The free event for business founders and small business owners was held at Virgin Hotels Edinburgh to mark National Mentoring Day (27 Oct). Founders attending shared stories, ideas, and built valuable connections with each other.

For new entrepreneurs, a mentor can be a game-changer. Sir Richard Branson has always been an advocate for business mentoring and the power it has to transform entrepreneurs’ business journeys. With invaluable industry insights, experience, and a kind ear, mentors can help guide new founders through the challenges of starting a business.

The event was hosted by Andy Fishburn, managing director at Virgin StartUp, which has distributed more than £4 million in StartUp Loan funding to Scottish founders since 2013. It also featured talks from successful Scottish business founders Dr Sally Gouldstone (founder of the natural skincare brand Seilich) and Jill Henry (co-founder of the sustainable clothing brand Meander Apparel).

Steven Clarke from Edinburgh, founder of Nuuri, a nursery search platform, said: “As a first-time founder, it’s so valuable to hear from those further along who’ve faced similar challenges.

“When you’re starting out, it’s easy to put experienced founders on a pedestal and forget they were once in your shoes. Events like this remind you that most founders start from the same place.”

Claire Thomson, an aspiring entrepreneur from Edinburgh, said: “Being here in person is so important. As people increasingly work from home and online, we miss connection and it can be a lonely journey for entrepreneurs. Attending this event in person with like-minded people and having the chance to bounce ideas off each other is great.”

Andy Fishburn, managing director of Virgin StartUp, said: “Today, Virgin StartUp has distributed more than £4m to founders in Scotland to help fund amazing businesses. We know that starting and scaling a business can be challenging, so having someone in your corner who can offer advice and kind words of wisdom is so important.

“That’s where mentoring comes in and why we started the Virgin StartUp community – to help founders across the UK connect with one another and access advice from mentors, advisors, and subject matter experts when they need it.”

Founders can sign-up to Virgin StartUp Community for free here to connect with like-minded founders, access exclusive resources, and get expert advice to start, grow, and scale their business.