UK Charity Number 1127087

Registered Charity No. 1127087

Mowgli UK Pilot Mentoring Programme:

Results and Impact

The Mowgli Foundation: Investing in mentors and entrepreneurs who will make a difference

Mowgli UK, March 2012

UK Charity Number 1127087

Registered Charity No. 1127087

North West Pilot, November 2010- November 2011 In November 2010, the Mowgli Foundation matched 7 entrepreneurs with 7 mentors, facilitating 1-year mentoring relationships. This was our UK pilot programme, launched after delivering many successful programmes in the Middle East. The results of the pilot programme point to the positive impacts of mentoring on UK entrepreneurs1. The report includes:

1. Personal and business impacts on Mowgli mentee entrepreneurs; 2. Feedback on the quality of Mowgli’s programmes and testimonials; 3. Positive impacts on Mowgli’s voluntary mentors; 4. A detailed case study of a Mowgli mentee, Kashef Ahmad from Manchester.

1. Impacts on Mentee’s Business after 1 Year Mentoring

Many Mowgli entrepreneurs reported tangible progression on their business:

67% of the entrepreneurs expanded product line/service offering

67% of the entrepreneurs increased their client list

67% of the entrepreneurs predict higher profits

33% secured new outside investment; 50% increased their quarterly turnover

4 new jobs were created, an increase of 23% on the total staff numbers of the mentees at the outset of the programmes.

Only 1 participant saw no positive developments in the business at all throughout the year.

…and on Mentees’ Personal and Management Skills

71% said that their mentor helped them to understand how to move the business to the next growth stage.

57.1% said their mentor helped them improve their time management, develop their practical/technical skills and manage their cash flow.

71.4% said their mentors “helped a lot” with addressing doubts about the direction of their business.

Mowgli UK Pilot Mentee:

“The most significant development for me is that I now take a much broader

look at developments in my business, and forecast their end value, to prioritise

my decision making.”

2. Feedback on the Mowgli approach We asked about the Mowgli programme itself and the relationship and support we offer:

1 Mowgli’s pilot programmes in new countries are often less selective with entrepreneur mentees, since demand for places is

less than on established programmes. For example, one UK Pilot mentee was at very early start-up stage, whereas our usual criteria demand a minimum 6 months trading. This means that some of our results- number of jobs created for example- are not as high as we would expect on established programmes.

UK Charity Number 1127087

Registered Charity No. 1127087

100% of entrepreneurs on the programme said they would recommend Mowgli’s programme to other entrepreneurs.

72% of mentors and mentees maintained their relationship for 1 full year, and all of those pairs will continue their relationship after the official programme end

85.7% of the Pilot mentees will now consider mentoring others in their community in the future.

Why would you recommend this programme to other entrepreneurs like you?

“It’s a lonely business doing business. Help and support is vital when things are not

going the way you want them to.”

“It is a fantastic opportunity to face your demons in a safe environment, with someone

who you implicitly trust, and know that they have you and your interests at heart. It is

a process that allows you to learn, develop and let go of fears.”

“I feel there is much more to enterprise than meets the eyes. Having someone to share

that with is a benefit I would want all new entrepreneurs to experience.”

3. Positive Impacts and Benefits for Mowgli Mentors:

Mowgli’s mentors are voluntary and are recruited from the community as well as through corporate partners. It is important to Mowgli that their mentoring experience brings them tangible benefits as well as a rewarding personal experience. Here are some of the key impacts on UK Pilot mentors:

100% of mentors said they would recommend the programme to other professionals

100% of mentors felt the programme had been beneficial to them.

100% said that they felt the programme had improved their active listening skills.

80% said that the programme had helped them to identify their own strengths and weaknesses, helped them to be more empathetic towards others, and helped them to improve their leadership skills.

Why would you recommend Mowgli mentoring to other professionals like you?

“Mentoring involves developing people's skills as well as genuinely making a

difference. It also delivers real results. I am involved in other mentoring programmes.

Mowgli, by far is the best!”

“As well as giving something back it is a fantastic opportunity for self-development,

developing self-awareness[…]. In addition to this, the mentor training provided by

Mowgli is second to none.”

UK Charity Number 1127087

Registered Charity No. 1127087

4. Mowgli Mentee Case Study:

Kashef Ahmad, The Taxi Academy

Kashef Ahmad is the Founder of the Taxi Academy, a training centre which helps people train as taxi or private hire car drivers for 9 different councils of Greater Manchester. Having helped around 1000 trainees into self-employment, the Taxi Academy has received recognition for its business model from HSBC Startup Stars and the Smarta 100 Awards for Innovation. He was matched with his Mowgli mentor, Andrea, on our North West pilot. Andrea, his mentor, has been there while the Academy grew rapidly (employing 3 new staff); brought in new service offerings; and moved operations into new cities. Kashef explains how Andrea, and the Mowgli experience, encouraged him on this journey.

“When I applied for the Mowgli programme, I was quite cynical about what I might get out of it- I’ve been in business 20 years, and I know my industry inside out. But in other ways I was actually desperate for some sort of outside help, to release the pressure. It’s so lonely at the top, and you just can’t burden your staff with all the ideas, risks and decisions you’re considering constantly as a business owner.

Andrea, my mentor, helped me over the year mainly because of how much empathy she has; she really took

time to listen. When I had crucial decisions to make, I would ring her up and talk and talk; she would sit quietly,

ask one really good question, and I would then just talk my way into the right answer! It was such a relief, to

bounce decisions off someone first.

Andrea was always there for me, especially last year when I had some personal issues to deal with alongside work. I feel that her support helped me to keep working

on my business- not getting lost in it. Now, I consider that I’m a mentor to others around me, including many of the drivers we train. When you’re in business a long time, you get used to the repeated challenges and knockbacks that come with it- but, it can still be hard to stay motivated. Mentoring helps with that motivation. Even though I make little changes to my big vision every day, I now have a clear idea of what I’m aiming for."

Increase in turnover and profit

Increased employee numbers from

2 to 5; expanded service offering

Clarity on business model and

strategy; long term goals

Developed confidence managing

finances, making decisions and

taking risks

Now mentoring others within his

professional life

Kashef and his business partner James Hill receive their HSBC Startup Stars award in 2008