They’ve volunteered to offer support across all kinds of areas: getting the best out of a team, marketing on a budget, product development, production and delivery, supply chain management, pricing, marketing, managing risk, finance and more.

STC CEO Pim van Baarsen explained: “The programmes that we are running with Be the Business have proven very valuable and successful, and the Mentoring Programme is the most powerful of all.

“There is a wealth of knowledge and expertise waiting to be shared, and I would urge businesses within the STC to tap into this for themselves as well as their employees.

“As it is a 1-2-1 relationship, it is possible for multiple people within the business to work with multiple experts. The rewards can be considerable in terms of personal performance and productivity.”

Organisation benefits:

• Developing and recognising key talent and expanding its network
• Gaining fresh perspectives on its own organisational challenges
• Exceeding its CSR goals by helping local business communities in order to improve UK productivity
• Joining a movement of high-profile companies boosting British business for the benefit of the whole economy

Mentor benefits:

• Developing and reinvigorating their own leadership & management skills
• Gaining personal satisfaction from helping the small business community
• Building an outside-in perspective, bringing valuable learnings back into their division and the business as a whole
• Access to a wealth of peer-to-peer learning through programme induction, events and webinars run throughout the year

Mentee benefits:

• Insight, support and impartial advice from an experienced business leader
• Invaluable assistance with shaping strategy, organisation design and business planning
• Actionable solutions to growth challenges for scaling up, changing direction, entering new markets or considering big investments
• Encouragement, self-confidence, empowerment and motivation for change
• Learning from inspiring leaders, installing best practices and engaging a motivated workforce on their journey to success.

How it works is simple yet effective:

• Firms provide mentors to be matched with SME Leaders on a pro-bono basis
• Mentoring company partners receive ongoing support for their mentors
• Mentoring pairs typically meet monthly over a 12 month period
• Mentors are senior leaders from varied industries with extensive experience in managing change, people leadership & strategic planning

We’ll bring experience and toolkits to help mentors:

• Create a tailored programme for their mentees
• Make the most of their meetings with useful tips and advice via our Resource Hub, including induction material and ongoing support
• Receive and share best practice from other mentors on the programme at our regular Mentor MeetUps
• Send outline/sample content for invitation, recruitment promotion, targeted invitations, announcements and follow ups

By joining the Mentoring Programme, you’ll receive one-to-one support over the course of the year, meeting your mentor – virtually for now – every month.  Please do ensure you select ‘Silverstone Technology Cluster’ from the drop-down list when you register.  

• Register your interest in finding a mentor by emailing trudi@silverstonetechnologycluster.com. 
• To sign up (as a mentor or mentee), click HERE.  

The STC Be the Business programme is supported by Hexagon.