Clear thinking. Better marketing. Smarter use of AI.
Running a business can be exciting. It can also be noisy, lonely and confusing.
You may have a good product, a strong service, years of experience or a brilliant idea, but still find yourself asking: Why are we not getting enough leads? Why is our marketing not landing? Why are people not fully understanding what we do? Why are we so busy, but not moving forward?
And with so many new tools available, how do we use things like AI sensibly without getting distracted by the latest shiny object?
That is where business mentoring helps. I work with entrepreneurs, founders and small to medium-sized business owners who need practical advice, sharper marketing, clearer communication and stronger commercial thinking.
This may include your marketing strategy, brand positioning, website messaging, sales approach, PR, sponsorship, content, business development and, where useful, the practical use of AI tools such as ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, DeepSeek.
I have spent more than 35 years setting up, running, marketing and advising businesses, working with some of the world’s biggest brands as well as many SMEs.
I am a business and marketing mentor who helps SMEs think more clearly, communicate more effectively and use the right tools more practically. The aim is simple: clearer thinking, better marketing and stronger business direction.
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You can work with me in three ways:
Option 1: 90-minute Business Mentoring Session
A focused one-to-one session for a specific business, marketing, communication or commercial challenge.
This is ideal if you want clarity quickly, need to sharpen your offer, improve your messaging, review your website, prepare a pitch, sense-check a campaign, explore how to use AI properly, or work out what to do next.
Option 2: Four or Six-Session Business Mentoring Programme
A structured mentoring programme for entrepreneurs and SME owners who want to review and improve their marketing, communication, positioning and commercial direction.
The four-session programme is ideal if you want focused support around a specific area such as your brand story, website messaging, marketing plan, sales process, AI use, content strategy or business development approach.
The six-session programme gives us more space to go deeper across your business, including brand positioning, target audience, offer structure, messaging, PR opportunities, partnerships, sales strategy, AI-supported workflows and practical implementation.
Option 3: Ongoing Business Mentor / Marketing Advisor
For some businesses, the most useful support is not a one-off session or short programme.
It is having an experienced commercial and marketing brain available on an ongoing basis.
This might include joining a monthly board or leadership meeting, reviewing marketing activity, shaping campaigns, advising on sales and business development, reviewing messaging, sense-checking new ideas, advising on practical AI use, or acting as an external sounding board for the founder or management team.
This is not a non-executive director role. It is more practical and flexible than that.
Think of it as having an experienced business, marketing and communications mentor in your corner: someone who can challenge the thinking, sharpen the message, spot the gaps and help keep the business focused on the actions that actually matter.
This can be arranged on a monthly retainer or agreed advisory basis, depending on the level of support required.
Why work with me as a business mentor?
I bring more than three decades of experience in creative marketing, communications, sponsorship, sales and business development.
Over my career, I have advised and worked with global brands including PepsiCo, Kellogg’s, Mars Inc., Procter & Gamble, adidas, Bausch & Lomb, Motorola and Cadbury. I have also held senior roles with some of the world’s largest advertising and public relations agency groups, including Saatchi & Saatchi, Edelman and WPP.
In 2000, I founded The Purple Tangerine Limited, a boutique marketing, sponsorship and sales agency. Through Purple Tangerine, I have worked with clients across brand strategy, partnership marketing, commercial sponsorship, PR, storytelling, reputation management, content creation, digital marketing, outsourced marketing and sales support.
That means this mentoring is not coming from theory. It comes from more than three decades of building, advising, pitching, selling, positioning, promoting and communicating businesses in the real world.
I also bring my coaching background into the work, including a Diploma in Positive Psychology Coaching with Areteway Coaching, an International Coaching Federation and Association for Coaching accredited qualification.
This is business advice combined with coaching, mentoring, communication strategy, practical AI use and commercial thinking.
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What I help you overcome
You might be dealing with:
Unclear positioning
You know what you do, but your audience does not understand it quickly enough.
Weak or inconsistent messaging
Your website, social media, sales conversations and marketing materials all say slightly different things.
Marketing overwhelm
You are trying to do everything — LinkedIn, email, SEO, networking, referrals, PR, content and AI — but without a clear plan.
Poor lead generation
You are visible, but not converting enough of that visibility into enquiries, conversations or sales.
Difficulty telling your story
You have experience, value and credibility, but it is not being communicated in a simple, compelling way.
Sales and business development blocks
You need more opportunities, better conversations and a stronger process for turning interest into business.
AI confusion
You know AI matters, but you are not sure how to use tools like ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini in a way that actually helps the business.
Founder fog
You are too close to the business to see it clearly.
That last one is common. When you are inside the jar, you cannot read the label.
How business mentoring works
Using my experience in marketing, PR, sponsorship, communication, sales, business development and practical AI use, we work directly on the issues affecting your business. The aim is to make your business easier to understand, easier to talk about and easier to buy from.
Areas we can work on…
Brand strategy
We can look at your brand values, personality, benefits, differentiators, audience insights and competitive environment. The key question is simple: Why should someone choose you?
Marketing strategy
We can build a practical marketing plan around your objectives, audiences, market opportunities, pricing, positioning, promotion and evaluation.
PR and storytelling
PR and marketing are built around story. We can work on your story house, elevator pitch, key messages and the way you communicate your value across your website, social media, sales material and conversations.
AI for business and marketing
AI is now one of the most useful tools available to small business owners, but only if you know how to use it properly. I can help you use tools such as ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and other AI apps to support marketing, communication, content creation, research, planning, customer messaging and day-to-day business thinking.
This is not about replacing your judgement. It is about giving you a sharper, faster thinking partner.
Used badly, AI creates generic sludge at industrial speed. The difference is knowing what to ask, how to brief it, how to challenge it, and how to turn the output into something that actually sounds like your business.
Sponsorship and partnerships
With my background in commercial sponsorship and partnership marketing, we can explore whether partnerships, sponsorship or strategic alliances could help grow your business.
Sales and business development
We can review how you attract leads, start conversations, follow up, pitch, present and close opportunities. Many business owners do not have a marketing problem. They have a sales confidence, follow-up or clarity problem wearing a marketing hat.
Digital and content
We can look at your website, content, social media, email marketing and digital presence. The aim is to make your online activity clearer, more useful and more connected to your commercial goals.
Presentation and pitch skills
If you need to present your business, pitch for work, speak to partners, appear in the media or communicate with more confidence, we can work on your message, structure, delivery and presence.
Who this is for
This business mentoring is for you if:
- You are an entrepreneur, founder or SME owner
- You want clearer marketing and stronger business direction
- You are too close to the business to see it objectively
- You need help explaining what you do
- You want to improve your website, messaging or offer
- You need a more practical marketing plan
- You want to use AI more effectively
- You want honest commercial advice
- You are preparing to grow, reposition or relaunch
- You want someone experienced to challenge your thinking
- You do not want agency waffle or corporate jargon
This is especially useful for small business owners who have built something good but now need to communicate it better.
Who this is not for
This is not for you if you want someone to magically fix your business while you avoid making decisions.
It is not for you if you want endless theory but no action.
It is not for you if you want AI to do all the thinking while you switch your brain off.
That is not strategy. That is outsourcing your judgement to a very confident robot.
This is mentoring.
That means we think, challenge, clarify and plan.
Then you act.
Typical outcomes
Business mentoring can help you:
- Clarify your business direction
- Improve your marketing message
- Build a stronger elevator pitch
- Understand your target audience
- Sharpen your offer
- Improve your website copy and structure
- Identify better routes to market
- Develop PR and content ideas
- Improve confidence in sales conversations
- Create a practical marketing plan
- Make better commercial decisions
- Use AI more effectively and practically
- Stop wasting time on random marketing activity
- Communicate your value more clearly
The point is not to make your business sound clever. The point is to make it easier to understand, trust and buy from.
Book a business mentoring call
If you are an entrepreneur, founder or SME owner and you know your business needs clearer marketing, stronger messaging, better use of AI or better commercial direction, book a chemistry call.
We will talk about where the business is now, what feels unclear, what you want to change and whether business mentoring is the right fit.
BOOK A CHEMISTRY CALL
GET IN TOUCH
FAQS – BUSINESS MENTORING
What is business mentoring?
Business mentoring is practical one-to-one support for entrepreneurs, founders and business owners who want advice, challenge and guidance from someone with real business experience. It can help with marketing, messaging, sales, communication, positioning, business development, AI use and commercial direction.
Is this the same as business coaching?
There is overlap, but mentoring is usually more advice-led. Coaching helps you think through your own answers. Mentoring can also include direct feedback, ideas, recommendations and practical guidance based on experience.
Who is business mentoring for?
Business mentoring is for entrepreneurs, founders and SME owners who want clearer thinking, better marketing, stronger communication, smarter use of AI and more confident business direction.
Can you help with marketing strategy?
Yes. We can look at your objectives, target audience, offer, positioning, routes to market, promotional activity, content, PR, partnerships, AI use and business development plan.
Can you help me explain what my business does?
Yes. This is often one of the most useful parts of the work. We can develop your elevator pitch, key messages, website wording and core business story.
Can you help with PR, sponsorship and partnerships?
Yes. With my background in PR, storytelling, sponsorship and partnership marketing, we can explore publicity opportunities, communication ideas, media angles, partnership opportunities and commercial alliances.
Can you help my business use AI?
Yes. I can help you use AI tools such as ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and other AI apps in a practical way for marketing, communication, research, planning, content ideas, campaign development and better business thinking.
Is this AI consulting?
Not in the technical sense. This is not about building complex AI systems or replacing your IT team. It is about helping SMEs use AI practically as part of better marketing, communication, planning and decision-making.
Do you implement the marketing for me?
This is not a full agency implementation service. The focus is advice, strategy, clarity and direction. Where appropriate, we can discuss what support you may need to implement the plan.
How many sessions do I need?
A 90-minute session can help with a specific issue or decision. A four or six-session programme is better if you want to review your business, brand, marketing, communication, AI use and commercial direction in more depth. Ongoing advisory support is available for businesses that want regular input and challenge.
Book a business mentoring call
If you are an entrepreneur, founder or SME owner and you know your business needs clearer marketing, stronger messaging, better use of AI or better commercial direction, book a chemistry call.
We will talk about where the business is now, what feels unclear, what you want to change and whether business mentoring is the right fit.
BOOK A CHEMISTRY CALL
GET IN TOUCH
