Flora Hamilton is Executive Director of the Small Business Charter (SBC), which delivers the 90% government-funded Help to Grow: Management Course.
I’ve been fortunate to benefit from being mentored and having the opportunity to mentor others throughout my career. In my first CEO role, I was mentored by the chair who had recognised my leadership potential and promoted me to the job. I’ve since been involved in both sides of formal mentoring schemes and I’m a huge advocate of the benefits for individuals and organisations. So much so, that we are beta testing the roll-out of a formal mentoring framework at the Chartered Association of Business Schools in my current role.
We’ve been hugely inspired by the results of the mentoring element of the Help to Grow: Management Course. Nearly 3,000 mentors are registered and making the commitment of 10 hours’ mentoring over 12 weeks to support businesses as they take part in the programme and develop their growth action plan. When seeking a mentor, on the Help to Grow: Management Course, one in five business owners are looking for support with leadership and management, 24% want a boost to their sales or marketing and 10% are looking for support with people-related issues. The challenges may be varied but the motivations are similar.
Most busy professionals and business owners will feel like there are times you need more hours in the day, an extra pair of hands or a second brain in the business. A mentor can feel like you have just that by providing perspective, transferring knowledge, real-world experience or straightforward tips and shortcuts to get you “unstuck” from whatever you’re grappling with. While there’s no one-size-fits-all approach, it’s clear that a positive mentoring relationship helps to unlock potential.
Considerations to set yourself up for mentoring success
Get clear on your goals
Start with clarity. Know what you want from mentoring whether it's leadership development, implementing new technologies or entering new markets. Clear and specific goals will help you find the right mentor and make the most of the relationship.
Find the right match (and do your due diligence)
The right business mentor could be transformational for you and your business. Spend time talking to people, asking questions and trust your instincts when choosing a mentor. It needs to be a personality and culture fit as much as anything else. Practical, hands-on experience of the challenges that you are facing may be your highest priority but if you want a highly qualified business mentor, you can go to the Association of Business Mentors to access paid for mentoring which has to meet their standards. Many of the mentors that support the SME leaders taking part in the Help to Grow: Management Course have achieved an ILM (Institute of Leadership) certificate, which speaks to the quality of mentors that participants can access.
Create a safe space
Successful mentoring thrives on trust, authenticity and vulnerability. Both mentor and mentee should feel that the sessions they have together provide a safe place where they can be honest, share challenges, and explore ideas. This openness leads to deeper insights creating the opportunity to unlock your productivity and confidence, and create gains for your business.
Stay flexible as mentoring is rarely linear
Your needs will evolve, and so should your mentors. Great mentors stay current, and great mentees stay curious. Progress might take side steps, leaps, or unexpected turns, but don’t be afraid to change mentors as your business evolves and your goals and priorities shift.
Keep it human in a digital age
Mentoring is about human connection. The value comes from the lived experience, expertise, and emotional intelligence that tech can’t replicate. Of course, AI and other technologies are excellent enablers of mentoring matching and logistics, enabling the SME leader of to access the very best support for the current challenge they, or their business, are facing, irrespective of location.
Digital adoption can also be the platform which allows the mentoring ecosystem to better join up and ensure consistency and best practice. This is why I’m part of the National Business Mentoring Council, which is a major new government initiative aimed at enhancing the quality and accessibility of business mentoring to help drive growth of businesses across the UK. The Council represents a fantastic opportunity for a joined-up approach to mentoring across Government, industry, education, and mentoring providers to ensure small businesses can access the support available to them.
Mentoring can have a transformative impact on the growth of SME businesses, driving productivity gains across all aspects of the business. If we can continue to invest in interconnected networks of knowledge, support, and continuous development, we’ll also create the next wave of mentors who can give back by sharing their own experiences. This will supercharge collective productivity, and mentoring is one of the bridges that makes the long-term growth possible.
Flora is joining a panel at the National Mentoring Matters Conference 2025 on 30 October, where this year’s theme is 'Mentoring for Growth: Unlocking Productivity through Digital Adoption.'
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