Here at Digital Boost, we love helping our volunteers become the best mentors possible! Through our partnership with the Association of Business Mentors (ABM), we’re excited to provide even more mentor training for our community.
In this blog, we’re sharing key takeaways from our mentor training workshop with the ABM to help you build accountability and create deeper connections in your mentoring sessions.
How to Create Accountability in Your Mentoring Sessions
1. Create clear roles
Getting clear on the different roles in a mentoring relationship is key to success.
Your mentee is in the driver’s seat – You’re there to guide your mentee, but they’re in charge of steering the car!
The "mentoring magic wand" doesn’t exist – Mentors aren’t there to solve everything with a magic wand. Real growth comes from the mentee’s own efforts, so don’t be afraid to remind them of that in your sessions!
Set clear expectations early – Be clear about roles and responsibilities in your sessions upfront. This will help you create structured and productive mentoring sessions.
2. Be realistic
Great mentors are able to be super supporters whilst also being realistic with their mentees.
Be a realistic cheerleader – Celebrate your mentee’s ideas, but ensure you’re challenging them with important questions.
Prioritise data-driven decisions – Help your mentee leverage the numbers they have to make informed and logical decisions
Be a mirror - Use thought-provoking questions to help your mentee come to their own realisations about what is and isn’t possible
3. Connection is Everything
Great mentoring happens when there’s a genuine connection between the mentee and the mentor. Here’s how you can strengthen your connections 👇
Share a little about yourself – This will make your mentee feel more comfortable and help them open up in later chats
Try the ‘onion approach’ – Ask probing questions to peel back the layers of your mentee and understand them on a deeper level
Invite feedback - at the end of each session ask, “How can we make our next session even more valuable?” - This will show your mentee you’re listening and tailoring your sessions to them
Practical strategies to try in your mentoring sessions
As a general rule, following this framework will help you naturally build accountability into your sessions.
Start with clear boundaries - decide how often you’ll meet, and how you’ll communicate between sessions
Assign a small task that must be completed before the next call - this helps your mentee take action and ensures that each mentoring session is building momentum
Share a short note after each session - either send a message with the highlights or fill out an Action Plan on the Digital Boost Dashboard to recap and consolidate everything for your mentee
Try the GROW model
Bonus: why not try the GROW model to structure your next session even more?
For many of us, walking into a room full of strangers fills us with dread 🫣 It can give you those 'first day of school' vibes and not in a good way! We all know building connections is key for business growth, but is there a way to do it that doesn't make you want to die inside?
We're here to help! We're sharing our small business networking tips to help you get confident building relationships and growing your network! 💪
Why Networking Actually Matters for Small Businesses (We Promise!) 🤝
To help you get started, here are our small business networking tips to help you become a networking pro.
Top 10 Small Business Networking Tips 🌟
1. Nail your 'what I do' chat
Practice makes perfect, so don't be afraid to practise your 'what I do' chat on friends and family. Remember, keep it short and simple. Check out our 'Creating The Perfect 30-second Pitch' resource to help with this!
2. Start Small
Feeling overwhelmed? You don't have to throw yourself in the deep end by going to a huge networking conference! Start small and try local meet-ups first to build up your confidence. Check out our upcoming events and see if there's any that you can get involved with!
3. Quality Over Quantity
Networking isn't about who can collect the most business cards! Having real, genuine conversations is key. Set yourself a goal to connect meaningfully with 2-3 people per event and see where it leads.
4. Spot the Friendly Faces
If you're nervous, do a quick scan of the room. Look for groups standing in an open circle - that's body language for "join us!". Join the group and get involved with the discussion as soon as you can.
5. Be Curious
The key to building meaningful questions is being interested in the other person! Ditch the bog-standard questions and opt for deeper conversation starters. Try: "What's been your biggest highlight this year?" or "What part of your business makes you smile the most?".
6. Listening Is Key
Don't just listen to reply. Great listeners ask thoughtful questions and then engage with the answers. Remember, building connections is all about getting to know the other person on a deeper level and active listening will help you to do this!
7. Everyone Else Is Nervous Too (Seriously!)
They can look like the most confident person in the room, but it's likely they felt just as nervous as you when they arrived. Take a breath and remind yourself the nerves will pass - you'll look confident in no time at all!
8. Nail Your Follow-Up
Don't just chat and ghost! Deepen your connections by following up with a message a few days after the event. Bonus points if you can include something specific they mentioned like this: "Loved hearing about your sourdough bread business challenges! Here's that podcast I mentioned..." Simple but effective!
Top tips from our mentors
Meet Lucy, she's a Digital Boost mentor and the founder of MadCreative👋 She's a super-connector and known for her incredible talks on how to get confident pitching your business (whether in a boardroom or a networking meeting!)
Here are her tips on how to network as a small business owner:
"It can be hard gazing into a room full of people who all appear to be more confident and self-assured than you but trust me when I say, they probably felt just like you did when they arrived.
Arrive in good time, it’s much easier to be one of the first to arrive than the last when the room is already buzzing.
Don’t overthink it, quickly join a circle of people and introduce yourself.
Smile, it makes others warm to you and your face will look more welcoming.
Listen, and ask a question about what was just said. It shows you’re interested and invested in meeting new people."
Conclusion
Networking doesn't have to be scary! With our tips and tricks, you'll become a confident connector in no time at all 💪
And remember, practice makes perfect. The more you put yourself out there and give networking a go, the better and more confident you'll get!
So what are you waiting for? Go find a local networking event and put our tips to the test!
Today we're sharing the story of small jewellery business, Bottlebee! 🐝 Bottlebee started off as a creative outlet for its founder Seena. She never dreamed her hobby would turn into a thriving small business. But several years later, and with a little help from Mila Kunis(!), Bottlebee is a fully fledged small business. Here's how Seena turned her passion into a successful business👇
A creative side project
As a child, Seena was always surrounded by creativity. She fondly remembers making candles with her mother in the kitchen and being fascinated by the process!
As she transitioned through life, she never lost that spark of creativity and love of creating.
She built an incredible career in TV production, but she missed some of that early creativity. So she started making beaded bracelets and necklaces as a hobby.
Seena enjoyed it so much that she was inspired to take a silversmithing course to hone her skills even more. She slowly started to collect tools and materials to explore her new hobby. But she remembers thinking at the time that it was 'just a little hobby [...] that's all it was'.
📸 : https://www.bottlebee.co.uk/
From Side Hustle to Success
What started as a hobby slowly evolved into something more. Seena registered Bottlebee as a trademark and registered for hallmarking too! When not at her day job, she was creating jewellery and uploading small amounts to her Etsy store.
She recalls how excited she would get when a 'cha-ching' notification came through from an Etsy order!
In 2016, an unexpected breakthrough happened. "I was at work, and it was just a normal day, and my phone kept on going off with this Etsy 'ching'," Seena recalls. She later realised that Mila Kunis had gone viral with an interview where she shared that she'd bought her engagement ring from Etsy 💍
With a spike in searches for rings on Etsy, Seena received more orders and gained confidence in her small business!
"Etsy got me started, and then I just slowly built it up and started making more. And the more orders you get, the more confident you become"
With the arrival of Covid, Seena took the leap to quit her TV career and focus on her business full-time. And the rest is history!
Finding support to grow a small jewellery business
Now working full-time in her business, Seena realised she had more time on her hands to learn key business skills!
She stumbled across Digital Boost on Instagram. Seena tried out a few Masterclasses and saw that applications were open for a 6-week Small Business Jumpstart course!
Seena wasn't sure what to expect, but was pleasantly surprised to find that the course 'led [her] down a whole different route of spending more time on [her] business'.
From reviewing her website to learning about SEO and keyphrases, Jumpstart helped Seena understand and spend more time on areas of her business that needed some love.
"I didn't really know a lot about Digital Boost at the time and how powerful it was and how much help and how supportive everyone is"
How mentoring helped Bottlebee get seen
Armed with newfound knowledge and confidence from Jumpstart, Seena threw herself into revamping her website and focusing on getting sales through organic search.
Although happy with the website she'd carefully designed and created years before, Seena had a breakthrough in a mentoring session that changed everything.
Her mentor reminded her that a website is just a digital storefront. So she needed to be clearer in directing customers where to go and ensure they had a great shopping experience. With a few small tweaks, Seena was able to improve her website experience thanks to her mentor's advice.
"Before Digital Boost, I didn't have a clue. [...] Digital Boost and the mentors are helping me implement and make sure that I get higher visibility."
Finding community
Having come from the world of TV production, Seena was used to having a team around her to bounce energy off. She admits 'that working by yourself is very solitary' and that she missed the 'companionship' of being in a big team.
Although Seena wasn't expecting it, in Digital Boost she found not only support but community! 🩵
"Digital Boost has been a bit like a community," Seena explains. "When you're doing the masterclasses, there's 50 people on the call. When you're doing one-to-ones, you're talking to someone about your business […] It was just nice to meet people who are all in the same position."
Advice for aspiring small jewellery businesses
"I would say, if anyone's just starting out, use Digital Boost. Use all the mentors. You can have as many mentors as you want. Try them all out. Just find one which you gel with, which gives good advice and persevere. And it is a support network. So if you're not sure of anything, there will be someone to help you, whether it's another small business owner or a mentor, you'll find help."
Conclusion
We're so inspired by Seena's story! We're all guilty of wanting overnight success, but Seena's story is a great example of what steady and sustainable growth looks like. From pure passion project to honing her craft and steadily building a loyal following, Bottlebee is a triumph and we look forward to supporting Seena for many years to come 🥰
If you've been inspired by Seena's story to turn your passion into a business, why not tap into our free support?
From 1:1 mentoring sessions, live Masterclasses, and accelerator programmes, we have so much support here for you 🚀
At Digital Boost, we’re all about celebrating small businesses in every way and Valentine’s Day is a great time to do exactly that! 💖
We’ve put together some of our favourite small businesses to shop from this Valentine’s. So whether you’re shopping for a loved one, celebrating Galentine’s Day, or even indulging in a little self-love gift, why not buy from a small business this month?
Cecci Health 🍊
Cecii Health aims to transform your daily wellness with its science-led, small-batch fermented juice shots that nourish your gut from the inside out. Using a unique 3-in-1 blend of live cultures, prebiotic fibre, and natural postbiotics, Cecii offers a delicious and functional ritual for a happier mind and body.
Katie Bakes aims to get everyone baking with simple, delicious, baking kits of the highest quality in sustainable, planet-friendly packaging. From Pancake mixes, to baking gift sets, if you’re loved one needs a sweet treat this Valentine’s, look no further than Katie Bakes!
MSA Skincare provides high-performance, plant-based rituals designed to nourish your skin and soul using the power of nature’s most potent botanicals. From rejuvenating facial oils to clarifying cleansers, if you’re looking to elevate your self-care routine with ethical, effective ingredients, look no further than MSA Skincare!
Fab Little Bag aims to make period disposal easy, hygienic, and eco-friendly with their innovative, sealable disposal bags made from sustainable plants and recycled materials. From handy on-the-go cases to dispenser kits for the home, if you want to protect our oceans and enjoy a stress-free bathroom experience, look no further than Fab Little Bag!
Out of the Box Gifts is on a mission to make people smile by creating thoughtful, ethical gifts that don’t cost the Earth! From self-care boxes, to team appreciation boxes, there’s something for everyone to show some love with these boxes!
Iris & Lolli aims to capture the raw beauty of the natural world with unique, handmade jewellery crafted from recycled silver and gold. From delicate botanical necklaces to seaside-inspired earrings,
Luxury personalised pyjamas that will make you want to go to bed – meet Sweet Dreams Sleepwear! If you’re looking for a Galentine’s gift for your girlfriend, matching pj sets have our seal of approval 🫶
Whether you’re looking for a new perfume, fancy creating your own unique scent, or want to try a perfume workshop, Elix Fragrance is a great option to gift loved ones (or yourself!) something totally unique
At T Cole Crafts, Tim creates unique handcrafted gifts using leather, cork, and other natural materials! From coffee cup holders, to wallets and leather journals, if you’re looking for a unique gift, check out T Cole Crafts!
This Valentine’s (and beyond!), make your gifts more meaningful by shopping small. With every purchase, you’re helping entrepreneurs and local communities thrive.
Want to be a part of a community that truly champions small businesses and charities? Join our Digital Boost family here 👇
Pricing isn't just a number on a price tag— it underpins your whole business strategy. The right pricing can totally transform your small business. But getting it wrong can leave you scrambling. In this blog, we're making life easier and showing you exactly how you can nail your small business pricing 🚀
The High-Stakes Game of Small Business Pricing
Pricing isn't just a numbers game. It's a complex psychology of value, perception, and strategic positioning.
Getting your pricing wrong can leave your work devalued and priced out of the market. So how can you avoid getting your pricing wrong?
Pricing Pitfalls to Avoid
Undervaluing Your Expertise
If you're undervaluing your product or services, you're also undervaluing your expertise.
Your price reflects your knowledge and experience. So get clear on how much your expertise is truly worth!
Remember: Regardless of your business type, you're not just selling a product, you're selling a solution. So how much is that solution worth to your audience? This will help you value your expertise and the value you bring to your audience, helping you avoid undervaluing your business 😊
Copying your competitors' pricing
Don't get bogged down in the weeds copying your competitors. Market rates can be a great guide, but they're not the only way to determine your pricing.
Focus on your unique selling point (USP) and what makes you different to your competitors. You can then use this to inform your pricing model.
For example, if your business solves problems for your customer more efficiently than competitors then charge more! You can be confident in your USP and the value that you're bringing your audience.
Ignoring Your True Business Costs
Costs are one thing you can't bury your head in the sand about.
To get your pricing right you must understand your costs and ensure all costs are factored into your pricing.
Top Tip: Pay yourself first. If your business can't sustain your living costs, it's an uphill battle. So make things easy by ensuring your costs are covered by your pricing!
How to Nail Your Pricing
Step 1: Cost Calculation
Create a spreadsheet tracking EVERY expense
Calculate your hourly rate - defining your dream annual income and work backwards from there
If you have a service-based business, make sure you factor in additional costs like admin time, marketing etc.
Step 2: Focus On Value
Get clear on your customer's problems - know your customer so well that you know their problem before they do!
Price up what their challenge is costing them
Show your audience how much money your solution will save them (this is value-based pricing in a nutshell!)
If you're a service-based business this could be: 'My business coaching saves founders $5000 a year'
If you're a product-based business this could: 'Our anti-aging serum replaces 10 different oils, creams and fad products you're already using - keeping your bathroom cabinet clear and saving you hundreds of pounds too!'
Step 3: Leverage Buyer Psychology
Create limited-time offers - you don't need to drop your prices, you just need to be clever about your offer positioning!
Try using waitlists to create anticipation about your business, without touching your pricing
Show value beyond the price tag
Leverage testimonials to build buyer trust in your pricing and value
Conclusion
Pricing doesn't have to be hard! Using the simple strategies above, you can get clear on the value you bring to your audience, and define a price that works for you 💪
If you'd like more support with your pricing, why not chat to one of our Digital Boost mentors? They'll give you tailored support to help you find a pricing strategy that works for your unique business model 🎉
Want to learn more about these pricing strategies? Watch our Small Business Pricing Replay here 👇
In today's digital landscape, video is king. With Instagram prioritising Reels and TikTok hitting 1.69 billion monthly active users as of January 2025, if you're not nailing your video content, now is the time to do so!
In this blog, we're sharing tips and tricks from Emma, the founder of Fresh Approach Digital, to help you grow your TikTok and social media channels using video!
Why does TikTok work for Small Businesses?
With so many platforms like Instagram and YouTube offering video options, why has TikTok worked so well for small businesses?
TikTok has a couple of unique features that help it stand out from the crowd:
Easy-to-use templates that are built into the app
Next-level editing features that even beginners can handle
Access to new audiences and business growth (it's not just Gen-Z on TikTok!)
Wide-ranging video length - anything from seconds to 10 minute videos are currently enabled on the app
How to create engaging videos for your TikTok
The Critical Three-Second Hook
Audiences' attention is getting shorter and shorter. It's now widely accepted that you have 3 seconds or less to hook your audience.
To nail your hook make sure your video:
Addresses your audiences' pain points
Quickly shows the solution to the pain point
Use high-quality & engaging visuals
Starts with your strongest message
Make your videos look professional
💡 Lighting
Always film in natural light where possible
Use well-lit spaces (Emma recommends the bathroom!)
Always ensure your products are visible
🎧 Sound Matters
Invest in a great microphone or quality headphones that have a built-in mic
85% of TikTok videos are watched on mute - always include captions!
Always test your audio quality before posting
Optimise Your Video Content
Always film in portrait mode to maximise the TikTok display on phones
Make your content more accessible by using captions - remember TikTok has auto-caption options to help with this!
Use relevant keywords in your descriptions and hashtags to help your content reach the right audience!
Aim for consistency rather than going viral - it's better to have 100 engaged followers, than 10,000 unengaged followers
Creating a strategy for your video content
Now you've worked hard to create quality video content - it's time to make it work hard for you!
Engagement is key 🗝️
The golden rule? Never post and ghost!
Whether you schedule your TikTok videos, or post in the moment, make sure you:
set aside time to respond to comments from your audience
engage with other users on the platform (e.g liking, saving, and commenting on other creators' posts)
get involved in conversations in your industry
Analyse your data
TikTok and many other social media platforms have built-in analytics tools to help you track the performance of your posts!
We recommend tracking:
Video watch time - this helps you understand how effective the content was
Track engagement rates across the different types of content you create
Most popular posting times for your audience
Analyse the number of saves to understand the value you're adding
Not sure where to start?
If you're new to creating TikTok, try these ideas!
Start with a simple product demo or service explanation to get the ball rolling
Don't be afraid to practise a few times before filming
Experiment with different videos and content and see what works best for you and your business
Focus on what value you're bringing to your audience
Get familiar with TikTok's built-in features to make things easier!
Get tips and tricks from Emma's Webinar replay here 👇
Conclusion
By following these steps, we're sure you'll create quality TikTok content in no time! Remember, it's not about going viral and having the latest 'must have' equipment. With a few great purchases, creative thinking, and consistency, your TikTok channel can thrive!
And if you need more support, our mentors are here to help! You can request TikTok and Social Media mentoring sessions on our platform here 👇
Emma is the founder of Fresh Approach Digital. She's been a Digital Boost mentor since 2020! And in that time she's supported 100s of founders to develop their social media skills 🎉
When she's not helping founders get confident on social media, or filming her famous 'tea and tips' segment on her social media channels, Emma can be found at sea! She's a huge marine lover and has spent most of her life living and working in the marine industry. You'll often find her paddleboarding her local river, sailing, or playing hockey 😊
In November, through our partnership with Mastercard and their Thrive Street initiative, members of our community had pop-up shops in the Bullring Birmingham, with inspiration from Mary Portas OBE and Masterclasses, including one from us on mentoring!
One of the small business owners from our community who took part in the event was Rachel, founder of Give Yourself Kindness. Read her experiences, in her own words 👇
Digital Boost is an amazing place for connection - and in business, connection is so important.
I got a very exciting late-night email from Karen Licurse the Managing Director of Digital Boost about an exciting event bringing together 5 small businesses in the Midlands to host a pop-up in the center of the Bull Ring on a weekend in November. What an amazing opportunity - what an exciting late-night email.
A couple of weeks later, I packed up, my normally online business, Give Yourself Kindness - passionate to share tools (beautiful tools in the words of Mary Portas) to nurture a kinder inner dialogue for us all - and headed to the Bull Ring.
The event oozed warmth and connection and the power and energy of small business. Together we brought small business to the city center and it was clear that the person behind the business mattered. In a world where online is powerful and digital is important - it showed me that there is still a massive place for in-person. Especially, when in-person events can be shared online - so everyone can be a part of it through social media. I learned that it is not always in-person or online - there is opportunity and space for both.
The event was opened by small business champion, Mary Portas, and her energy and warmth felt very special. She made time to talk to, support and advise all our businesses - an opportunity that I will forever value.
The joy of the event was the whole weekend - I really love having an online business and I love being able to reach people and send my products across the world - but getting to speak in person to customers also feels so important. This weekend created an amazing opportunity for that.
There also felt a power in small businesses coming together. Running a small business can feel like a lonely place sometimes - part of the reason I connected with Digital Boost - and this event allowed an amazing space for us small business owners to learn and inspire each other. It’s amazing how different, businesses can look on the outside - but delving deeper we all had connecting passions, challenges, and inspirations.
I cannot thank you Karen and everyone at Digital Boost enough - and I also want to take this opportunity to recommend Digital Boost to everybody. The value of external advice is enormous - we are all so passionate about our businesses, and this is a wonderful thing - but it can mean it’s hard to see an outsider's view. And with Digital Boost it’s not just an outsider, but an expert that wants to help.
Also if you’re reading this and want to say hey, please reach out and also check out my business and passion Give Yourself Kindness - and find my expert-recommended wellness tools to make self-compassion easier. I’ve worked with experts around the world to create the best tools to support the mind. The mind can be a tricky place sometimes - I wanted to create tools that worked - and could really help.
Rachel is one of the amazing businesses in our community that we've been able to support through our free business mentoring. Would you like to take part in future events like this? Join our Digital Boost community and we’ll keep you updated on all opportunities we have to showcase your small business!
Struggling to stay consistent on social media? You're not alone!
Having a clear social media strategy is crucial for anyone building a business. Bust staying consistent can be the tricky part! Here's our step-by-step guide to help you develop a sustainable social media strategy.
Why a consistent social media strategy matters
A successful social media strategy starts with consistency!
Posting consistently:
Keeps your brand visible in your audience's feeds
Builds trust with your audience
Positively influences how you perform in the social media algorithms
How to build a social media strategy that works for you
Step 1: Define what's realistic
Every successful social media strategy starts with being realistic about what you can achieve
So many of us set out with big expectations, aiming to post multiple times a day. But when life happens and we can't make this happen, that's when we lose consistency and momentum.
It's important to be realistic to help you understand what consistency looks like for you.
Reflect on your workload and ask yourself: In the busiest periods of my year, what's the bare minimum that I could post?
It doesn't matter if your number is once a day, week or month. It's about finding a number that works for you and that you can stick to!
Remember: It's better to post three times a week consistently than aim for daily posts and burn out after two weeks.
Step 2: Create your plan
A strong social media strategy needs a clear content plan to follow!
How to create a content plan
Define what your key themes will be - pick 3-5 themes that will educate and add value for your audience
Define your content "types" - under your key themes, list out the types of posts you could cover for each theme. This is a really important step as it's going to keep your content creation focused and impactful!
Choose a planning tool - now you have your content ideas and know how much you want to post, it's time to drop everything into a monthly plan.
There are lots of tools out there to help, but we find simple is best. You can try Google Sheets, Notion, Trello to name a few! The best tool is the one that makes sense to you 😊
Once you've set up your monthly content planning template, it's easy to rinse and repeat each month 💪
The next crucial element of your social media strategy is batch-creating content!
Batching content just means bulk creating and scheduling so you can save time later on!
Want to try batching your content? We recommend:
Having a clear content plan (which we covered in step 2!)
Scheduling specific filming/creating days regularly in your diary
Scheduling specific times in your week/month to batch upload your content
The trick to batching your content is using tools to save time and track your impact! More on that next 👇
Step 4: Use Time-Saving Tools and Techniques
With the right tools, you'll be able to save time on your content AND ensure you stay consistent too!
Leverage AI
Stuck for ideas? Ask AI to come up with some new ideas for you!
Got writers' block? Try asking AI to draft some initial captions for you! (Just remember to tweak the copy to align with your tone of voice!)
Not sure what hashtags to use? Ask AI to come up with some for you!
There are many AI tools out there so see which one works best for you 😊 Our community currently uses Claude, ChatGPT, and Gemini to name a few 🤖
Automate your content
Once you've batched your content, you can free up even more time by using scheduling tools to automate your posting!
Tools like Hootsuite, Canva Pro, Sproutsocial and many more will allow you to post content ahead of time. So your socials can be running in the background whilst you focus on growing your business 💪
Scheduling tools can help you to:
Schedule posts in advance
Easily post content across multiple channels
Monitor engagement from your audience
Track metrics and KPIs
Ready to nail your social media strategy?
With these tools and strategies in place, you'll have a powerful social media strategy that you can stick to!
If you'd like more support with your social media strategy, we're here to help 😊
We have expert mentors who can support you for free on our platform! Click below to get matched with a social media strategy mentor 🎉
Through our partner network, we're able to host exclusive workshops that propel our small businesses forward in their journeys. We recently had the pleasure of running a virtual Mentoring Workshop with our partners at Visa.
Read on to find out how 4 small businesses and charities thrived through this bespoke support!
Power for Women
Meet Hafiz, the founder of Power for Women 👋
Power For Women is a pioneering self-defence organisation that empowers women through scientifically-backed martial arts training. Through their programme, Hafiz and his team coach over 700 women and girls annually. They're on a mission to equip and empower women with practical safety skills to protect themselves through their lives.
The challenge
With a loyal community, Hafiz was looking for support from a small business mentor to take their sales to the next level. They had created a book and online course to supplement their training sessions, but so far hadn't seen lots of interest from clients.
Through this Mentoring Workshop, Hafiz was connected with 2 dedicated mentors from the Visa team. Across a 90-minute session, Hafiz's mentors helped him to to create a plan of action to nail his sales strategy. Hafiz came to the session "overwhelmed and confused". But by the end of the workshop he felt "more organised" and had "a plan of action to lead [him] into the next few months."
"I appreciated most the enthusiasm and drive of the mentors. They were super keen to help, were receptive and helpful all the way through."
Meet Deborah, the founder of RedBorder Ltd.! 👋 Deborah has been working in the creative space for many years and applied for this exclusive Mentoring Workshop to work on a brand-new venture.
Deborah wanted support to pilot a new initiative that would bridge the gap between online and physical spaces for small business owners! She knew it was a great initiative, but wanted support as she was suffering from a "mental block" and feeling "doubt" about her new idea.
The challenge
With this new venture, Deborah was seeking support with business strategy and ensuring her idea was scalable. During the Mentoring Workshop, Deborah's mentors were able to help her start thinking strategically about her idea and think of creative ways to anticipate and avoid challenges that may arise.
Having experienced a mental block before the session, deborah said that her mentors "helped [her] gain clarity and provided some great strategic and business development advice to address my key challenges."
"I appreciated the opportunity to gain an external perspective of my business and projects from industry professionals"
Pro-Rentals & Storage Solutions Ltd.
Meet Joanne, the managing director of Pro-Rentals & Storage Solutions Ltd.! 👋 Pro-Rentals is a family-run business that specialises in ventilated storage solution in and around Ayrshire.
The challenge
Joanne applied for our exclusive Mentoring Workshop as she needed help finding customers in a crowded market. Having worked extremely hard to get the business to where it is today, Joanne was feeling "stressed" before she attended the Mentoring Workshop. Through the support of her mentors, Joanne left the Workshop feeling "reassured" and ready to tackle the challenges she was facing!
"Talking to a human and sharing my problems and navigating our way through some of them. It was good to gain outside opinions and views."
Meet Ng, the founder of C&C Company! Ng is passionate about the environment and sustainability. They're a start-up selling pre-loved items and finding them new homes!
The challenge
Struggling to create a strategic business plan, Ng applied for the Mentoring Workshop. Through the support of their Visa mentors, Ng discovered ways to diversify the business that they hadn't previously considered. They left the session with lots of ideas and excited to keep tapping into Digital Boost's free support!
Could your team support a Mentoring Workshop?
Our community love our Mentoring Workshops! As you can see, supercharged sessions like these can be the energy small businesses need to propel them forward 🚀
It's also a fun and rewarding way for your teams to get together and have a tangible impact on a small business!
If you'd be interested in hosting a Mentoring Workshop for your team, please get in touch 😊
At Digital Boost, we’re passionate about helping small businesses thrive using digital tools. Snow Windows is a brilliant example of how digital marketing for small businesses can transform a local idea into a national success!
Meet Snow Windows
Snow Windows is the brainchild of Keri and Tom. What started as a family Christmas tradition turned into a business that's worked with Harvey Nichols, Jamie Oliver, Crisis and more! As a fine artist, Tom turned his hand to creating snow vignettes on the windows of their home for fun. His designs soon garnered local and then national attention. Over 10 years later, Snow Windows offer DIY snow kits, Snow Art courses and still work with huge businesses around the world for custom instals.
From Kitchen Window to a National Phenomenon
A Spark of Inspiration
One night many years ago Tom surprised Keri with an incredible snow scene on the window of their family home. Over the years it became a family tradition that Tom would create a surprise window every Christmas! One day, Keri took to Facebook to share Tom's surprise window for the year.
“I posted about what my other half does on a local Facebook community page,” Keri recalls. “Just a casual ‘Hey, is anyone interested in this?’ kind of thing. An hour and a half later, I went back to my computer, and there were over 800 comments. People were saying, ‘Oh my gosh, I want this. Where can I get it?’”
The post sparked an extraordinary journey for Snow Windows and turned their family tradition into a small business!
📸: https://snowwindows.com/
Snow Windows' First Year
With the amazing response to Tom's creations, Keri and Tom started working with local businesses and charities. They partnered with local businesses to decorate their windows and bring some festive cheer to their town! Their business had tapped into something magical that hadn't been seen before! And within their first year, they'd had a double-page spread in the Daily Mail and even worked with the Empire State Building!
Keri says that "as every year goes by, we're always [...], astounded" by the clients and enquiries they receive.
The Importance of Digital Marketing
With Tom as the artist, Keri has become the marketing expert behind the scenes for Snow Windows. But she says herself, the digital marketing landscape was tough to navigate as a founder!
She'd previously worked in a marketing role in the food and hospitality industry, but many years before the digital age took off.
With amazing opportunities being generated by simple social media posts, Keri realised she needed to learn about digital marketing ASAP.
When Keri found Digital Boost, she threw herself into finding mentors to support her! She connected with mentors who helped her with digital marketing, social media, and cybersecurity.
The Highs and Lows of Digital Marketing
Riding Out the Lows
Keri initially found success with her first Facebook post about Tom's work gathering over 800 comments! She slowly created their online presence and built an incredible following over the years. Keri did this all by herself, painstakingly teaching herself as much as she could about Facebook and how to use it to market the business. To this day, Keri still replies to every single comment Snow Windows receives on their Facebook page!
Disaster struck in 2019; the social pages were growing but Keri's Facebook account had been banned from advertising with no warning or reason why. Keri discovered she'd been a victim of hacking on her Instagram account which had triggered a warning across all her Meta accounts. Through one of our partners, Keri was referred to Digital Boost to get support with digital marketing and cybersecurity.
Celebrating the Highs
Experiencing an ad ban was a low for the business but Keri's Digital Boost mentors have helped her keep growing her business in spite of challenges like this!
Through Digital Boost's mentoring platform, Keri has connected with multiple digital marketing mentors. In her own words, she's thrown every digital marketing 'challenge' possible at her mentors and they've all risen to the occasion 🙌
Through Digital Boost's support, Keri received help with the website, improved their SEO scores, and created retargeting campaigns!
"[Mentoring has] increased my confidence in areas where I definitely didn't have a lot of confidence in what I was doing"
📸: https://snowwindows.com/
The impact of mentoring
Keri sums it up perfectly: “Digital Boost understands that as a business owner, you don’t have all the answers. Every year brings new challenges, and to keep growing, you need support.”
And with the support of dedicated digital marketing mentors, Snow Windows has seen real results!
A £3,000 Facebook ad campaign generated £8,000 in profit
Snow Windows hit 250 million Facebook impressions in 2023
Their retargeting campaign sold out their DIY snow spray kits
Keri says: “I can now run an advert myself, pull out insights, and figure out which posts perform best,” she says. “It’s been a game-changer for our business.”
A rollercoaster journey
Small businesses are more than their numbers. For Keri, the true brilliance lies in the extraordinary journey the business has been on. Snow Windows started from nothing and had no investment, but it had Tom and Keri's passion. It's their passion that shines through at every point of their 10+ year journey.
As Keri says: "You start running a business because you enjoy doing something". It's this passion that shines through Keri's story. From replying to every single Facebook comment each year, to handwriting individual thank you notes for over 200 customers when the DIY kits first launched - Snow Windows' superpower is the people behind the business.
Now with over 10 years under their belt, Keri's set her heart on giving back to the community. When asked what her favourite Snow Windows campaign was, Keri remembers a local display Tom did a few years back. The client asked Tom to design whatever he wanted, and he created a display of a homeless snowman being handed a Christmas card by a child with the words, 'love actually is all around'. The display was so moving that Keri posted a picture on Facebook. The post reached over 56 million people and Keri remembers thinking, "Imagine if each one of those people had paid a pound to view [the post] [...] what would that have raised for a homeless charity?".
"[Being] able to make a difference to people's lives is the biggest love that we have for Snow Windows."
Transform your digital marketing with our mentors!
Snow Windows is a testament to the power that digital marketing can have for small businesses! Inspired by Keri and Snow Windows' story? Why not see how digital marketing mentoring could help you grow your business! 🌱
