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Greyblue Ltd

My mentee is Phil Gardner of Greyblue Ltd., a company specialising in lighting design and installation for the residential market as well as corporate. Phil also undertakes consultancy work in the Middle East.

Business is growing, with turnover for the first six months at 125 per cent of his budgeted annual turnover. He is now looking to employ two full time employees, having previously used sub-contractors.

My role has been to act as a sounding-board and offer advice on the financial aspects, including encouraging him to develop profit and cash projections and monitor them. We’re not there yet, but progress is being made.

We have had several meetings to date and we’re both benefitting from them enormously. I was delighted to receive an email from Phil recently, in which he expressed just how much mentoring has helped him:

“Just a big thank you, really, I did appreciate the time you took this week to listen to my thoughts. I am already over 125 per cent expected annual turnover in just six months thanks, in part, to your help. I am sure we will create two full time jobs also this year with your help. Small acorns, and all that!”

David Thurlby is an employee of Barclays Bank and a business mentor