We're thrilled to welcome Startup4ten to the Optimod Community. Startup4ten is recognized for its role in business coaching and consultancy, supporting entrepreneurs and businesses with a blend of practical tools and strategic advice. 

Led by Craig Eason, Startup4ten not only prioritizes business growth but also offers practical tools and insights for addressing real-world challenges. Their involvement in our Improving Entrepreneurial Journey Initiative 2022 underscores their commitment to driving positive change within our community. With their integration into our community, we aim to strengthen our relationship and foster mutual growth. Keep reading to discover more about their impactful work.

Optimod Community Member Profile Card

COMPANY DETAILS:
- Company Name: Startup4ten 
- Industry: Business Coaching & Consultancy 
- Company Size: Small
- Headquarters Location: Stirling, Scotland
- Founder: Craig Eason

RELATED LINKS:
> Company Website

Founder's Details, Story & Company Journey

Craig Eason: 
"My business background is in the insurance and risk management industry. I set up my own insurance brokerage in 1995 and built that business from a standing start into a successful UK broker and risk management company employing 25 staff from offices in Glasgow and Stirling. In 2013, I sold the business to a large acquirer and ran the combined Scottish operation until 2017, when I left to pursue other projects. I have, therefore, walked the path of a founder who had to start with very little and bootstrap their way to success. That journey and its challenges are what was behind the launch of Startup4ten® as we looked to provide the next generation of entrepreneurs with access to proven experience to help make that start-up, scale-up, and SME journey less problematic.

Our coaching IP revolves around helping entrepreneurs identify and solve the challenges that will otherwise hold them back. We have developed a risk management technique we call BBT™, and this provides entrepreneurs and their teams with a framework and process on which they can build. BBT™ is a blend of logic and entrepreneurial thinking that helps teams take a holistic view of their business to simplify a complex environment to drive better decisions and outcomes.

In my experience, entrepreneurial and business success comes from solving many different challenges, and BBT™ is a problem-solving process and tool that any entrepreneur can learn to use and apply. If we solve enough of the challenges and manage the risks, then logically, we guarantee our success. As well as working with the next generation of entrepreneurs, we also want to work with schools and universities to develop that entrepreneurial DNA earlier in life. If we introduce these skills and this type of thinking at school and university, then we give these skills time to develop and mature over time."

Company Description

Startup4ten® is a business coaching and consultancy firm that has developed its own coaching process around a holistic risk management technique called BBT™. We work with new ventures and established SMEs looking to grow and scale but unsure how to achieve this. We also work with investors who see an opportunity but want to support the management team with our expertise. BBT™ teaches clients a process of how to look at their business opportunity logically and intentionally and then push their entrepreneurial thinking and its delivery to make it happen.

Main Services & Offerings: 

- Business Coaching & Consultancy 
- Strategic Planning, Problem Identification, Problem-Solving 
- Coaching Cohorts & Bootcamps 
- An Entrepreneurship & Business Knowhow Course for Schools and Universities

SHOWROOM 

The Showroom is a section of the Community Member Profile where noteworthy projects, initiatives, accomplishments, testimonials, and other resources are showcased.

Startup4ten & Business Basics™ Testimonials 

• An SME trading 10 years:
  “Craig Eason and Startup4ten were an incredible resource for us as we were working to refine and expand our business. As a team full of designers and creatives, we had lots of ideas about direction and growth, but we did not have a clear path to get there. Craig worked with us diligently to break down the process into achievable steps and helped us understand the fundamentals of how to grow the business smartly and intentionally. His materials are very clear, and he was so patient in helping us work through our financials and business plan. I truly appreciated the opportunity to collaborate with Craig and deeply value what I learned working with him. The knowledge I took away will serve me well in any business setting I find myself in in the future.” - Emily Glass, NuVu Boston, Massachusetts USA
• A new venture pre-revenue:
  “Business Basics™ delivers essential learnings in an easy-to-understand way. You can build a lean business plan to help both you and others easily understand your business. This process allows you to think deep about your business, it uncovers any unknowns, and gives direction to overcome any problems. Validation of your plan through the 1-1 coaching is the added value of Business Basics™ - you’re not alone in this process.” - David White, CEO of BGR Ltd.
• Strategic partner in education: 
  “We love this partnership. ” - Craig Kemp, CEO at EduSpark Singapore 
• IO Fibrewater a new venture and Scottish Edge Winner 2023
  “When I was part of the Sporting Chance accelerator, we worked on a macro level and were generally left to our own devices. Working with Craig is much more about the detail and the mechanics, and it is much more relevant when you are trying to start and grow a business. - Mohsin Laginaf, Director of The Prebiotic Company Ltd.
  “We had been struggling along by ourselves, not sure what to do next, simply because we did not have that experience of knowing what to do next. Having the right guidance, I think, has accelerated the business significantly. You get stuck with stuff going on in your head and it is very easy to stay stuck because you don’t know what to do next. What you did was show us the other paths we could take. When I look at where we were and where we are now, it has been really significant in a positive way.” - Alyssa Reid, Director of The Prebiotic Company Ltd.
• Svitlo Education: 20 students coached over a 5-month period:
  "The entrepreneurial and business training program from Startup4ten® has really been one of the highlights for Svitlo School. We cannot overestimate the positive impact it has had on our students.”  - Yuliya Kosko, Founder of Svitlo Education
  “I loved working with Craig and the students at Svitlo Education on this course and learned a huge amount myself )not least the joy of “stumbling” again. Prior to this, I knew very little about the world of business and the way entrepreneurs think, so I was a little apprehensive that I would let you all down. I should not have worried and what you have made here is a fantastic program that teaches many life skills as well as business skills. There is something for everyone.” - Richard Human, Teacher & MBA Educational Leadership 

Article Resources

Statistically, only 23% of businesses that take on external investment, Angel or VC, go on and scale and provide a return on that investment. This leaves 77% of investment money stuck. For these statistics to be this consistent, it points to a skills gap in the entrepreneurs and their teams. 77% of entrepreneurs and their teams do not know how to problem-solve their way to the top, and our program for invested businesses can bridge that gap.  

Article: The difference between "exploration and exploitation" and why "business R&D" matters

LET'S COLLABORATE!

Interested in exploring collaboration opportunities with this Optimod Community Member? 

Reach out to their account manager - Sara Kremsar, and let's connect to discuss how we can mutually benefit from working together and take the Optimod Community to another level.