Mentoring for Startups: Abi’s journey to building her dream business!

In the fast-paced world of startups, it feels like most stories we hear are overnight successes. But what we love about our Digital Boost community is the variety of entrepreneurs and stories we have! It’s why stories like Abi’s are so important to spotlight and celebrate. Success doesn’t happen overnight, it’s a slow burner, but the results are still amazing 🙌

Thanks to our mentoring for startups, Abi was able to get her idea off the ground and build something she’s really proud of. She’s seen her confidence grow, had great press for her business, and done this all whilst holding down her 9-5 job! This is Abi’s story 👇

A passion-fuelled startup

Like all startups, Abi’s business began with a passion and a gap in the market! With a background in science and a natural affinity for learning, Abi noticed that there were next to no experiences or events celebrating science. With the rise of ‘sip and paint’ or similar experiences in the wake of Covid, Abi noticed no one was doing science-based events. She realised that she could transform her passion for science into an immersive experience – and so the idea for the Lit Laboratory was born 🎉

Figuring things out

Although she had experience in corporate businesses, Abi didn’t necessarily have all the tools she needed to grow her business. Like any budding entrepreneur, she threw herself into her idea and figured things out as she went along! She recalls her first ever Lit Laboratory fondly where she invited her friends and family to do experiments in her mum’s church to work out how to structure her events! With their encouragement, she started seriously working towards building up her startup.

Accessing local startup support

Abi was introduced to Grow London Local, a local support team that helped her to build on her business idea and work out how to make it viable. She received amazing support and was able to sit down with an advisor and get quick, accessible support to understand what her business could look like in 5 years. Abi recalls that the support helped her think about the future of her business which she’d never considered before! Through Grow London Local, Abi was referred to Digital Boost for marketing and business strategy support to build her startup.

Discovering Digital Boost

 “Digital Boost was a game-changer for me […] having access to experienced mentors who could guide me through the challenges was invaluable”

As much as Abi’s family and friends supported her, Abi felt like she’d almost run out of favours. And because her startup was so unique, as much as they tried to help, they didn’t always have the answers she needed. That’s where Digital Boost came in!

Through Digital Boost, Abi could access thousands of experienced mentors whenever she needed. As someone building a side hustle alongside her 9-5, Abi could meet with mentors at a time that suited her and join Masterclasses around her work schedule.

The role of startup mentoring

Mentoring became Abi’s secret weapon as she built her startup! Her mentors helped her understand her business model better, sharpen her marketing strategies, and connect more deeply with her audience.

A turning point was a Masterclass on email marketing, where Abi learned the value of building a community of engaged followers instead of just chasing social media numbers. “The Masterclass on email marketing changed my whole business model,” Abi says. “I completely underestimated the importance of building an engaged audience.”

One piece of advice from one of her mentor stood out: “Treat each event like a launch.” This shifted Abi’s approach completely and allowed her to have fun with each event and see it as an experiment that she could tweak and improve with each launch!

Abi reflected on that advice when sharing her story with us: “That still feels very real. Every time I run an event, I’m much clearer now on what I’m trying to achieve.”

Navigating challenges with mentoring

As with every startup, things aren’t always plain sailing! After spending months building her Instagram following, Abi’s business account was suddenly suspended. With no reason or guidance on how to fix it, Abi turned to her mentors for support. Abi’s mentor was there to help her stay calm and find alternative ways to keep her business growing. Thinking back to that time, Abi remembers how “having a mentor to turn to in that moment was incredibly reassuring.”

When asked what piece of advice she’d give other startups, Abi reflects: “Don’t worry about what you don’t know. You’ll find ways to ask the right questions and people to help you answer them.”

Celebrating the wins

Although there were challenges, Abi has seen huge success with her startup! She’s steadily built a community of loyal followers and had some amazing press for her business. “The day my Instagram went down, I also got featured in Time Out,” Abi recalls. “It was a day of highs and lows, but the support from my community and mentors kept me going.”

Since we interviewed Abi, she was also invited to speak on her first panel discussion! As part of our International Women’s Day event, Abi joined a panel of female founders to share her story. This was her first speaking event as a founder and she absolutely smashed it! The audience loved hearing Abi’s honest account of her first year as a startup and she shared inspiring advice that’s stuck with us. You can watch the panel discussion here.

Conclusion

We’re unbelievably proud of Abi and the journey she’s been on with her startup! Abi’s story is a testament to determination and figuring things out. It also shows just how important mentoring for startups is. With nearly a million businesses registered in 2023, the UK is leading the way in startups and small businesses. But making sure those startups are properly supported and nurtured is key to them succeeding.

We’re delighted to have been even a small part of Abi’s journey and we look forward to supporting her and many others as they build their startup businesses 🚀

📸 All images shared courtesy of Lit Laboratory London.

Feeling inspired by Abi’s startup story? 😊

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