Bloom.Space Virtual Incubator
Tailored mentoring and coaching with the network and support you need to grow your business.
Network and Support.
Starting and growing a business is very hard work and it often feels like you’re doing it all on your own. We have experts from a wide range of businesses in our network and provide the mentoring and coaching you need to succeed!
What are we going to help you do?
Develop your business growth strategy
Identify key customer groups and strategies to reach them
Use established techniques to create a product or service customers will buy
Develop an improved investment pitch deck using templates, tools and examples
Connect directly to investors with a personal introduction
Access talent inside top UK universities
Understand the funding landscape, where to go to raise investment and when
Know about new funding, support programmes and events immediately (and which to avoid)
Look at your business from an external perspective and avoid pitfalls which you may not be able to see
Gain an immediate, extensive business network
How will we do that?
For the person:
Regular 1:1 progress meetings and mentoring
Time to discuss ideas, strategy and analyse plans
Coaching in a supportive online group meeting
WhatsApp group for instant support
Community of like-minded entrepreneurs - scroll down for some success stories
Pitch deck coaching
For the business:
Investor network - angels, VC funds, family wealth offices
Network of experts and specialists
Online meet-ups and events
Email dispatches - carefully curated content telling you about new funding that’s coming online, grants, support programmes
Free access to talent from top UK universities - paid student intern programmes
Amazon Web Server and Google Cloud credits
Discounts on insurance, business cards, merchandise printing, legal help and plenty more!
AMA’s with specialist mentors
John Spindler (startup investment expert and CEO of Capital Enterprise)
Create something customers will actually buy! The experts from Tectonic will show you how
Dr John Collins (Deep Tech expert, Innovation Foundry, Fellow at Cambridge Judge Business School, Innovate UK)
Alasdair Inglis, small business marketing expert
Charles William, specialist startup accountant
UK’s largest IP law firm Marks & Clerk
Business law experts from Ignition Law
VC fund managers
Angel Networks
Who’s it for?
Founders of small companies looking for tailored personal mentoring and support
Startup founders - new companies looking for investment ready to scale
Founders on accelerator programmes looking for additional tailored mentoring, introductions to experts, a new ecosystem of investors
Founders wanting an instant and extensive network of other startups and entrepreneurs
Plan
Looking ahead - what’s your motivation for starting a business?
Evaluating the idea - is it likely to make money?
Choosing the right business structure - Limited Company? Partnership? CIC?
Registering the company, getting the right insurance
Setting up the accounting and payment systems
Planning and implementing your IT systems
Setting up the right social media channels
Getting the business planning underway
Getting to your Minimum Viable Product
Selling to your first customers
Iterating and improving your product
An instant network of like-minded entrepreneurs
Wide range of mentors to support you
Training and workshops on key topics
VAT and tax planning
Start
Establish your team
Recruitment, job descriptions and contracts
Cost-effective ways to scale the company
Introductions to collaborators and partners
Applying for grants
Introductions to prototyping and manufacturing plants
Innovating and ideating - what’s your next product?
Meeting space for your business
A supportive network of like-minded business founders
Specialist mentors to support you
Marketing training, PR, strategy, accounting, IP Law
Grow
What do investors want to see?
Creating and presenting an effective pitch deck
Are you pitching for the right amount?
Valuing your business
Introductions to investors, both UK and international
A professional business environment
A professional office to meet investors in
Presentation suits for pitching
Recruiting the right team
Expanding overseas
Access to world-class talent from world-class universities
Feedback from others
“What sets Jack apart is his highly personable and charismatic character. In an industry rife with sneaky money-grabbers, Jack is a breath of fresh air owing to how trustworthy and genuine he is. Indeed to be mentored by Jack is to know you have a loyal friend who is genuinely passionate about your ideas and responsive to your professional needs.
I would have had no idea where to start without Jack, and I hope to maintain our professional friendship for as long as possible. Thanks Jack!”
— Benjamin Leggett, Director at El Grito
“Jack has mentored Hanley Payments from an extremely early stage. He helped define the first pitch deck and put us in front of key investors to gather feedback. This allowed us to pivot our proposition and focus on one market. Without Jacks support, connections and guidance I can 100% say Hanley Payments would not be here today. Thank you Jack”
— Garrett Foxon, Founder, Hanley Payments & LettsPay
“It’s great working with Jack!
Over the course of 9 months, Jack has helped to transform our business, he has helped us by encouraging us to step back from the “grind” and take a more holistic view of our challenges and goals. He is extremely experienced and is gifted with the ability to positively approach the most challenging scenarios. Jack can help you to navigate uncertainty and succeed.
I look forward to continuing to working with my new friend Jack.”
— Tommy Williams, Founder of Wearable Link and the PLINX product lines
“Jack’s advice and network have been invaluable to us as we set up our business and, whatever stage you’re at, I would thoroughly recommend speaking with him to get his advice and help on your next steps.”
— Guy Monson Co-Founder, CompAir
“Jack helped us find relevant grants, put us in touch with investors and helped us get into a pitching competition. Jack mentors us on an ongoing basis on the development and funding of our business, and is an absolute charm to work with. Highly recommended!”
— Mark Florisson, Founder and CEO of Urban Mobility Labs
“I like your holistic approach to mentoring. You’re non-judgemental, patient, and encouraging and have a great sense of humour. You are fast and efficient. You also come up with very useful advice and far-from-obvious solutions. You are great at connecting people from different backgrounds. You also know exactly whom to connect with. You can easily get to the gist of a problem, even if it’s something technically obscure. Instead of just giving one-off advice, you stay helpfully involved until something is resolved.”
— Dr Oleg Volkov, Founder of Xitific
“Jack has provided valuable assistance at a few critical stages over the past year as my start-up scales. Skilled people were sourced through his network for my team. He advised on my successful accelerator pitch. And he has consistently provided a professional base at bloom.space for my business to grow. My company will continue to scale this year, despite Covid-19, and I look forward to Jack’s ongoing support.”
— Philip Rush, Founder and CEO of fintech startup Heteronomics
“Your knowledge about potential support, be it from grant funding through to debt and equity financing is considerable and I am now far more aware of possibilities than previously.”
— Simon Davis, CEO of Clearwave Air UK Limited
“What I found most valuable from Jack as a mentor was not his knowledge and expertise in how to refine and focus an investment pitch deck, but the fact that his own background as a scientist and someone who has taken that skillset to the international entrepreneurial level provided true genuine experience and insights into common problems to avoid..”
— Prof. David Lowe
“Jack has been a real mentor to me and my business. What makes him such a great sounding board is that he knows how to listen deeply, fully grasp your business model, and quickly identify potential areas for improvement. He is very well connected and the introductions he has made have consistently added value..”
— Manu Wachter, Founder and MD of equal.plus
Additional benefits
Preferential access to Fixed Desks in the coworking spaces in Rugby and our Grade II listed manor house in Great Malvern
Free private meeting room bookings in the coworking offices for meetings with mentors, clients and investors
Residential accommodation in Whitstable, a beautiful seaside town Kent and in Great Malvern with the Malvern Hills to inspire you! Paid for separately as a tailor-made package with food and drink, outside activity (beach walks, exploring Malvern Hills), transport and private apartments to stay in. We can accommodate up to 5 or 6 in each location. Perfect for brainstorming or team getaways.
Pricing
£180
Per founder in the Virtual Incubator
+£100
Per additional team member taking part
(All prices +VAT, on a month-by-month rolling agreement)
How to apply
Process:
Complete the short form below
I’ll call you for a chat and we’ll decide how we can help
If we can make a real difference to you and your business, we’ll offer you a place in the Bloom Virtual Incubator
