FREE FEATURE: From Mentee To Mentor: Simon Mills’ Journey With Enterprise NI

0 views
Skip to first unread message

Alex Feher at Excalibur Press

unread,
Oct 15, 2024, 5:16:57 AMOct 15
to studionort...@gmail.com
View this email in your browser

Hi there

Please find the below free feature from our client the Northern Ireland Explore Enterprise Support Service (NIEESS).

Simon Mills, a former sound engineer and musician, transformed his career with the help of Enterprise Northern Ireland, moving from mentee to mentor.

Through the support of his mentor, Lawrence Greer, Simon developed his business idea, gaining clarity and structure to turn his musical passion into a profitable venture.

Enterprise NI provided Simon with the guidance he needed to tackle his blind spots and grow his business. 

Word doc HERE
Photos HERE

I would be grateful if you could find a spot for this in print, online or on air.

Thanks

Alex
07526234805
FREE FEATURE

From Mentee To Mentor: Simon Mills’ Journey With Enterprise NI

By Maisie Laughton

Having worked at the forefront of the industry for several decades, creating a business centred on music creation was a natural progression for County Antrim’s Simon Mills.

Hailing originally from Nottingham, England, Simon moved to Northern Ireland fifteen years ago in 2009 amidst a successful career as one half of electronica group Bent, which the musician still pursues currently, where his role as a sound engineer has come into its own.

After a string of solo and group musical releases, the reality of royalty cuts and contractual percentage agreements left the 50 year old Economically Inactive. 

Speaking on why he undertook the Explore Enterprise Support Service, Simon said: “My income went quite low, because a lot of my royalties that I would get on Spotify ended up straight into the back pocket of Sony.

“I realised I was going to have to think of a different plan on top of just releasing new music, so I got in touch with the Ballymena Business Centre, and it kind of went from there, really.”

The Explore Enterprise Support Service was set up by Enterprise NI and the Prince’s Trust. The service aims to help people across Northern Ireland who are economically inactive to develop their entrepreneurial and employability skills through tailored mentoring and training. 

The Explore Enterprise Support Service has received £1.8m from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.  

Paired with Ballymena Business Centre mentor Lawrence Greer, the business idea that had sparked within Simon’s self-professed unorganised brain began to have substance.

Explaining how the mentorship helped him and his subsequent business, Simon said: “It helped me just sit down and work out how I'm going to sell all this and pitch it, and then who am I pitching it to.

“It allowed me to have some kind of a plan, being able to make an overview and work out who my target customers were, and even things like pricing.”

Using his skills to finesse creative output from other musicians and bands, ranging from novices to those with record deals, Simon’s business offers mixing and mastering services to enhance this output to the level where it is good enough to be released commercially. 

Following his experience receiving support from Lawrence, Simon spotted an opportunity to offer his own form of mentoring in the shape of helping musicians through what can often be a minefield of available software.

The flexible structure provided by Explore Enterprise was a particularly beneficial aspect for the County Antrim resident in his entrepreneurial journey, reducing the formality often associated with such services and instead enabling time for development.

Simon said: “I didn't feel like I was put into a rigid program. It’s organic and it fits everybody, because everybody's got a different situation going on.

“For me, I didn't have to change too much to get the wheels turning a little bit more, and Lawrence was great as well, because he was really detailed and focused.

“He was really good at finding my weak spots and sort of helping me there, which I still struggle with. 

“I'm terrible at financial organisation, but Explore Enterprise grabbed my brain and organised me a bit.”

Lawrence’s impact was a profound one for Simon, with the relaxed approach resonating well with the music whiz, enabling him to progress at his own pace without any external, or internal, pressure.

Identifying what his favourite part of Explore Enterprise was, Simon said: “I think the main highlight for me really was something as simple as just being able to sit down with someone. 

“Lawrence had this little office, which is like a shed within a shop, which was kind of quite crazy, you know, but it was just nice to go in there and just focus on something each week if there's no specific thing that I think stood out.

“It's just been so nice. And he's been messaging me, actually, to keep up with me and see how things are going.”

As with many other people who involve themselves, Explore Enterprise was invaluable in taking an intangible idea into a profitable business for Simon.

He said: “I just think it's worth doing. If you've got an idea and you've been mulling it over for a while, I think it's a really good course to go and do because it helps you visualise the overall view of it.

“I think having all those different modules that you can experience, it's a great thing to do  because everyone's got a blind spot and it just helps inform you of whether your ideas are realistic or not.

“It's been a really, really positive experience overall.”

For more information on Enterprise NI go to www.enterpriseni.com

ENDS

Editor's Notes

For more information contact Maisie Laughton, Excalibur Press, Mai...@excaliburpress.co.uk, 07825 302400.

Press release issued by Excalibur Press on behalf of NIEESS

About NIESS

The Northern Ireland Explore Enterprise Support Service (NIEESS). is delivered by Enterprise Northern Ireland in partnership with The Prince's Trust NI. Funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, NIEESS will provide self-employment / employment support to economically inactive individuals aged 16 and above across Northern Ireland to 31st March 2025.

We will support individuals in developing a range of crucial skills, including interpersonal, enterprise, and employability skills. We firmly believe that these skills are key to breaking down barriers and progressing towards the goal of becoming economically active.

To ensure success NIEESS provides personalised one-to-one support tailored to the individual’s specific needs. Our experienced team will guide individuals through the process, offering mentoring support, workshops, a qualification, and coordinating additional support from the wider support ecosystem. We are committed to empowering individuals to reach their full potential and achieve their goals.

About The UK Shared Prosperity Fund

The UK Shared Prosperity Fund is a central pillar of the UK government’s Levelling Up agenda and provides £2.6 billion of funding for local investment by March 2025. The Fund aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK investing in communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills. 

For more information, visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-shared-prosperity-fund-prospectus

The Northern Ireland Explore Enterprise Support Service (NIEESS) has received £1.8m from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

About Enterprise NI

Enterprise Northern Ireland is the representative organisation for the region’s 27 Local Enterprise Agencies.

We support the dynamic LEA network to provide aspirant entrepreneurs and existing micro and small businesses with access to workspace, development programmes, access to finance, and the informed support they need to start, sustain and grow their business.

Enterprise Northern Ireland lobbies on behalf of self-employed, micro, and small businesses. We ensure the Northern Ireland Executive, Economy Committee, MLAs, Local Councils, Development Agencies, and other stakeholders are fully briefed in relation to enterprise and entrepreneurship in Northern Ireland.

Enterprise Northern Ireland is a self-funding ‘Not-for-Profit’ organisation, with a socio-economic purpose, operating primarily through a social enterprise business model.

About Prince’s Trust

The Prince’s Trust believes that every young person should have the chance to succeed, no matter what their background or the challenges they are facing. We help those from disadvantaged communities and those facing the greatest adversity by supporting them to build the confidence and skills to live, learn and earn.

The courses offered by The Trust help young people aged 11-30 to develop essential life skills, get ready for work and access job opportunities. We support them to find work because having a job or running a business can lead to a more stable, fulfilling life.

Simon Mills in his home studio
Twitter
Facebook
Instagram
Website
LinkedIn
Copyright © 2024 Excalibur Press NI, All rights reserved.
We are sending you this email because you are a member of the press who has been on our long-term mailing list. You will only be sent information pertaining to press releases, content, photo opportunities, events listings and anything relevant to press and media. You will not be sent any sales focused content via this list.

Our mailing address is:
Excalibur Press NI
Office 7, Cathedral Buildings
64 Donegall Street
Belfast, BT1 2GT
United Kingdom

Add us to your address book


Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

Email Marketing Powered by Mailchimp
Reply all
Reply to author
Forward
0 new messages