News: International footballer to talk on tackling business

An international footballer turned entrepreneur will be in the region next month to kick off a free event highlighting the importance of mentoring in business.

In his fourteen year career, Danny Mills won the League Cup with Middlesbrough, earned 19 caps for his country and played for four Premier League clubs including Leeds United and Manchester City.

Outside of football, the former right back has built and maintained a commercial and residential property portfolio and following his retirement from the game, Danny has continued to develop his business interests, successfully turning around the West Cornwall Pasty Co and sold Deeside print from Excelsior Technologies for £33m earlier this year.

Mills will speak at a special event hosted by Launchpad Mentoring; a Sheffield city region wide programme which matches new entrepreneurs with experienced business owners. The event is designed to encourage business owners to pledge their support and sign up to become a Launchpad mentor, to pass their skills and knowledge to new entrepreneurs to help them achieve their full potential.

Now an investor and member of the advisory board at Enact, a turnaround business fund which is part of Endless LLP in Leeds, Danny will share the story of his dramatic change of direction from football to business as well as providing tips and tools to promote business growth and explaining how the role of mentors has helped to shape his own business journey.

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The Launchpad programme is a £4m, three year, part-ERDF funded programme and the event on October 25 forms part of Launchpad Mentoring Month and is just one of a series of workshops and activities.

Irshad Akbar, business mentoring manager at Launchpad, said: "Many individuals who start a business need support from someone who has been there and done it and working with a mentor can offer insight and experience along the way. The Launchpad Mentoring programme was established to connect new entrepreneurs with existing business owners who are keen to see others in the Sheffield City Region succeed.

"We are looking forward to welcoming Danny Mills as our guest of honour. Although he is perhaps best known for his exploits and success on the pitch, since retiring from the beautiful game Danny has established himself as a highly successful business owner and during the event he will be sharing anecdotes from his playing days, as well as offering tips on how to succeed in business.

"This special event, which forms part of a month dedicated to mentoring, highlights and celebrates the work undertaken as a result of mentoring whilst encouraging new entrepreneurs and business owners to take advantage of the free support available through the Launchpad programme."

Danny Mills, investor at Enact (pictured), added: "I have always had an interest in business and alongside my football career I created a successful commercial and residential property portfolio. After retiring from professional football I wanted to put my business skills and knowledge to further use and joined forces with the partners at private equity turnaround specialist Endless LLP to form Enact, creating an investment fund aimed at helping distressed SME businesses get back to success.

"I am honoured to be speaking at the Launchpad Mentoring event, which I hope will help aspiring and existing business owners within the Sheffield city region to find out more about the help and support which is readily available on their doorstep."

The event, at The Hide in Sheffield, is free for entrepreneurs and business owners within the city region who will need to register here.

SCR Launchpad mentoring website

Images: Launchpad

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News: Chamber continue business support into 2013

Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber of Commerce is offering valuable support to those wanting to start up a new business in 2013.

People thinking of kicking off their own venture can access free guidance through the Chamber, from the initial start-up process right through to the growth and development of their business, via the Regional Enterprise Programme.

Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber is the regional lead contractor for the programme across Yorkshire and the Humber, working in partnership with BCC-accredited Chambers and accredited Enterprise Agencies.

The Regional Enterprise Programme project is part financed by the Yorkshire and Humber European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) Programme 2007 to 2013.

The programme includes intensive start-up support, introductions to like-minded businesses on a local, sub regional and national level, post-start support and the opportunity of being mentored by successful business owners.

Gary Dunne, programme manager at he chamber, said: "Everyone thinks about going self employed at some stage. If you have the drive to do it and the support from family that is 95 per cent of the battle.

"In the current economic climate, we have people being with a lot of skill and experience that they can put to good use, rather than signing on or going to work for someone else, going self employed is a viable option if they have a business plan and have researched their idea.

"Through the programme, we handhold potential entrepreneurs while they gain confidence and learn how to do things for themselves. This makes the experience less daunting and relieves the pressure on them in the early stages.

"The bigger picture is that we hope the programme can improve communities by giving people new opportunities, boosting the local economy and creating jobs."

Chamber website

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News: Banks launch mentoring scheme

Five of the UK's largest high street banks have launched a mentoring scheme that will offer support on a range of issues faced by businesses, from finance to marketing to HR.

Start ups, established companies or those looking for a sounding board will receive support from networks of mentors, including current and retired bank staff that have volunteered and been trained as mentors.

Businesses will also be able to find assistance through a brand new online portal, www.mentorsme.co.uk. This brings together leading mentoring organisations and allows companies to search for and locate their local group. It also includes a section to recruit would be mentors and a range of helpful resources.

Business and Enterprise Minister Mark Prisk said: "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 lifeblood of our economy and we are determined to give them every opportunity to succeed and secure the long-term growth we need."

Angela Knight, Chief Executive, British Bankers' Association added: "We recognise it is often a lonely place to be for a business when stepping out on their own for the first time or running their existing business day to day. That’s when a mentor can help.

"We have had a resounding response from current and former bank staff, with over 200 volunteers already on board to support British businesses. Whilst many of the staff we are placing are experienced in finance, we are also recruiting from across different departments, so that we add to the wealth of skills and knowledge available to organisations.

"We hope that through the launch of this new initiative and portal, the help businesses can receive through mentoring generally will be much easier to access and better supported."

All bank business mentors will be trained by the independent UK Skills Sector Body for Enterprise and Business Support, SFEDI.

A series of finance masterclasses are also being rolled out to train non-bank mentors within established mentoring organizations, giving them a broad base of knowledge on bank lending and alternative sources of finance.

Mentor SME website

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