The Alternative Board mentor scheme at Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce

A highly experienced business mentor, who launched his new business during lockdown, is working with Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce to deliver a brand new service to SMEs across Staffordshire.

Peter Harris, of Stone has been providing local businesses with management board-style support, advice and mentoring – not normally available to independent SMEs and entrepreneurs – via The Alternative Board (TAB) North Staffs since March.

A chance to sample the same peer advisory boards, one to one coaching sessions and Business Builders Toolkit, is now being provided by Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce and Let’s do Mentoring, which will be fully funded for three months.

Peter said: “I launched the business during lockdown and it was difficult to project where I would be now. It’s been a difficult time for everyone and I wasn’t sure what situation I would be in myself, but it’s great to be able to support local businesses in managing their issues and opportunities and planning for the future. To now be working with the Chambers of Commerce and offering a unique service via their Let’s Do Mentoring programme is really exciting and I am delighted to be doing this.”

Tom Nadin,  Mentoring Growth Project Manager at Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce, said: “Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce and the Let’s Do Mentoring programme are excited to be working with Peter and The Alternative Board to deliver TAB’s combination of peer advisory boards and one to one mentoring for SMEs across Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire. During these challenging times, it is essential for businesses to access great support and advice and to share their experience with other business owners to help their businesses survive and thrive and we think that this programme can do just that”.”

TAB North Staffs brings business owners and leaders of independently owned companies from non-competing sectors together in a group setting, similar to a board of directors, where they help each other to identify opportunities and solve challenges they each face in their own companies.

Peter, who has worked not only as a mentor for several high profile companies nationally and internationally but also as a business consultant supporting boards and their strategic planning, felt it was a natural step to embark on a new challenge with TAB North Staffs.

“The Alternative Board felt natural to me,” says Peter, who has 25 years experience in delivering success through providing advice on identifying and managing the key business opportunities and uncertainties.

“Business owners can experience significant isolation and frustration. TAB helps business owners to face the key challenges with increased confidence, supported by TAB mentoring and business tools and a board of like-minded Peers who face similar challenges but bring different perspectives on how to handle them. No-one has to feel alone in business and I am passionate about ensuring business owners throughout Staffordshire achieve their personal and business goals.”

TAB works with independently owned businesses, that do not typically have a board of directors to provide advice, expertise, and accountability to company leadership.  What TAB offers is an ‘alternative’ board of between 5 to 7 other business owners from non-competing sectors who usually meet monthly.

Places are limited for the TAB peer advisory boards, one to one coaching sessions and Business Builders Toolkit with the Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce. Please contact Peter Harris on 07931 760460 or email ph*****@********************co.uk for more details.