Retired bankers to help mentor small businesses? Aye Right!

[Scottish Business Owner]

This story caught my eye this morning from the BBC.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-14010594

Apparently the big five banks are recruiting current and retired bankers to become mentors to small businesses. Am I the only one to think this is a bit like putting a square peg in a round hole? What does a former bank employee know about running a business?

Maybe i'm doing them a disservice but to me it still feel like bank are out of touch with what they need to do to help small businesses prosper.

The FSB statement at the bottom is also laughable. I've never felt the FSB really stood for much (based on my past experiences of them) and this just helps to highlight this.

 

[stugster]

I don't think you're doing any disservice to them at all mate. From what I've seen, these bankers can't even do their own jobs right let alone have the audacity to mentor others' businesses.

This is just yet another ploy to pander to Government to say "yes, we're helping small businesses!" when in actual fact, they're not, and they really don't care.

FSB have never been that good in my eyes either. The only value people seem to see in FSB is the good deals you get on card terminal/merchant accounts or legal aid.

 

[kmbookkeeping]

I've got to agree, bankers are the product of a large corporate machine. They have absolutely no idea what it takes to run a small business. To be honest I feel similar about business gateway. When I used them back when I started I was not convinced that they really understood the needs of a small business.

Kris

 

[Charteredfinancialplanner]

As I always say to my clients - why would you take financial advice of any sort from an organisation tht cannot even run it's own business? It seems a bizarre concept.