Lenovo Thinkbook Mentorship program – winners overview
As Australians begin to dream of a ‘better life’, and consider what they will and won’t take into the new world of work, I have had the privilege of meeting three great Australian business owners through the Lenovo Thinkbook Mentorship program.
Earlier this year businesses from rural and regional Australia were asked to submit an application to be a part of the mentorship program with me. During these times of remote working, I too am now working from home. And with a good internet connection and great technology, any business could literally be anywhere.
So, it was with a slight tinge of envy that I started working with each of the three business owners.
- Each has a big vision.
- Each worked on defining the business purpose.
- Each looked at how they could unite people around them to the ‘cause’.
- Each business considered a scorecard of what success looks like.
All completed the workbooks and pre reads I’d provided, so each of the sessions was succinct, and productive. My job was to challenge them, maybe to something bigger than they may have seen for themselves.
All of the businesses who took part in the Lenovo Thinkbook Mentorship program have a potential to deliver a big impact to the economy that will make Australia a better place, provide employment in regional communities and bring all Australians on the digital journey.
Each of these businesses has an incredible opportunity, they have traction and now they need scale. Technology and bandwidth will very much be a part of their success.
Pointer Remote Roles
“Making Remote Work, Work.”
Quite simply, Pointer educate and connect employers to prospective team members. Employers may be in the city and want to access ‘talent’ from anywhere in Australia to work remotely. Or it might be employers in regional and country towns looking for people to move to those locations and work there.
I know for myself that many people are beginning to consider how they create a better life. Pointer is a good place to start when you consider what employment options are around.
As we redefine where and how people work, I see a great opportunity for the Pointer team.
Shop My Town
“Local product regional stories”
Right now, people are wanting to #buylocal. But it might not be as easy as we think. It is fine if I want to go to the local shops and buy something. If I want to buy something for my cousin in Toowoomba, I don’t really want to ship it 1000kms from Sydney. I want to shop locally.
This is where Shop my Town comes in. As a marketplace for local artisans and business owners they curate and promote the local businesses. It is much more than a directory service, it is about giving customers the confidence that what they buy will be good. Shop My Town has a vision of creating a network of Market Places for regional and rural towns in Australia and New Zealand (and perhaps the world).
Youngster.Co
“Where Youngsters and Elders exchange knowledge”
If there is one thing that we have learned in the first half of 2020 it is that digital connection is more important than we ever thought it would be. Especially for our elders. And who better to get them connected than Youngsters who may well be looking for work themselves. Everyone needs a purpose and connection. This is one of the most perfect programs that is completely scalable, and it can operate now (especially) during self-distancing programs.
This is inclusive, leaves no one behind and is a good contributor to Rebooting Australia. This is a really great initiative currently promoted through councils – and able to operate virtually.
We are one Australia, and rebooting Australia means making sure we do business outside of the metro areas.
Congratulations to all – let’s keep growing.
Get involved with the Lenovo Virtual Masterclass
As part the program, Lenovo is hosting an exclusive SMB Virtual Masterclass – the online event will take place on Tuesday 2 June at 13:00 – 14:00. And I invite you to join us.
Lenovo’s Managing Director, ANZ, Matt Codrington, myself and three regional small businesses taking part in the programme, we will discuss the different challenges facing metro and regional small businesses in the current environment and how they are harnessing the power of technology. At such a unique point in time for all of us, I know this will be an interesting discussion and I’d love for you to attend.
We have a limited number of spots available at the event so you can register to attend (for free!) via this link.
I look forward to seeing you there.
Also published on Medium.
