Bristol business owners can connect with experienced enterprise mentors at an event next week which aims to share experience and skills to benefit small and medium-sized firms.
The free Meet A Mentor session on June 9 takes place at AtBristol on Harbourside and is being staged by Lloyds Banking Group and the Small Firms Enterprise Development Initiative (SFEDI). 
It will give attendees the opportunity of learning from a diverse range of mentors as well as making new connections with the wider business and professional services community in the city.
The event, between 10am and 1pm, is part of a series taking place across the UK and follows on from a number of successful sessions last year. Attendees will get access to a range of mentors who have volunteered to help business-owners deal with the day-to-day and longer-term challenges of running a business.
It is sponsored by the Institute of Enterprise and Entrepreneurs (IOEE) and all attendees will also be given free affiliate membership to the IOEE.
Lloyds Banking Group senior manager, enterprise mentoring, Jackie Jenks said: “Mentoring is a useful way of providing entrepreneurs with access to support and information from skilled and experienced industry professionals, which is why we are working to make mentors more widely accessible.
“For smaller and newer companies, the chance to use another industry professional as a sounding-board for new ideas and strategies can be a huge benefit and bring an objective perspective to the decision-making process, and the event in Bristol is a great starting place for this.”
SFEDI executive chair Ruth Lowbridge, added: “The event at AtBristol is a great opportunity to bring together volunteer mentors, who are looking to share their experiences with owners of younger businesses looking for support to guide their growth, as well as giving something back to the business community.
“Given the many challenges associated with running a business, it’s vitally important that volunteers are able to directly engage with business owners to find out what their concerns and needs are, in order to help drive the continued economic recovery across the UK.”
The enterprise mentoring events form part of Lloyds Banking Group’s SME Charter pledge to support UK businesses and help Britain prosper.
Anyone interested can register for the event at ioee.eventbrite.co.uk
