I hope you like our story as we’re a unique & highly visual business and we’ve had some great involvement with 2 strong mentors through very different channels. In short, SplashMaps do this.
Marc at Tec Hub, Eastleigh
1) I was introduced to our mentor, Marc, via Tec-Hub Eastleigh where our business is a member and shares office space. Marc has been great at guiding us on our path to bulk export sales. It’s the seniority and experience of sales and client relationships across many work spaces that we’ve benefited from. Typically we sell personalised fabric maps on-line. Marc helped us shape-up a new proposition for export sales into the USA and Australia. After doubling our sales last year, we’re due to do at least the same again this as we’ve closed deals with major exporters to both countries. Marc has helped us think and plan for key meetings where we have failed in the past. He’s even come with us to help give a solidity to proposals that would normally get lost in our natural self deprecation.
Alex at Geovation, London
2) Alex works as our mentor at Geovation. This initiative is based in Clerkenwell and acts as our base in London. It’s funded by the Ordnance Survey and makes sense for us as a mapping business. Alex mentored me through my pitch for Dragons Den which gained us a heap of publicity and new business. He also worked with us on propositions to move our business beyond mapping to the print of complex designs on fabric.
Combined these guys helped us move from £35k turnover in 2015, to £70k in 2016 and we’re on-track to over £150k in 2017. They give us confidence in our business while we give others confidence in their adventures.
