mentorsme.com

Marylebone Interiors

Mentor: Chris Richardson
Company: CityWest Homes

Mentee: Jon Ward
Company: Marylebone Interiors

Unlike other programmes of its kind, WBC creates Mentoring Meet Up events, whereby mentors and mentees meet each other and discuss business issues and support needs.  Bringing together some of Westminster’s most exciting businesses and those with a passion for helping them creates an exciting atmosphere that allows mentees and mentors to connect on a personal level – the perfect environment to find a great mentor!  Chris and Jon met at the second Mentoring Meet Up held at the City of Westminster College.  During the session in which Jon passionately spoke about his building business Marylebone Interiors, the problems he has faced and the mistakes he has previously made, his desire to grow his business into a strong nationwide brand captured the attention of our mentor Chris Richardson.

After an initial meeting in which mentee and mentor learnt more about each other, it was agreed that a fruitful mentoring partnership was in the making. 

Jon’s primary need for a mentor was to learn from someone that could assess the structural arrangements of Marylebone Interiors and give feedback about how it could be improved.  As a result, a new ‘structure to improve efficiencies in the way instructions to workers and quotes to clients are done’  was arrived at.

Chris has met with Jon for an hour once a month, identifying the most pressing business issues Jon faced and setting tasks and goals to overcome these.  For example, Chris set ‘time tasks which are imperative to the business but not being done due to -perception that other things are more important’.

One of Jon’s weaknesses in running his business was his lack of confidence with the computer package Excel.  Chris dedicated time to showing how various aspects of the programme work, and improved Jon’s confidence in working with Excel.  Chris has an exceptional generosity of spirit and often sees things in a different way to me, which invariably enables me to readjust my thinking to get past obstacles and work more efficiently.  He has also given me some accountability which I need on occasion to squeeze that bit extra from my time.

Jon and Chris meet up whenever a particular issue needs to be discussed and now counts Chris as a firm friend.  Westminster Business Council has facilitated the opportunity for an SME to reach out to someone that can offer real support – ‘It is a privilege to work with him and I am very grateful for all his help.’