One of the many reasons that we started The Better Business Network was because of the amount of purpose-led businesses out there that could benefit from networking, advice and guidance from each other and those with experience in business.
So when we found out about All Together, we knew we wanted to partner with them. All Together provides pro bono advice for businesses from some of the UK’s most experienced CEOs.
The Better Business Network has partnered with All Together because we have a common goal; helping businesses to grow. We work with them as Partners; supporting each other in helping business leaders build better businesses.
We encourage our members to utilise the services available through All Together through the BBN Members Impact Fund.
WHAT IS ALL TOGETHER?
The not for profit business was created by a group of friends and business leaders who wanted to help CEOs and business owners through the economic damage caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Wanting to make it easier for CEOs to support each other, the team at All Together offer free and confidential advice and support to founders, CEOs and business owners of small and medium-sized businesses in the UK and Ireland.
Now, with over 90 Volunteer Advisors on board (which can be seen here), All Together is proud to offer pro bono support to CEOs across all sectors – particularly in the technology, consumer, retail and hospitality spaces – facing the toughest decisions of their careers.
Businesses that have benefitted from using All Together include: Montezuma’s, The British Blanket Co, Abakus Foods, Brightblue Consulting and more. See some testimonials below:
“Dean listened intently to the situation we faced and asked challenging questions that only an outsider can. He made me re-evaluate some of the choices I had made which bolstered the plan.”
Bruce Alexander, Montezuma’s
“Sessions with John Hind directly sparked new ideas and gave us clarity. His retail expertise meant he asked exactly the right questions. It’s been a real turning point in our growth.”
Bethan John, The British Blanket Co
Mark was so generous with his time, gave me excellent advice, and is extremely passionate about helping small businesses. I hope more can benefit from his wisdom!
Helen Wang, Abakus Foods
“After such a difficult year for the hospitality industry, speaking to Jamie made me feel much more secure, optimistic and ready to start tackling some of these difficult decisions.”
Razak Helalat, The Coal Shed
BUILDING BETTER BUSINESSES
All Together is a pro bono service for CEOs and business owners. They offer up to five hours with a leading CEO who understands the challenges and opportunities of running a business. You set the goals, they support you in delivering them.
To see the kind of CEOs available to those who use the All Together service, click here. The list is able to be filtered by the following categories; Consumer, Retail, Hospitality, Tech, Specialists, Business Services, Generalists and Other.
All Together are building a movement for CEOs to support each other. Upon applying, you’ll join their community, be invited to exclusive events, and receive regular news, updates and content from their CEO community.
PAYING IT FORWARD: WHAT DOES IT COST?
All Together are a 100% not-for-profit social enterprise, which means that all of their advisors work for free. Behind them there is a small administrative team facilitating the Collective, and it costs All Together about £250 to organise and support each interaction between an SME and a Volunteer Advisor.
Rather than ask for any upfront charge, All Together asks for people to ‘Pay it Forward’, which will cover the admin fee for the next SME CEO.
This is considered the fourth step in the All Together process, though it is entirely voluntary; All Together understands that some of their members cannot afford to contribute at this stage.
HOW WE ARE INVOLVED
As introduced in the Better Business Network AGM in 2022, once the Network has 100 paying Growth Members applications will be opened for the Members Impact Fund (MIF).
This is a £250 grant available every month to Members who apply via the BBN website. A Member will be chosen at random and can use the grant for different activities. The All Together ‘Pay It Forward’ process is an example of how the MIF can be used.
HOW IT WORKS
Businesses that can benefit from All Together will usually be SMEs starting with around £400k+ in revenue. All Together do make exceptions if a business has significant investment totalling the same amount and always look at each application on a case by case basis, with the above being general guidance.
For those that fit the above criteria, All Together works through a four step process:
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Application
Head to the All Together website and click on “Apply” and fill out the simple form.
To qualify for this free service, you need to be the business owner, founder or CEO of your business. All Together are not currently able to support start-ups or micro-businesses.
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Matching
All Together aims to get back to you within two working days.
They carefully review your business and application and either match you directly with a suitable Advisor or offer you a choice of three. They will then connect you with them by email, and invite you to join their community.
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Partnership
You should set clear goals with your Advisor in the first session. The All Together team will check in with you after this to ensure everything is OK.
They offer up to five hours of pro bono advice, although this is at the discretion of your Advisor as it has been found that some CEOs don’t need the full amount.
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Pay It Forward
Over 80% of All Together members choose to give back to the All Together community by Paying it Forward.
This voluntary contribution covers the administrative cost of the next CEO to to join the network, enabling them to continue their work and reach more SMEs.
THE BETTER BUSINESS NETWORK
The Better Business Network is a purpose-led business community that is focused on helping businesses to grow while increasing their positive social and environmental impact.
One of the many ways in which we achieve this is by connecting purpose-led businesses with organisations such as All Together, actively supporting both.
To learn more about The Better Business Network click here or subscribe to our YouTube channel. You can also keep up with the latest news and upcoming BBN events by signing up to our newsletter and joining us on LinkedIn.