Why did you launch Startup Mentor?
The reason why I created Startup Mentor [1] is to give back to the small and medium sized business (SME) community by providing an affordable and accessible way for anyone to start, launch and grow their business.
When I started WP Communications 5 years ago it was challenging to bring together the information required to create and launch a startup as a solo founder. I was working two jobs at the same time. After I finished work everyday at my current job I would come home and work on WP Communications until midnight along with weekends. I knew if I committed to my dream, I would be able to achieve it.
The first trading year of my company I worked almost every day in the year and it was mentally draining, however, I kept looking at my vision and held onto my faith in the company's vision: Growing the brands changing our world. I saw a niche in the SME market, that companies were being underserved and over charged by PR agencies and I wanted to change that.
My family, friends and business associates were and still are integral to keeping myself positive and motivated, and I am very grateful for their support. I initially was working out of coffee shops in the community I lived in Southeast London. I would like to thank the generosity of the people at the Forest Hill independent coffee shops, who accommodated me working there before I invested in an office in London Bridge - bearing in mind this was two years prior to Covid-19 before remote working was the new normal.
It took energy and time finding and speaking with the right people and staying informed, and a lot of boot strapping. Once the company was in a profitable place, I reinvested in great people and the right infrastructure to make WP Communications a success.
Startup Mentor would have been a blessing when I created WP Communications and it would have saved me a lot of time, money and stress. Based on what we teach in the Startup Mentor academy, the methodologies enabled WP Communications to grow 300 per cent year on year, providing employment opportunities to 45 people. Over that time our great work with great clients has been recognised by the industry resulting in the winning multiple SME awards which can be viewed on the home page of the WP Communications website. [2] Whatever your motivation. To provide for your family and loved ones, to take a dream holiday, to become a millionaire or to give back to your community, Startup Mentor can unlock the keys to business success. WP Communications' success is testament to the insights that can be learnt from the Startup Mentor academy. The academy enables me to share my personal experiences first hand with those who want to pursue their passion.
Is Startup Mentor a pivot? Will you continue to serve your role as CEO at WP Communications?
Startup Mentor is a separate business entity to WP Communications and I plan to engage in mentoring in between the day-to-day running of my integrated communications agency. At the same time, recruiting a workforce to support Startup Mentor's growth ambitions.
I will continue in my role as CEO of WP Communications to deliver on our promise to customers: Guaranteeing access to senior advisors on a daily basis and delivering a high-performance team catered to each client's industry.
The difference that you get from other PR agencies is that as CEO, I take an active role in the day-to-day running and strategic counsel for each and every customer, along with a team that understands the industry our clients work within. This is the key to generating maximum business impact through successful client-agency collaboration. Rolling up my sleeves is part of my DNA, and everyone at WP Communications works as a team to get the job done.
Who is the Startup Mentor academy for?
The Startup Mentor Academy is for aspiring entrepreneurs who are looking for guidance to start, grow and scale their businesses. It is also suitable for business owners who want to improve their skills and knowledge base to achieve their business goals.
What services do you provide for entrepreneurs?
The academy provides a range of services for entrepreneurs, including one-on-one mentoring, group coaching, training programs and workshops. To get started there is a startup mentoring programme for early startups and a business resilience programme for those that have ambitions for their company to become a successful scaleup.
As I have experience not only in PR and marketing but with business set up and the day-to-day running of a limited company - from legal, accounting, HR, recruitment to new business procurement and sales - Startup Mentor services cover various aspects of business operations.
Startup Mentor Academy [3]