How do you find it benefits you to be part of a business mentoring programme?
I’ve been on a number of mentoring programmes since I became self-employed and, while some have been better than others, I have always benefitted.
I always say, when you’re new in business, you need someone good with figures and a good mentor. It can be a lonely place.
Why did you choose to work with Paul Aisthorpe at Scale-Ability for business mentoring?
I was having a look around for a suitable mentor, on a professional portal, and Paul stood out as having the wider experience, knowledge and command of business that I was looking for. In my early years of business, when I wasn’t necessarily led in the right direction by my mentor, it became clear that not all mentors have the same skills.
Paul has helped with overall strategic direction and to build on the fundamentals of the business to identify the right target audience. This has helped with a geographic focus that has soon found success.
Octave Digital is in a very competitive sector and it’s essential to regularly assess where we are now and where we want to go.
I also liked the Scale-Ability name and brand which reflected growth and increased profit.
What has been good about working with Paul?
It was very positive, right from our initial meeting. We were very clear on the core areas we wanted to look at developing and how we were going to focus on the USPs of the business.
Clear objectives were identified with a strong focus on profitability and identifying new growth areas. Paul was very helpful with his outside view on what he liked best about our business and what he saw as our core strengths.
We went back to basics. Nobody wants to go back to basics but it’s good to do so and I found it very useful.
With this background work as a strong foundation, we have developed a core focus and business proposition for our customers. Paul has helped me focus on my business methods to develop my proposition, strengthen my brand and set key targets.
It’s good to have someone with wider experience to challenge you.
We have also gone beyond the world of digital and have discussed some other future growth areas that I can look at developing.
I like his way of working. He’s great at encouraging lateral thinking. He’s also good at helping you look at your strengths and to focus on what you do well rather than dwelling on the weaknesses, which it can sometimes be easy to do in business. He’s practical and upbeat and plays to your skills.
Paul encourages a different way of thinking.
Marketing and social media consultant Paul McGarrity has been the Director of Octave Digital since 2008
About Octave Digital
Octave Digital is a specialist digital marketing strategy services and social media marketing company that has helped over 120 businesses and organisations, from Weight Watchers to Kilkenny County Council, improve their digital and social media to significantly improve their marketing performance.