I had a stimulating mentoring session with  Adrian Fitzpatrick who introduced Arena Group's business model to me as we both sell products to businesses. It has made me think about doing business in a different way more profitable way and Adrian gave me a good lead if we decide to follow that route.

"I had my Springboard mentoring session with Mark Bowers of Redfern Travel in June 2017. My issues were around further penetration of the market for our products and the expertise that Mark had in tripling the size of Redfern Travel was inspirational. His advice, packed with practical ideas, was hugely helpful and we have already out some of it into practice"

“I was extremely pleased with the “Springboard Session” provided by Connect Yorkshire. Mike Bridge brought the optimal mix of sales and marketing knowledge and real world experience. He asked the right probing questions and really listened to our answers resulting in a proposed value proposition which was succinct and will help us shape our promise to our customers.”

Our springboard session with Kevin was brilliant. Kevin effortlessly brought his considerable experience and knowledge and was able to highlight key issues and probe our plans with considerable insight. Yet again the springboard session was well worth the annual Connect Yorkshire fee on its own.

I had a very helpful mentoring session with David Kerfoot in April. We mainly discussed how we should plan our premises for our future expansion and David gave me some great insights into how he had done it which was invaluable

Attending a Springboard session gave us perspective on our business. It helped us to identify the main areas to focus on for growth which will benefit everyone in the company.

We had some exceptional advice from Adrian Holmes during our Springboard session with him, very insightful and inspiring from someone with great success and passion for business.

I recently had my first springboard session with John Sutcliffe, MD of Henry Boot and I wasn’t really sure what to expect. It was quite daunting to be sitting in front of someone so well respected and experienced but he made me feel at ease. We talked through all aspects of business and he gave me a great insight into how successfully a small business can grow if you focus on the right areas first.  His feedback gave me reassurance that we are on the right track with our thoughts and plans and that is invaluable.

Our Springboard with Jonathan Sands was excellent. We chose him because he was closest to what we do. His insight was excellent.  He quickly delved into our business and pinpointed that we should be focusing on the emotion we manage to convey in our videos.  His tagline was ‘Films that make you cry (and laugh!)’.  It was really helpful to look at the business this way, and actually focus more on story telling and emotion, rather than facts. He gave us some excellent anecdotes from the many years of running his business and gave us examples of how he’d achieved what we’re looking to do over the years. He gave us a very generous hour and a half and a tour of his office  - which is very cool! Thanks for organizing it

I would just like to comment on my Springboard Session with Jonathan Turner of Bowcliffe Estate. Our meeting lasted just over and hour and I found that the insight, feedback and general advice that Jonathan offered was exceptional. He completely “got me” and knew what I was trying to create and develop. His empathy and clarity of mind gave me some fantastic food for thought. I would like to extend my sincere thanks to JT for his time and advice.

We thoroughly enjoyed welcoming Gav of Ten10 to ABS HQ. It was a great opportunity to pick his brains on his experiences in business and see if we can relate them to ours. We talked about branding and most importantly, staff communication and engagement. He was informative as well as being honest in his opinions on our business. We would recommend the springboard session to any business that is looking for advice and support in any area of their business.

We had a good session with Richard Doyle and he left us with a lot to think about on the best way forward for us. Richard is a really good guy and we will be having more discussion with him about the best way forward.

I had a great springboard session with John McArthur. It was really useful to learn from his extensive knowledge and experience regarding investments, employer incentive schemes and M&A. Thanks to the session I'm now re-evaluating our pricing model in line with the session discussions to gear up the business for our rapid expansion plans.

Getting someone else's perspective on yourself and your business is always interesting. When it's a CY EIR it's especially valuable. And when it's someone like Simon with his unconventional way of looking at things it's simply gold dust.

I met with John McArthur back in December and got on like a house on fire; we are very similar in many ways (except running a multi-million pound business of course).  I took a great deal from the meeting and will be keeping in touch with John over the next few months (probably over a beer or two next time!).

Myself and business partner Greg had the pleasure of meeting with Russell Manning of Manning Stainton – it was very useful in highlighting some key considerations for us in 2017.  Listening to his experience was invaluable and has affirmed our approach in terms of goals for the next few years… as well as our long term aspirations!

My Springboard mentoring session with Mike Bridge was really good. Mike had delivered a Masterclass about Value Propositions fairly recently and we went into more detail about that for WPA. We ended up with a few good points that we are putting into practice

" My session with Judith Donovan was absolutely fantastic and just what I needed at this stage of the development of my business. She understood my business within a few minutes and came up with clear and incisive thoughts. It was brilliant.  The session was only an hour and a half but on its own it was worth more than the membership fee"

'Membership of Connect Yorkshire allows you to meet with success. Adrian Holmes continues to be a very successful businessman. He gave me time and an insight to improve,I didn't like all of it in fact I felt a little bruised. However he was right,the bruises have healed,the business is better'

After a springboard session with John McDonnell, ‘I found it very useful to get an experienced outside, impartial point of view our my business. He highlighted problems and opportunities for us to investigate further’

“When you meet someone who has achieved so much in the motor trade you expect a lot of their knowledge to be above your head which it may be, but he was able to identify the challenges we face in our business very succinctly & it was reassuring to see we are on the same page. Many KPI’s are the same for a small business and much bigger businesses. Great advice on family business issues too. Further help & advice is only a phone call away, always easier when you have met face to face & feel that he understands “your” and “the” business too.”

"I very much enjoyed meeting Julian Kynaston. He’s a big inspiration to me. He immediately put me at ease, which allowed me to talk openly and honestly about my business issues in a supportive and informal atmosphere. I have a huge amount of respect for leaders in the creative space who have managed to build large, successful agencies. Wylde is still small, but we want to align ourselves in the same market as the bigger agencies, offering a specialist branding service that transforms our clients’ businesses. Effectively, punching above our weight. Julian told me his story from his humble beginnings, working for a printer, to why and how he started his agency and the opportunities that allowed Propaganda to grow into the multi-million pound turnover business it is today, including the ups and downs. Fascinating insight. His ability to build trust and get invited to sit on some of his clients’ main boards, acting as their marketing director, seems to have played a big part in his success as well as his focus on achieving business transformation for his clients. A key outcome for me, if we are going to win bigger, higher value, pieces of work, is that we need to focus more on strategic value when we talk to prospects and when writing proposals, rather than listing out all the specific deliverables, like a quote. Julian has also managed to move many of his clients onto retainers, which gives him much clearer and longer term visibility on revenue and cash flow, which we need to look at too. Currently, all our work is project based, which puts lots of pressure on me to win new business each month. He kindly offered to critique some of our proposals and is open to meeting again if I need his advice. Great experience."

“We met with Mike Bridge and found the one to one discussion to be really enlightening. He helped us to formulate a value proposition, which is helping us to differentiate our business from competitors. He also gave us good advice about recruitment and retention of staff.”

"We had a brilliant Springboard mentoring session with David Grey who is straight talking and has a great manufacturing background. He understood our business, confirmed we are on the right track and had some invaluable points for us to take on board to help us go forward which I am trying to implement now"

“Having a springboard session with Mike Bridge has been inspiring and a real step in the right direction for the business. Would thoroughly recommend to anyone”

“I had my testimonial with Jacqui Hall, Managing Director of CNG. I had listened to Jacqui speak at a Connect Gazelles event and was impressed with how she has taken over a company in a male dominated industry, grown it phenomenally and also changed the culture and values. I felt a connection with Jacqui immediately, she is a warm hearted lady that cares deeply for her staff and ensures CNG is a wonderful place to work. I am also MD of a company in a male dominated industry so I knew she would have faced some of the same issues I do. We had an initial meeting at Austin Hayes where she could see my work environment and listen to the problems I face in the business. Then I visited Jacqui at CNG. We had several hours talking through my problems and Jacqui offering me advice and coaching. I had a full tour of the offices and met many of the staff. I was able to grill Jacqui in depth on how she runs the business and I came away with some great ideas for making improvements at Austin Hayes. We are going to keep in touch and discuss progress. Jacqui was incredibly patient, open and honest with me and I highly recommend her as a mentor.”

"My Connect Gazelles Springboard Mentoring session with Neil Ewin and Terry Donovan was inspirational. Not only was their feedback extremely useful, but their comments also helped me crystalise some of my own thoughts. It was a pleasure to meet both Neil and Terry, two of Yorkshire’s leading entrepreneurs. I am extremely grateful they took time out of their busy schedules to spend some of their valuable time with me."

"Our mentoring session with Simon Biltcliffe proved to be extremely worthwhile. Simon is an inspirational figure and he let us have lots of food for thought and as a result we are planning some changes to our business. I would urge all the members of the Connect Gazelles to take advantage of this fantastic benefit"

"Connect Gazelles went to a lot of trouble to track down James Lambert OBE for my Springboard mentoring session and it was certainly worth the effort. James' s achievement at R&R Ice Cream is barely believable and he is an absolute inspiration for us. He had lots of interesting ideas for our business many of which we are in the process of implementing. We are now planning a meeting for James to come and see our head office and showroom, meet our Sales Director (my wife) and the rest of the team."

“My name is Andrew Robinson and my business is Mr Flyer Ltd. I recently had a springboard meeting with one of the Gazelles, Russell Manning of Manning Stainton. The reason I chose Russell was because we work with many estate agents and I wanted to hear from his perspective his view on flyer distribution, and what he looks for with marketing campaigns generally. Also, with always having the future in mind, I wanted to understand how he expanded into multiple offices, and why he opted for the branching route instead of franchising. And finally I was intrigued what drives Russell to continue building his business despite no financial need to do so. Russell was very warm to my questions and showed genuine interest in my business. He was very easy to talk with, and clearly had developed a wealth of business knowledge over the years, and also wasn’t shy about highlighting his mistakes along the way. The advice given was invaluable and on one particular point, very thought provoking/challenging. I certainly left the meeting with a much clearer vision for my business, and how to set about achieving it. A particular great piece of advice was simply to focus on perfecting what we have now, before confusing ourselves with future expansion, and he reminded me that Amazon just wanted to be great at selling books online, and from perfecting this they now are selling pretty much every conceivable item. If you’re yet to have a springboard session I strongly recommend you thoroughly read through the list of people, and choose one that will be most appropriate for your business. I was very happy with choosing Russell, and certainly recommend him to other Connect Gazelle members.”

"The session with Judith was gold dust. Her expert lines of questioning, born out of her years of experience, enabled her to very quickly understand our business, from both an internal and external perspective. She gave us a huge level of confidence in our approach, whilst questioning and challenging us on some current issues in a way that has propelled us forward further. Two hours of pure value. Judith was generous with her time and her advice, sharing her wisdom and experience with no hidden agenda, other than to help us. A genuinely amazing lady. Thank you."

The important thing when attending these Springboard sessions is to be prepared. If you don't really know what you want to discuss then it's not going to be massively effective. I had my session with Mike Bridge and it worked very well. I knew what I wanted to discuss and had prepared all of my financial information so that our time was not spent gathering the details. Mike really challenged my thinking and I realised that I was putting unnecessary barriers in place of growing the business. Top notch session and time extremely well spent”

“Greg and I had a great meeting with Simon Biltcliffe of Webmart – he’s very direct and just what we needed. We’re shaping a new business model and now have greater clarity about where we’re going and more importantly why we’re doing what we’re doing and how our business (and every business) has the power to influence people positively; shaping a culture of growth and social responsibility. A real gamechanger!”

“The session with Mike was very insightful for the team and myself. It was an interactive session and highlighted that we were not all on the same page for our value proposition. He explained how having a strong value proposition can lead to an increase in sales without reducing margin and gave his own experiences on this. Every business and market is different but he has given us a lot of food for thought and we can use what he said. We will certainly carrying out his exercise to identify how we can create a real value proposition which will run through the whole company and help with could help with customer retention and new business.”

“Mike agreed to visit us and speak to the whole team, which was ideal. His message was both powerful and appropriate and helped all of us get to grips with what is really important in our business and to all identify and take ownership of our ‘Value Proposition’. We have already instigated the actions agreed at that meeting.”

“The mentoring sessions through Connect Gazelles puts you in front of people with real business experience, who have been in the position you are in and overcome the challenges you are facing. Their wealth of experience in invaluable for a new or growing experience. We were put in contact with John Hall from Ring Automotive, who has gone out of his way to help us move forward, putting us in touch with contacts amassed over the years in business who have the specialist knowledge we need to progress”

“We were overwhelmed by the springboard session with Judith. In under three hours, she covered more ground than countless business advisors have managed to do in all our time running Hydra Creative. Her advice was relevant, to the point, and spot on. We wish we had met her at the beginning. She would have saved us a lot of expensive mistakes!”

“Our Springboard session with Mike was brilliant, it was very eye opening to get an alternative view on our business. It makes a huge difference that there is no ulterior motive and the advice and feedback given is purely objective. I thoroughly enjoyed the time spent with Mike, he encouraged me to step outside for a while and look at the business as if I was a prospective customer, which was very powerful and thought provoking.”

“We had a very good look at the value proposition of Steel City. It provided a focus and allowed me to consider this one key point in order to build on other work we have been doing. Mike engaged with all staff members and asked for their contributions, but without taking them away from their work. He was extremely positive about how the team perceived the company and the brand. He is straight talking and honest, but quickly understands how to handle the business owner. I would have no issues in following up with Mike to show how we have integrated the content of the meeting. This is now on our agenda.”

“It was fantastic to have a fresh pair of eyes looking into the business. John provided new ideas and helpful advice. It came at the perfect time and allowed us to explore potential revenue streams we hadn't previously thought of. John was very friendly and made us feel instantly at ease, and has a wealth of business knowledge to bring to the table”

“I found Neil to be excellent. He quickly understood the nature of our business and the specific area I was l keen for him to help us with. Subsequent to the meeting he has followed up and we are due to meet again soon. It’s taken me a long time to take advantage of this service but it’s been worth the wait so far.”

“For our recent Springboard session we were paired with Go Outdoors founder John Graham. After I presented John with an overview of our business he quickly picked out the similarities between Welcome Skate Store and the Go Outdoors’ beginnings. Both specialist activity based businesses with niche products looking for a wider customer base. Welcome Skate Store coming from a ‘core’ skateboard background and Go Outdoors beginning as a technical climbing shop. He was able to highlight key decisions and business strategies that helped Go Outdoors to grow and how implementing similar changes within Welcome Skate Store could potentially lead our business to increase turnover. We discussed our current webstore and some of the weaknesses relating to it and suggest a detailed marketing strategy tying into the launch of our new Webstore. The guidance he gave me regarding mailing lists and promotions has been invaluable. His knowledge about mailing list reach and it’s direct relation to their business expansion was fascinating and has helped us develop a plan using existing resources and stock to begin the push.”

“I had a 2 hour session this morning. It was excellent and appreciate his advice and help. Got lots more work to do now!”

“Thank you for arranging my springboard session with Paul Rose formerly of Rixonway Kitchens. I asked for Paul because of his history of working in sales & marketing which is the area of our business which I am responsible for. The session was held at Bowcliffe Hall which is a great setting and Paul was exactly as you said he’d be – really nice and easy to get along with. I explained our business and what our aims are to Paul and we discussed the challenges we face as a family business and Paul suggested some great ideas to do with succession in key areas of the business. I found the session really useful and Paul had some great ideas about where to concentrate my efforts in terms of bringing in new business in sectors where we are already successful rather than trying to be ‘all things to all men’ as often end up doing. All in all it was a really good few hours and well worth the time out of the office; Paul has welcomed me to stay in touch and even offered to come to our business if we felt it would help. Many thanks for arranging it.”

“Spending a couple of hours with John was both inspirational and hugely educational for me, discussing high level strategy, vision and the strong foundations needed to scale my business and plan for future growth. Go Outdoors is clearly a fantastic business with a very clear strategy. It confirmed to me that to run a successful business you need strong leadership guided by a clear vision which must be communicated from the top, which is what John has done so well over the years to drive Go Outdoors to be the best multiple retailer in the outdoor leisure market.”

"David has not only provided us with the direction forward for our business, but has also facilitated a clear roadmap of how to get there. His skills and experience are perfectly suited to our business and we would not be contemplating the future with quite so much enthusiasm without him."

“I had the pleasure of meeting Mike Bridge for a mentoring meeting for sales and marketing. I found Mikes approach friendly and engaging. He understood our requirements and was able to provide useful information to enable us to demonstrate our point of difference from our competitors in a clear, no nonsense way. Mike has provided us with useful help and guidance to develop our business.”

“I was extremely grateful for the time afforded to myself by Graham Honeyman for my Springboard Mentoring session. I found the meeting extremely interesting and informative with many key points being discussed. It was fascinating to hear all about Forgemasters, in addition there were some great pointers and words of wisdom that I will certainly take on board.”

“I was very excited with the prospect of meeting Michael due to his vast experience within the baking industry. I choose to focus on sale at our meeting. Michael was able to explain to me a simple sales strategy that i could instantly relate too and implement. I found the spring board session to be of great value and would recommend it to other members.”

“Following becoming a member of Connect Gazelles my mentor meeting with James Lambert was quickly arranged and also with my 1st choice of mentor. My first session was all that I hoped, I outlined my business and we freely chatted and I picked up some great advice immediately without needing to get into any depth. My 2nd session was quickly arranged and I am looking forward to it greatly and can’t wait to dig deeper into James knowledge as I outline my business in more depth.”

“It was an enjoyable meeting, and Jonathan was able to offer us some advice and banking contacts for Python Properties’ reorganisation and also some advice on the use of Rudby Hall for shoot parties, one of the Halls key aims.”

“Neil is a great guy, and very easy to talk with. We discussed many aspects of his and our business, he gave me some good guidance on how to promote the company and which professional bodies to join to give us more visibility to potential customers. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the Springboard mentoring session, came away with some good ideas to work on, and appreciated the time Neil gave up to help us move forward.”

“Many thanks for your time today. Your constructive advice really hit home, was very timely, and we’ve got some clarity and immediate actions to plan and implement.”

“I’ve just returned to the office following our springboard session with Andrew Mason and it’s fair to say both Me and Peter can’t praise the session high enough. Andrew was brilliantly insightfully and incredibly inspiring. The value we’ve taken away from this one meeting alone far outweighs our membership fee to the Gazelles.”

“Thank you for joining us at the Mansion last week. We found it extremely useful having an independent and external view of our business, and your insights on the way forward. The partners were impressed by how quickly you were able to get to the key issue in a way that has eluded us from within the organisation.”

“I had a fantastic 2 hour meeting with John, he gave me very clear, practical advice which will save me a lot of time and headaches moving forward. He is a genuinely nice, helpful fella, I am really grateful he gave me two hours of his time, he has also agreed to help me out in the future too.”

“As a startup business, the potential and opportunities for growth are huge and need to be carefully planned, so I was delighted when John took the time to spend over 3 hours speaking with me about my future direction. John has a wealth of experience, market knowledge, great contacts and a strong business acumen. He showed great enthusiasm and interest in what I was doing and this further strengthened my belief in the potential of SLPY. He is a real people person, was genuinely interested in myself and my business and I felt instantly at ease with him. I look forward to meeting up with John again as my business continues to grow and would highly recommend him as a mentor.”

"The Springboard session allowed us access to an industry leader who gave myself and my fellow Director insight and advice about a new market sector we were interested in approaching. We came away from the session feeling inspired and with lots of ideas, which are on the agenda for our next business development meeting. We couldn't have got this persons time without being a member of Connect Gazelles."

“Neil was great – he gave me the benefit of his considerable experience, and really helped me think through the challenges that I am facing, and how I might look to solve those.”

“Just wanted to send a quick email to say thank you for organizing our Springboard with Simon Biltcliffe last Monday. Julie and I spent the week looking at the business and teams with different eyes. We're getting together to decide how to implement some of the ideas he gave us.”

“Thank you for your time and advice today. It is very much appreciated. I will take on board everything you mentioned. Sometimes the answers are so close that one does not see them and it takes someone else to point them out. I will carefully research the ideas and use a range of tools available to assist me along with plain good old fashioned hard work. And I will keep you informed of my progress.”

“What an amazing meeting with Deirdre Bounds today!! Thank you so much for the opportunity and setting it up. She is a fantastic lady, inspiring, thought provoking and encouraging. We looked at some key aspects of my business which can be developed and her advice was invaluable. I feel privileged to have had this opportunity and very excited about what the future will bring. Thanks again”

“I just wanted to say thanks again for your time and interest in our business today. You have given me a lot of food for thought and I will certainly be acting on some of your suggestions. In particular a brand refresh, and finding budget for an internal sales person are now on my agenda for next week! An external assessment of your business from someone who actually understands something about your sector is really difficult to achieve as a sole owner-manager and therefore always valuable.”

"Although Paul has no previous familiarity with the products we supply, the experience and objective insight he has provided, has really helped shape the direction of my thinking and given me a new focus"

"Springboard with Simon.... Check with him that he's happy with this ... Collaboration, transparency and sharing your vision and values through technology.... Working EFFI - Emotionally, Intellectually, Financially Focussed - Management speak? No! True insights to making a good business great, direct from the Bilty bible. Great guy, great vibe, great team and great on our patch! Barnsley bred. Inspired to move from Great to EFFI 'ng Amazing"

“My Springboard session went very well; I had a very interesting 2 hours with John McDonnell. No ‘Road to Damascus’ moment but it was good to hear John’s take on our business and I certainly picked up a few good ideas.”

"Many thanks for coming over to see us today for the Springboard session. I think it's fair to say we had a wider ranging and interesting discussion! It was very valuable for me, and extremely enjoyable"

“I found my session with Michael Bridges very useful, and I now have lot's to contemplate.”

“Some can talk the talk but cannot walk the walk. Michael & Neil Conlon from Conlon Construction certainly can though! It was very useful having EIP’s from both a family business and the same industry as MWA as it meant they could easily understand our business. The 2 and a half hours the directors spent with the Conlon Brothers was gold dust and we left the meeting with new ideas and a revitalised attitude. I can’t recommend Springboard Mentoring Sessions enough and would once again like to thank Michael & Neil Conlon in giving up their precious time for us.”

“I was really grateful for the time, input and wisdom that Richard gave. I have lots to work on, and I have some real clarity about what needs to happen next, and how to begin to do it. I am really appreciative for Richards time, honesty and knowledge.”

"I found Edward Naylor insightful and very helpful, particularly in regard to the prospective business we are talking to with a view to purchasing them. I’d happily recommend him to anyone else interested in obtaining an informed and objective opinion."

“Our Springboard session with Jonathan Sands was incredibly productive for both myself and my business development director. Jonathan has helped us prioritise our list of things we need to do to grow the business. Jonathan held very little back when sharing his experiences and we feel very privileged to have had this opportunity.”

"I'm pretty focused on my business and where we are going - sitting down with my mentor and working through my plan was really helpful. Often, I don't give myself time to do exactly that and as a result, I made a major change with my plan next year that will show a large jump in profit. Very happy lady here."

“The Springboard session with Michael Bridge was very useful. It was good to meet with someone with such a breadth of experience and knowledge from which to draw. Mike was very incisive and honest about our business and our plans going forward. He gave me a great deal to think about but most of all I felt that our discussion helped to bring clarity and focus. What is more, Mike followed up with an email outlining our discussion and next steps.”

"One of Simon Biltcliffe's comments during the Springboard was about whether we should “do up” the offices we are renting or look to buy… he quite rightly backed up my thoughts that doing up where we currently are wouldn’t be the best choice! All in all though, I wanted to feed back that the Springboard talk was great, I feel the points I noted are ones that I actioned and it backs up that I feel I am “coachable” “mentorable” and I will take things on board!"

"It’s great to be able to tap into a wealth of experience though the Springboard mentoring offer. We think we are on the right track but it was really useful to be able to sanity check what we are doing with Neil Ewin. Neil spotted some gaps in our approach which we are now working on. It’s a great confidence builder!"

“The chance to spend the morning with Propaganda’s Chairman gave me an invaluable insight into creating a brand identity for WRS and an opportunity for me to get some honest feedback from an industry leader. Being a part of Connect Gazelles opened this door for me and it is fantastic to get the benefit of Julian Kynaston’s knowledge for the only reason of sharing that knowledge.”

"I felt as though the Springboard Mentoring session was very beneficial. Obtaining an ‘outsider's’ perspective on our business was very constructive. I believe that Rachel Hannan and I struck a decent accord and appeared to be on the same page and have a common end goal. Rachel’s background and involvement with other fledgling businesses made it much easier to translate and appreciate."

My mentoring session with Paul Rose was a fantastic opportunity for me to speak openly with an experienced entrepreneur whose feedback and opinions I trust and feel can guide my business forward. Paul has so much experience and knowledge that it was inspiring to hear everything he has achieved and certainly made me want to follow in his footsteps!"

“I had a very useful and inspirational Springboard session with Martin Penny, a person I have wanted to meet for some time. Martin’s knowledge of the industry gave me reassurance that our brand strategy is on the right track and that our future business plans are based on sound principles. Because of our mutual interests and knowledge we were able to have a very open discussion around business and brand development in the UK hairdressing industry. It was brilliant to have someone with Martin’s background and experience to use a sounding board and I valued the time we spent together.”

“My springboard Mentoring session with Alan Halsall was a unique experience, one I would recommend all business leaders to take. Alan had an excellent grasp of our business having picked through the extensive information pack provided in advance and extracted the central issues for review. We discussed our strategy for step change business development, against which Alan was able to outline parallels and guidance underpinned by his extensive experience and successes in similar scenarios. In summary the session provided me with tremendously valued assurance in the strategy we are implementing and that we have our eye on the key issues to warrant success.”

“My Springboard Mentoring session with Richard Doyle was diverse and wide ranging and covered key areas of business strategy. Richard was direct and insightful and provided rigour and challenge to my assumptions and plans (however painful that was at times). I found it of huge value to speak in confidence with someone that has been there and done it. Speaking with such an entrepreneur is hugely beneficial when you are moving over another hurdle, but still need a hand perfecting your technique.”

“It was great to have Hugh Facey into our business for a few hours. Hugh was a good sounding board and it gave us the opportunity to discuss some of our latest innovations and products to affirm and share some of the issues businesses face around protecting IP and taking new innovation to the market. Hugh also provided us with some good advice and has potentially given us some ideas around improving manufacturing methods for one of our products. A great Springboard Mentoring session and a pleasure to discuss our business with a likeminded entrepreneur.”

“It was great to meet Alan Halsall for my Springboard Mentoring session. I was already a very capable business woman, making all the right decisions and everything he told me I should be doing, I already was. But it is good to get a pat on the back from someone who knows what they are talking about. We talked about business plans etc and had a really good session.”

“My Springboard Mentoring session with Martin Penny put into perspective the future for SLB PR. By making me take a step back and sum up the business and services we offer in just a few words I was able to visualise exactly where I want the company to be and establish the steps to implement to make that possible. Martin helped identify our strengths and weaknesses and our USP – all of which we were aware but it makes a difference when someone who really has been there and got the t-shirt reinforces that what your are doing is going in the right direction. We have already secured larger offices and are reviewing how we operate and provide services. I can’t thank Connect Gazelles enough for this opportunity or Martin for steering me and the company in the right direction.”

“The help and advice provided during my Springboard Mentoring session was really useful. For someone in my position, it is always invaluable to hear from business owners that created successful companies and have both experienced and navigated through many of the common challenges along the way.”

“Our Springboard Mentoring session with Peter Roberts was enormously helpful to gain the perspective of somebody so experienced. I think the greatest challenge we face is being able to make time to plan strategically while also being so busy with day to day productions. Peter’s idea of spending a day away from the business is a very good one that we will build into our schedules ASAP. From there I hope we will be able to plan to find the right sales person – and I think Peter was right about quality being key.”

“Kevin Hollinrake was fantastic. He listened to me and prompted for goals and then tailored ideas and suggestions around this. I cannot thank him enough for taking the time to visit us for our Springboard Mentoring session.”

“My Springboard Mentoring session with Connect Gazelles Entrepreneur in Residence Daniel Lee Bsc (Hons), MRPharmS, MBA went great! I thoroughly enjoyed it. Daniel gave me inspiration and a lot of food for thought.”

"I found my Springboard Mentoring session with Sean Riddell extremely useful and informative and it has really given me food for thought in terms of strategy, structure and lots of very practical suggestions. I really appreciate Sean taking the time to come out to see us and offer great advice and support."

“Adrian Holmes was a great mentor for us as Directors of our business. Working with him for a couple of hours was revealing and insightful. Through his questions he demonstrated that he really knew our business and the sector in which we operate. In the time we spent together he never once told us what we should be doing, instead he asked the right questions that got us to come to the right conclusions ourselves. As a result of this we are now on the journey with some fundamental changes in our business that will give us consistency in our sales performance and a strong platform on which to build our business. In our business we know that it takes a very special kind of coach who can get you to see the answers for yourself and Adrian is one of those special people. Thank you Connect Gazelles for facilitating this experience for us.”

“We recently had a Connect Gazelles Springboard Mentoring session with Paul Rose. Paul had clearly done some research before the meeting and instantly highlighted the areas that we could focus on to grow our printing business. He also had relevant experience and examples from his own company that we are now working hard to replicate in our company. Thank you Connect Gazelles for this truly unique opportunity which is worth the membership fee many times over.”

Thank you to the Connect Gazelles for recommending a Springboard Mentoring session with Entrepreneur in Residence, Richard Doyle. It sparked some interesting and positive change at BirchenallHowden and we’re looking forward to the direction we are heading.”

"Mark Woodward of Earthmill allowed us to talk about the challenges facing our business in a helpful way asking extremely pertinent questions along the way. He gave us useful guidance in a number areas of strategy, management and leadership, as well as a number of vital insights into what it takes to make a business both successful and a great place to work. We have been delighted to have been given this opportunity."

"My Springboard Mentoring session with Judith Donovan provided me with lots of food for thought. The session challenged my thinking but I'm already putting plans together for 2014 to include some of the changes I can make."

"The Connect Gazelles Springboard Mentoring sessions are a great way to give you another perspective on how you work. I've already actioned one of the two main points covered in my mentoring session and I aim to do the other in the next few days."

"I can’t stress enough how helpful I found my Springboard Mentoring session with Kevin Hollinrake. Kevin proved to be an inspirational character and I’m sure all that meet him will come away feeling positive. Not only was Kevin generous with his time and the information that he gave me, he also did a little research in advance of our meeting. He genuinely has a passion for our industry that is infectious. The outcome of our meeting is that I feel re-energised and truly focused and ready to take the business onto the next level and for that I’m extremely grateful to Kevin."

"My Springboard Mentoring session with Dean Hoyle was fantastic. He's given me some great ideas and I'm certain it will make a positive difference to our business. Thanks very much to the Connect Gazelles."

"The Connect Gazelles Springboard Mentoring session was a really, really special meeting for me and for Lightbulb. The advice and insight will prove invaluable to our growth moving forward. To know that we are actually doing some things right is also a blessing! We're now fired up entirely and raring to go!"

"We were very grateful to the Entrepreneurs in Residence for taking time out of their schedules to visit us and discuss Zen Audio and the future growth potential. We appreciated all of the input, in depth knowledge and questions that immediately have had an impact on our thought process to the direction of the company. We received input and insight to what we had not thought about and this has now given us back the focus we need to drive the business forward."

"The Springboard Mentoring session with both a Connect Gazelles Entrepreneur in Residence and Partner was amazing. Both parties had their own very knowledgeable handle on the business from a strategic focus and a pragmatic approach to the financial implications. They brought two very fresh pairs of eyes on what we needed to concentrate on to move things forward. They had a ‘To Do’ list ready and waiting, questions were relevant and moved the discussion forward. I really felt like they were interested in what I had to say and they gave me a very real Action Plan to move forward. I feel much more confident to move forward with planning the future!"

"It was a rare privilege to have two such successful entrepreneurs as Jonathan Turner and Mark Woodward concentrate on my business for the best part of three hours as they did at the Connect Gazelles Springboard Mentoring session that I took part in. In some instances they confirmed our approach and in others they came up with new thoughts. In either case their suggestions and comments were invaluable - you couldn't buy this sort of advice at any price. I recommend all members of the Connect Gazelles to take advantage of this opportunity."

"It was stimulating and enormously valuable to be able to discuss our business with Sean and Graham; they have been there and dealt with many of our big issues so their thoughts on the best way forward were great. Many thanks to them and to the Connect Gazelles who organised it all."