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Heropreneurs
WHO ARE WE?
Heropreneurs was established in 2009 and is the only registered charity in the UK that works exclusively to help members of the Armed Forces, veterans, and military dependants to fulfil their potentials to set up and run their own businesses. Our business mentoring programme is free and available to any member of the military community with a vested interest in establishing their own business, and we have the backing of successful entrepreneurs, politicians, Armed Forces veterans from all ranks, and business leaders.
Heropreneurs directly supports the ambitions of many current and former military personnel and their partners through one-to-one mentoring and hands-on guidance, given freely by some of the country’s most successful business leaders. Mentors on the programme are highly aware of the tough and lonely road that creating a new business can lead to and are there to provide support to alleviate some of these concerns and smooth the path to a successful business.
The number of beneficiaries of the mentoring programme is continually growing by 40% year on year and we look to maintain this trajectory. Many more have been helped through digital channels, networking events, and workshops.
HOW CAN WE HELP YOU?
Through our free bespoke mentoring programme, we provide support on all practical aspects of setting up a business venture. Whilst our mentoring programme manager is on hand to facilitate successful relationships through our online MentorNet platform, mentees are given the freedom to choose their own business mentor, making our programme a truly personalised experience driven entirely by the mentee, delivering maximum benefit to them and their business.
We do not offer grants or monetary input to the businesses on our mentoring programme – all the advice from our mentors is objective and unbiased; Heropreneurs is not trying to sell anything to anyone.
Our mentors can offer support on all aspects of building a successful business at any stage, from startup to scale-up, including sales, marketing, finance, negotiations, and the preparation of business plans and business strategies, to name a few.
Our wide community of business mentors is made up of highly successful entrepreneurs, business leaders, and senior corporate figures, all of whom volunteer their time freely to provide advice and support borne from their own extensive experiences.
HEROPRENEURS GONE WILD MENTEES
THE HEROPRENEURS COMMUNITY
We have an established community consisting of past beneficiaries, successful entrepreneurs, Heropreneurs mentors, business leaders, and major corporate and academic partners through which we are able to provide extensive networking possibilities. Alongside our mentoring programme, we provide an extensive schedule of events, including webinars, workshops, and networking opportunities, all of which provide fantastic opportunities to upskill, increase your knowledge in a variety of areas (such as marketing, negotiation skills, implementing sustainable and ethical processes, and raising money for your business), and make valuable contacts to build your networks.
Additionally, we have established partnerships with major organisations, such as Warwick Business School and Goldman Sachs, which provide huge value for our community, including collaborations on events, networking, and learning and development opportunities.
THE HEROPRENEURS AWARDS
Our prestigious annual awards programme was established in 2018 to showcase the veteran and wider military community as a positive economic asset. The awards recognise the exceptional achievements of veterans, Armed Forces personnel, and dependants in business. Start-ups, employers, entrepreneurs, and technology businesses all feature alongside charities and companies with a strong veteran-supporting mentality. Sponsors of the awards include major organisations, and the prizes available offer significant, even life-changing, opportunities.
Heropreneurs takes every opportunity throughout the year to encourage personal and business growth and celebrate success and achievements within our community of entrepreneurs and business owners. However, there is one special night in our events calendar when we go all out.
New for 2022, the annual awards night and gala dinner is an evening dedicated to bringing our network together to recognise the many different aspects of business ownership and entrepreneurism that exist within Heropreneurs.
To be accepted as a nominee, individuals and businesses should be actively participating as a beneficiary on the Heropreneurs mentoring programme.
This year sees us take the award count to ten, with the introduction of the ‘Business of the Year’ award. Following nominations, the winners are selected by an esteemed and experienced judging panel of professionals and award sponsors.
GET IN TOUCH
Take a look at our website, www.heropreneurs.co.uk, to see feedback from our beneficiaries, check out our latest news, hear about our events, and find out more about the variety of support we offer to the military community.
Find out what we are up to by following us on social media
Heropreneurs is established as a company limited by guarantee and is a registered charity with the Charity Commission (No 1136671).
CASE STUDY: SWIRL GLOBAL
According to Autism Swim Australia, children with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are 160 times more likely to drown than their neurotypical peers. Founders of SWiRL Global, Steph Wilson and Rachael Ladd, are setting out to change that fact by supporting the swimming journeys of children by initially offering swim float covers that meet children’s sensory needs safely and hygienically. The pair aim to develop other swim aids, toys, and accessories that will promote accessibility and encourage neurodivergent individuals and those with disabilities into swimming.
Steph and Rachael joined the Heropreneurs mentoring programme in October 2020 and were assigned business leader Andy Bourne as their mentor. SWiRL Global has quickly grown into a community of swimmers, advocates, parents, teachers, athletes, and much more, all focused on bringing inclusion and community to the world of aquatics.
Both members of the team are military spouses and Steph is a former Royal Navy chief petty officer. Informed by Rachael’s experience as a parent of a child with sensory needs and Steph’s knowledge through her role as a swimming teacher, they spotted the potential in the market for their products and services. Together, they set out to ask swimming teachers if they knew of existing products and were overwhelmed by the number of people asking for such items.
Mentor Andy Bourne comments, “From the outset, the founders of SWiRL Global, Steph and Rachael, had a clear vision and, importantly, a passion to develop sensory considered products to support neurodiverse communities to learn to swim. Their efforts have been targeted at autistic children, their parents, and swimming instructors delivering the Learn to Swim programmes. As a start-up organisation, they had to face up to the challenges of launching a venture when swimming pools have been closed during the Covid pandemic. They have used this time to refine their vision and goals and to network with agencies and organisations across the globe to listen and understand their challenges.“
Reflecting on their time on the mentoring programme so far, the team note, “We are beyond grateful to Andy for his support and his input in helping us develop from an idea into a business that has designed and launched two additional products since our initial idea for a float cover. Andy really bought into our story, our passion, and determination for what we were aspiring to and helped us channel that so we can grow and bring about real change. Anyone joining the Heropreneurs programme will benefit from the mentorship on offer, and we would recommend Andy to anyone who is starting out in a similar industry.”
Find out more about SWiRL Global at www.swirlglobal.com.
