Business Mentoring

for Creative & Digital Start-ups

James Rutherford (@jtruk)

(For Ladders / TICE)

Employment

Freelance Web

Co-founder

Freelance Tech

Add minds

Business Steer

Personal Steer

Validation / Fit

Sanity Check

Creative Input

Connections

Life Choices / Development

No Isolation

Wellbeing

Support

Experience

Confidence

No heroics!

Ideas

Protection?

Value: Execution

Local Maximum

A Good Mentor

Listens before speaks

Relevant

Approachable

Independent

Trustworthy

Always correct?

Challenging

Interested

How to Find One?

Peer group

Networking

Family/Friends

Training organisations

Put effort in

Don't give away your business!

Kick Cards

Pocket Mentors?

Codify the levers

Pokément?

Provoke discussion

~~Pokément?~~

Competitor Strengths

Who are your main competitors?

What do they do well?

www.kick.cards

Race to Revenue

What is the quickest, most accessible route to revenue?

Could you trade with what you have now, even if it's not perfect?

Do you have any assets, research or data now that could be offered to others?

Who would be a potential client?

www.kick.cards

Fundamental Assumptions

Identify three big assumptions that underpin your business

e.g.

"People will pay for what I am offering"

"People understand what I am trying to do"

"People are unhappy with the way they are currently solving this"

What is the easiest, most accessible and most insightful way to check whether these assumptions are valid?

www.kick.cards

Press Angles

Pick three different media outlets.

How would they tell a story about your business?

Quickly outline three different angles

www.kick.cards

A Surprise!

Pick a part of your client/consumer journey

What can you add to delight!

Can you do this at three points during the journey?