Speed Networking
Tomas Marks and Glyn Jones from the Mentro project hosted a ‘Speed Networking’ event for young entrepreneurs at Carmarthen Quins Club on Monday February 20.
Mentro is run by Menter Bro Dinefwr and is part of the RDP Sir Gâr Rural Entrepreneurship project*, providing free business support to young people aged between 16 and 30. The event was arranged as a networking opportunity and for the future businesspeople to get advice from established businesses.
The young entrepreneurs were given 3 minutes with each of the various experienced business mentors present, from companies including; Castell Howell, Cegin Fach y Wlad, Ungoed Thomas & King, Vintage Tea Party, Dyfed Menswear, Cae’r Ffair Nursery, Telesgop, Spindogs, LH Phillips and Co accountancy and Antur Group Insurance.
“It was really useful having the opportunity to bounce ideas off everyone and get feedback,” said Michael Dougall, one of the young entrepreneurs who attended. Michael is in the process of setting up Celtic Laser and has been working with Tomas and Glyn to develop his business.
Carlington Mazhawizha of Carl Maz productions found the speed networking to be “a brilliant event and very inspiring!”
The mentors were similarly impressed. Mike Donovan of Practical Farm Ideas said it was “an excellent event. The young entrepreneurs were bright eyed and ready to listen and the set up was much better than the usual lecture style with lots of Powerpoint.”
Menter Bro Dinefwr’s Youth Services Manager, Lynette Thomas, said: “The evening was far more successful than we had anticipated – the whole room was buzzing with excitement and all who were present agreed that they had benefited greatly from the experience. It was also inspiring to see such enthusiasm being shared by both young entrepreneurs and their mentors. It’s great to see such a new and exciting project creating such a positive impact in rural Carmarthenshire.”
For further information about Mentro and future events, contact Tomas Marks at Menter Bro Dinefwr on (01558) 825336 or email tomasmarks@menterbrodinefwr.org.
*The project is funded by the Rural Development Plan for Wales 2007-2013 which is funded by the Welsh Government and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development.
Picture: Â Brian Jones MBE of Castell Howell deep in conversion with young entrepreneur Jonathan McLaughlin.
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