The government’s new mentoring scheme has largely been met with approval from the business community.
Announced to coincide with Global Entrepreneurship Week, the mentoring scheme will encourage entrepreneurs to mentor a new generation of businesspeople. For the first time, business mentoring networks are joining forces to improve access to mentoring provision for both mentors and those looking for mentoring support.
Julian Ranger, CEO of iBundle, an innovation hub for tech start-ups, believes the scheme will be effective and suggests the assumption that entrepreneurialism is an inherent trait that doesn’t need nurturing is ill-informed.
For the first time, business mentoring networks are joining forces to improve access to mentoring provision for both mentors and those looking for mentoring support
“I am particularly looking forward to details of the proposed mentoring scheme,” he says. “One of the main myths aimed to be busted this week is that entrepreneurs are made and cannot be taught. This is a myth, but entrepreneurs need help to get it right and mentoring is an excellent way to fast-track people to success.”
David Cameron, meanwhile, wrapped up Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) with a speech vaunting the coalition’s efforts to foster a more enterprise-friendly economy. “The idea at the heart of all this is very simple: there is a spark of enterprise in so many people and we’ve got to do all we can to bring it out, and that has never been more important than it is today.
“The future of our economy depends on a new generation of entrepreneurs, coming up with ideas, striking out on their own, having the vision to create wealth and jobs. The big question is, how do we get more people who want to make a job and not just take a job?
“This government is making it much easier to start up a business; we’ve waived national insurance contributions for new businesses in most areas of the country, we’ve brought in a one-in-one-out rule for regulation, so for every new rule brought in an existing one has to go.
“We’re also investing in technology and innovation centres that will bring together clever ideas with the business brains to capitalise on them. These are just a few of our practical plans, but most important of all we need to help bring about a culture change, to convince those who are dreaming about making it big to get out there and do it.
Cameron continued: “All big success stories start somewhere. Lord Sugar started his business empire with a few hundred pounds, Duncan Bannatyne started out with an ice cream van, Anita Roddick started The Body Shop with one little shop hand making her own labels.
“Now it’s our job to inspire the next generation to strike out. Together, business people and Government, we can make the next decade the most entrepreneurial and dynamic in our history, that’s what this event (GEW) was all about.”
Julian Ranger applauded the Government’s response to the GEW: “It has been a pleasure to see how both the press and the Government have responded to GEW, especially with the Government announcements supporting entrepreneurs.”
