Mentor Digs Deep

26/11/2009

Jackie Whiteley wins award for her Strulch company.

Really effective business mentors roll up their sleeves and get their hands dirty at the coal-face and that’s literally what high flying Richard Gregory did as part of Business Link Yorkshire’s “Bucking The Trend” competition.

Some 60 businesses took part and highlighted the region’s “can do” answer to the recession and a silver award went to Forward Ladies member Jackie Whiteley and her organic gardening mulch business – Strulch. The reward was a mentoring session with Mr Gregory, Yorkshire Bank chairman, a director of Clydesdale Bank and parent bank National Australia Group Europe Ltd. and an experienced non-executive director in private and public sectors. And Jackie introduced Mr Gregory to the product  - in depth - in an initial mentoring session.

Jackie commented: “ Working in isolation is difficult and having someone of Richard’s calibre as a sounding board and with ideas for new approaches, will make a huge difference to me and the business. While we are definitely bucking the trend and the business is going well, this is a real bonus.”

Richard Gregory added: “The climate’s rarely been tougher for start-up businesses, but they continue to be the lifeblood of our future economy. Strulch is a product with a future and it has been a pleasure in discussing the possibilities and strategy with Jackie.”