127 Club Business Mentoring Scheme goes live

Many businesses, big and small, are facing an increasing number of challenges as the global economic crisis continues to bite, and depending on who you speak to it’s either going to get better or worse.

Some private businesses are doing very well but we’ve all seen the impact of government cuts on the public sector and the third sector in recent months, and there are probably more to come.

Funding for private business is much reduced and support services decimated in many parts of the country, and many of the banks are not lending to business at the rate that they should be.

The 127 Club Business Mentoring Scheme was devised in 2010 in recognition of the difficulties that may lie ahead, and as FC United approaches our seventh season we are extremely chuffed that a trial of the mentoring scheme with Transmission Creative has been successful.

We have helped the company with time management, task prioritisation, and targeting groups of new customers, with a bit of strategic thinking thrown in for good measure!

We have now started to roll out the programme more widely, and have just signed up another young Manchester business needing help with their marketing activities, specifically in attracting more visitors to their website and to delivering relevant messages that will attract new customers. We are looking for more companies, large or small who would like to take part in the scheme.

The mentoring scheme is very much a community initiative, and open to any business in Greater Manchester. It is not restricted solely to businesses or individuals who support our football club. The scheme can be for helping with a specific task, or to support a company over a period of time. Either way, we can offer mentoring on a range of issues for one hour a month completely free of charge to help businesses on their way.

Delivery can either be at the business premises or online according to the timetables of both the business and the mentor, but we do insist on the first meeting being at the business itself.

Our mentoring group is currently drawn from the 127 membership, but we are also looking outside of the group to find other suitably qualified individuals with skills that complement those that we can already offer. My own knowledge is in the field of international trade and marketing, but our team also comprises professionals in manufacturing, marketing, finance, business planning and legal support.

We do not offer financial support or funding. We offer free access to experience that you may not already have within your business. That in itself may help you not to repeat some of the mistakes we have all made along the way! So if you are interested in the scheme and want to understand better how we can help you, please contact us for an initial chat.

JOHN REED 127club@fc-utd.co.uk