Business Mentoring Scheme

On this page you will find information and resources about the Digital Greenhouse's Business Mentoring Scheme

Our Business Mentoring Scheme works with the rich and diverse entrepreneurial ecosystem in Guernsey. Giving startups the opportunity to tap into that network through structured mentorships. We match experienced business mentors with fledgling businesses to provide guidance and support on their new startup journey.

Local businesses looking to scale can access a mentor from our UK partners Blenheim Chalcot as part of the Scale Up Programme. Scaling businesses can expect to be matched with mentors who have hands-on experience of starting and scaling digital businesses; and who cover a breadth of subject matter areas, including technology, product, investment, leadership and finance (among others).

This new business mentoring scheme is a two-way development programme, helping both mentors and mentees grow professionally. We facilitate one-to-one mentorships, matching the needs of Guernsey businesses with the skills and experienced of industry professionals who will offer guidance over a 6 month period.

We are looking for both mentees and mentors - If you would like to be part of the business mentoring scheme, either as a mentor or mentee, you can find out more and register your interest below.

Become a Mentee

Do you have pain-points or problems in your business? Are you in need of advice and guidance to help work through them?

Mentorship can help you avoid some of the pitfalls and beartraps of starting or scaling your business.

As a mentee, you will:

Develop your general business skills, for example:
- Business planning and implementation
- Leaderships skills
- Building confidence with marketing and communication
- Funding strategies
Discuss and define business and personal goals.
Gain a new perspective of your business with your mentor.

If you think you would benefit from this scheme, please register your interest below.

Become a Mentor

Do you have hands-on experience in starting and scaling businesses? Can you offer your skills and experience to help guide others?

Becoming a mentor can be an enjoyable and rewarding process, giving back to the local business community.

As a mentor, you can:

Grow professionally, developing your skills, such as:
- leadership
- active listening
- communication
Play a pivotal role in mentees business development.
Empower entrepreneurs to reach their full potential and helping them to achieve their goals.

If you think you would be a good mentor on this scheme, please register your interest below.

Scheme Expectations

When registering your interest for this Business Mentoring Scheme you will be expected to commit to the following process:

Complete a registration form providing details of you/your business, your experience and your reasons for applying.
Meet face-to-face or virtually for a minimum of 1 hour each month for 6 months.
Complete short pre, interim and end-of-programme surveys.
Adhere to our Code of Conduct.

We will provide a template to record meeting notes and an example NDA should you wish to use them.

If you have any questions about the process before registering your interest, please contact the team at: info@digitalgreenhouse.gg

Business Mentoring Scheme Registration of Interest

Full Name *

Email *

Consent for storing submitted data *

Yes, I give permission to store and process my data

Guernsey Business Mentors:

Sarah Watkinson-Yull

Founder of Yull Shoes

Sarah has extensive experience in e-commerce and building businesses. Keen to help mentees overcome struggles of starting a new business, her range of venture building skills include:

Early stage development
Product development
Marketing and communicating with the customer
Branding, design and advertising

Perfect match for early stage startups, especially those with a focus in fashion, design or e-commerce areas.

Tom Becker

Founder of Oceanskies & Oceanskies Crew and Director of Viking Global Management

Tom spent ten years working in private equity fund administration locally and qualifying as a Chartered Secretary before moving into yachting and completing in Msc in Corporate Governance. Tom co-founded Oceanskies & Oceanskies Crew in 2013 and in 2020 led the initiative to create Viking Crew as a joint venture. More recently, he has been heavily involved in creating digital platforms for the marine industry and transitioning from service business to SaaS. Tom’s venture building experience includes:

Corporate governance
Accounting
Digital products and pricing
Go-to-market strategy

With a very keen interest in creating scalable digital platforms, Tom would welcome a match with startups who need help going to market.

Paul Wilkes

Co-Founder at Osney Capital

Paul has a background in law with a demonstrated history of building and leading international teams. As a venture capitalist, his main focus is in early stage startups, especially Cyber, FinTech and Legal Tech. Paul’s venture building experience includes:

Early stage business development
Operations, including building teams and human resources
Raising finance
Pitching

Paul would be a great match for tech startups looking to scale.

Simon Tidd

Operations and project management professional

Simon is a strategy consultant with an MBA. His experience in IT and operations means that he can help startups make informed decisions about the technology needed for digital first businesses. Simon can also advise on the use of data - how to manage, use, report and visualise it. Simon is able to help organisations manage their portfolio of projects and work from the organisation to individuals. His venture building experience includes:

Early stage development
Product development
Software / app development
Testing MVPs
Building teams and human resources

Simon would welcome a match with startups, charities or NPOs who would like to build a digital-first venture.

Aaron Smillie

Founder of Digital Motion Workshop

Aaron founded his own creative business, www.digitalmotionworkshop.com, three years ago, having gained extensive experience in advertising, design and marketing industries. Previous employers include Twitter, ITV, Sky Entertainment & News, New Scientist and Healthspan, with areas of expertise ranging from social media activation and design, customer engagement and brand strategy. Aaron’s venture building experience includes:

Pitching
Branding
Marketing
Business strategy

Aaron would be a good match for any business (especially creative ones) looking to extend their reach and grow.

Brooke Kenyon

Managing Director (Client Services) Orchard

One of Guernsey’s leading PR professionals, Brooke has 20 years of experience working with top brands and advising on all aspects of strategic communications – she is a big-picture thinker who will deliver impactful ideas and effective, structured campaigns. Brooke boasts a strong local industry-wide and London PR network. Her venture building experience includes:

Marketing / communicating with the customer
Building teams and human resources
Pitching
Business strategy

Brooke would be a good match for anyone looking to grow their audience and extend the reach of their business.

Dominic Bennett

Digital Director at Clicksmith

Dom is an experienced company director and digital marketing professional with over 20 years of practical knowledge of growing businesses. His venture building experience includes:

Early stage business development
Software / app development
Branding and web design
Digital marketing and e-commerce

Ideal match for startups at the ideas stage and fledgling businesses with their first few customers.

Kai Junghanns

Director at Essential Guernsey and Founder of Capital Bridge

Kai has a long standing self employed background in tourism, working with international and local businesses. He also has extensive experience in the finance industry, with a newly established Broker business as his current venture. Kai’s venture building experience includes:

Early stage development
Product development
Marketing
Communicating with customers

Perfect match for startups who are looking to develop their offering or who are expanding into new areas.

Rollo de Sausmarez

Founder of Beyond Strategy

Rollo has 20 years of marketing and business development experience and describes himself as the ‘Swiss-army knife’ of marketing. His venture building experience includes:

Marketing strategy & planning
Product development
Branding
Sustainability
Go-to-market strategy

Perfect match for startups at the ideas stage and fledgling businesses with their first few customers.

Daniela DeVon

Transfer Agency and Distributor Senior Associate, HSBC

Daniela has experience running her own business, leading and managing people, working in education, aviation, and currently working for an off-shore fund management firm. She has an MBA in business administration from Durham University Business School, with areas of interest ranging from marketing and branding, to management consultancy and technology innovation. Her venture building experience includes:

Communicating with the customer
Operations management
Building teams

Daniela would be a good match for establishing businesses looking to extend their reach and grow.

Simon Bone

White Heat VC

Simon has extensive experience as a venture capitalist and in building online businesses. Keen to help mentees develop their business skills, his range of venture building skills include:

Software/app development
E-commerce
Building teams & human resources
Raising-finance
Pitching

Perfect match for startups at any stage of growth.

Gez Overstall

Digital Lead, Barclays

A driven professional with 18 years’ experience, Gez holds a BA Economics and MBA from leading UK universities. He has strong relationship and business skills that resonate with C-suite. His venture building experience includes:

Customer development, particularly B2B
Business strategy
Raising finance / investment

Gez would be a good match for start-ups looking for help with their early stage development.

Mentee Testimonials from the Scale Up Programme:

Daniel White

Founder of Sleep Better, Live Better

"Being part of the scale up business mentorship programme has been invaluable. It's offered us the opportunity to take a step back and objectively review our development plans with the valued input and support of industry leaders. In doing so, we've become far more aware of which steps we should take to prioritise our growth."

You can hear more about Dan's mentoring experience in this podcast with Amanda Eulenkamp at the Guernsey Press. Dan talks about his health journey, his business journey, his mission to help us sleep better, and how the Digital Greenhouse is helping him realise that vision.

Listen now

Kin Tang

Co-Founder of WeShare

“Our mentor has shared lots of valuable insights and ideas from his own experiences, which have helped us evaluate our current position and understand where best to focus our efforts.

As an example, in a short space of time, we’ve already benefited from him emphasising the importance of focussing on and incorporating the right KPIs – and being disciplined about referring to them. This has really helped us keep focussed on the important, long-term goals we have, rather than just responding to the every-day minutiae that can easily eat up time.”

Michelle McMahon

Innovest Advisory

“Our mentor has been a great sounding board as we strategise scaling our business. As Innovest is creating solutions at the cutting edge of the newly evolving field of impact measurement and management, we have benefitted from Blenheim Chilcot’s breadth of experience with bringing new technology and other innovative offerings to market.”