{"id":9867,"date":"2021-07-30T10:00:54","date_gmt":"2021-07-30T09:00:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/?p=9867"},"modified":"2026-01-29T09:39:13","modified_gmt":"2026-01-29T09:39:13","slug":"mentors-accountants-start-grow-business","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/mentors-accountants-start-grow-business\/","title":{"rendered":"Mentors and accountants: How to find the right people to help start and grow your small business"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGrowth & Customers<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tMentors and accountants: How to find the right people to help start and grow your small business\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t\tKeir Thomas-Bryant<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Most of us have no problem talking. We can talk for hours among friends about things we\u2019re interested in or that affect us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But for aspiring business owners, recent research says confiding in someone about their idea can be surprisingly difficult.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet there\u2019s so much to be gained from talking to the right people: mentors who are experts in their field, for example, or professionals such as accountants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here’s what we cover in this article:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My idea is just too silly<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to get over the hump<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

How accountants can help<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Final thoughts: You don\u2019t need to go it alone<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

My idea is just too silly<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Together with The Entrepreneurs Network, Sage spoke to 705 people in disadvantaged areas of London and Newcastle who are open to the idea of starting a small business, along with 497 small-to-medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in those areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The survey, Knocking Down Barriers<\/a>, found that some potential independent earners are reluctant to voice their idea because they fear it would be seen as too silly (15% of respondents). Others didn\u2019t want to take up other people\u2019s time explaining their idea (20%).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Does this sound familiar?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Almost two thirds (58%) of potential earners in our survey knew somebody who they felt they could turn to for advice \u2013 but fewer than half had actually done so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In contrast, the established business owners spoken to in the survey had come to value mentors: 73% of SME decision-makers had access to a mentor. More than half of them took advantage of the opportunity to receive advice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to get over the hump<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

So, how do you find the bravery to externalise your ideas and find a mentor?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not just about benefiting from their wisdom. It\u2019s about tapping into their enthusiasm and passion. This can be incredibly empowering. A good conversation with somebody can be the spark to the dynamite of your business idea<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s helpful to split sources of advice and mentorship into two distinct areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. Sources you\u2019re close to \u2013 such as friends and family.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Third parties \u2013 people or organisations who you don\u2019t have a direct connection with.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Autumn Rabbitts<\/a> is the owner of Plumb and Rabbitts Cake Studio<\/a>, a small business that specialises in bespoke luxury cakes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    A random phone call from the government led her to speak to somebody at the North East Growth Hub<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    She explains: \u201cHe spent four or five hours on the phone with me telling me about funding \u2013 about what I could go for, and about start-up loans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cJust absolutely incredible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cIt was that one person, almost that one phone call, that changed everything and made me realise that opening my own patisserie was doable and I could get help to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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