Business Mentoring & Support

What we do

Ready to get started? Watch our video, have a read, and we look forward to hearing from you very soon!

We support….

Business Creation: A good solid researched idea or concept that you have started to turn in to a business.

Business Startup: A trading business or sole trader that’s tested the market, has built a customer base, identified their market and product/service offering and starts to measure, review and adapt their plan so they can grow.

Business Growth: A business or sole trader ready to take it to the next level with a strong proof of concept, customer base and product/service offering. A business here may be looking at diversifying into other products/services, employing additional staff, looking at bigger or additional premises or maybe even launching/investing into a new venture.

Business Mentoring & Support

We are unique in the fact that our services to young business owners are FREE of charge. Our FREE business mentoring and support is available to all young entrepreneurs and business owners in Kent. To qualify you have to be aged 30, or under, have an interest in creating a business, launching a business and growing a business, and lastly, you have to be based in Kent.

We will provide you with a Kent Foundation coordinator who will initially arrange a meeting to assess your business so that we can offer the most relevant support for you, and then ongoing support to ensure you continue to have all the resources available to you to take your business idea forward.

Every young business owner receiving support from The Kent Foundation has access to our network of over 100 trained volunteer business mentor, and the wider KF community, who are there to support on a regular basis both face-to-face and/or remotely.

In addition to mentoring, we also provide FREE opportunities to connect, collaborate and support each other.

Networking, Masterclasses and Mastermind groups

Networking events are provided for business owners to showcase and connect to the wider business community in Kent. We regularly host these events to bring together Kent’s young business owners. We know and understand that business can be a lonely place at times so getting together regularly with other like minded business owners can be a real boost for your business and a great way to make new connections.

Innovation is driven through our Mastermind and Masterclass sessions where you can learn from peers, sector experts and specialists to help develop ideas and good working practices.

Masterclasses are a great place to learn from experts in their field, over the last 12 months we have hosted various topics including Social Media Strategy – SEO – Video creation and live streaming – The principles of selling – How to start a podcast – Funding your business – TAX – Business banking and Digital Marketing

Mastermind groups. To find out more about these watch the video below and don’t hesitate to contact us to book in to future events.

KF Awards

To recognise the achievements and contribution young people in business make in Kent we host an annual awards evening. To find out more about this years event click HERE

Click below to see all our future events

How It Works

Step 1:

Send us an email (see form below), phone us or get in touch over social media (FacebookTwitterInstagram) ,and ideally provide us with a brief overview of your business and perhaps send us a link to your website, if you’ve got one up and running.

Step 2:

We’ll take a look at your idea and be in touch via email or phone to arrange to meet with you to find out more. We’re very flexible with dates/times/locations so no need to worry if you are currently in employment.

Step 3:

Dependant on the current Government Guidelines related to COVID 19 we will conduct the initial meeting with you either in person, on video conference, or phone chat. Normally we would try to meet over a coffee (or tea if you prefer) in a café, or somewhere suitable to you. In this meeting we’ll find out more about you, your business idea, and your vision for the future. We’ll also use this time to signpost you to additional support, and get you in touch with the right people.

Step 4:

We then pinpoint the specific business support you need and start the matching process for you with one of our Volunteer Business Mentors. We recruit and train business leaders from across Kent who volunteer their time to support you. This resource can additionally provide high value specialist support to help you and your business reach its full potential. We will also keep you up to date with future events, and opportunities, to get involved with our amazing KF community.

How Will A Business Mentor Help Me?

Every business has a vision. This vision may not always be easy to achieve. Perhaps you recognise you don’t have all of the skills, or knowledge to achieve it? There is an answer – your very own Business Mentor.

Read one of our Blogs
Mentoring – The hidden asset in any successful business

  • Research shows that mentored startups grow 3.5x faster
  • Gain practical advice, encouragement and support
  • Tips for your business gained from practical experience
  • Learn from the experiences of others
  • Increase your confidence in business
  • Become more empowered to make decisions
  • Develop your communication and personal skills
  • Develop strategies for dealing with both personal development and business issues
  • Identify goals and establish a sense of direction
  • Ideas for new products or services, or ways of working
  • Increase your network
  • Talk through your business issues with someone independent from your business
  • More effective use of your time, money and resources within your business

Ready to get started?

As if you needed any more convincing, click on the button and get in touch now!