Ignite BN(O) Entrepreneurs
Mentoring Programme

Starting a new business is hard work in any environment, but it’s even more challenging in a new country. It is one of Hong Kong Business Hub's missions to support entrepreneurs in the UK.

With the funding from the UK Government’s Hong Kong BN(O) Welcome Programme Regional VCSE Grant Scheme, we are excited to launch the “Ignite BN(O) Entrepreneurs Mentoring Programme” to support BN(O) Visa holders who are looking to start, improve or expand their new business in the UK.

About the programme

We will connect ambitious BN(O) entrepreneurs with senior business executives, all with over 20 years of entrepreneurial and management experiences, for a one-on-one mentoring relationship, complemented by free consultations delivered by our team of professional business coaches, who are industry experts from different sectors including legal, accounting and taxation, IT, finance, human resources and marketing.

Each participant will be asked to set short-term and long-term business goals to record their commitments they are signing up to. Throughout the 5-month programme, participants will strengthen their entrepreneurial mindset, gain new business knowledge, and benefit from professional and personal development.

Why should you join?

Guidance for those new to the business world

The guidance given by a senior mentor can go a long way in helping you navigate the early stages of your business and understand the nuances of the business world.

Free consultation from professionals

Your mentor will further match you with professional business coaches according to your needs and business goals. You will enjoy rare opportunities to speak with industry experts like lawyers, accountants, tax advisors, digital marketers, brand managers, human resources managers and IT specialists to obtain advice about your position, challenges and discuss solutions and strategies.

Peer-to-peer mentoring

In addition to your relationship with your mentor and professional business coaches, you will be given the chance to connect and engage with a wider network of BN(O) entrepreneurs within the Programme.

Who can join?

We welcome applications from newly founded businesses. Businesses not yet started may also be considered if applicants can provide a detailed one-year business plan. Selected applicants will be required to undergo mandatory screening, assessment, interview and due diligence process. Below is a list of eligibility:

Your business must be based in Greater London, North West England, or West Midland; or you are residing in Greater London, North West England, or West Midland with business activity in the UK, and

Your business has been established for less than 2 years and currently employ fewer than 5 full-time employees, or you are planning to launch your business in the coming 6 months and able to provide a detailed one-year business plan, and

At least one of the Directors of your company is residing in the UK as a BNO Visa holder, and

Legal status of your company must be:
- Sole trader
- Private company limited by guarantee
- Private company limited by share
- Community interest company
- Partnership
- Limited Liability Partnership

Selection criteria

Eligible applicants will be assessed against the following evaluators, each will be scored on a 1 to 5 scale. Shortlisted applicants will be matched with a mentor:

You can identify concrete support and resources needed to help your business succeed.
You can explain how your team can foresee challenges ahead and are confident in overcoming them with sound measures.
You have identified a clear and strong market need and business potential.
You have demonstrated a strong distinctive advantage in your products and/ or services.
Your business has an innovative edge.
You have shown a clear milestone of short term and long term goals.
Your business plan appears to be feasible, practical and achievable.
You have demonstrated a commitment towards achieving your business goals.
You have had solid knowledge and experience in the industry you are venturing into.
It’s an advantage if your business addresses the needs of BN(O) Hongkongers, social or environmental issues in the UK, but not a requirement.

Application procedure

Registration
5 – 25 October

Complete the application form and submit the required documents by an authorised representative of your business.

Initial review
26 – 31 October

All eligible applications will be marked against the scoring criteria detailed above by our mentor team.

Virtual interview
1 – 11 November

Shortlisted applicants will be invited to attend a virtual interview to present their business ideas, mentorship needs and goals.

Final Result
18 November

Successful applicants from Greater London, North West England, and West Midland will be notified individually.

Our mentors

Ms. Puifung Leung, Co-founder

Ms. Leung is the Founder of Fair Taste Hong Kong Ltd., a social business advocating for ethical consumption. Being the first Fair Trade company in Greater China, Fair Taste produces locally made products using Fair Trade and organic ingredients. Puifung has in-depth and diverse experiences in the NGO sector. Recently, she devoted her effort in sustainability advisory work and helped companies to develop ESG strategies.

Mr. Eric Yung

Eric Yung is a serial entrepreneur and an experienced entrepreneurship educator. He is also a cross industries strategic consultant with expertise in information technology, music and legal.

Eric is the founder and CEO of Playnote Limited, which focuses on artificial intelligence software for music education, dedicated for international professional music examination. Before that, Eric was one of the co-founders, former executive director and CTO of Perception Digital, a multimedia technology-based company listed in HKEX in 2009.

Eric has been a lecturer, consultant and coach for university students and startup companies.

Mr. Peter Choi

Peter Choi is an experienced business consultant and an internet entrepreneur in Hong Kong. He is a startup mentor and the Past Chairman of British Computer Society (Hong Kong Section).

Peter has vast experience in corporate consultancy and trainings, covering topics on innovation, disruptions and digital transformation.

Peter specialises in retail and e-commerce by keeping an active managerial role in his own startup ventures - Hiwave Dry Seafood (hiwave.com.hk), an online retail store of Chinese dry seafood.

Ms. Ivy Lau

Ivy Lau is an entrepreneur in the wholesale & retail industry and a corporate HR veteran.
Ivy founded “Bliss & Bless International Limited (BnB)” an importer and distributor of baby brands sourced globally. Besides her own entrepreneurial journey, Ivy is a seasoned HR professional in various listed corporations, heading human resources, talent engagement and development, administration and CSR, with a number of M&A and IPO experiences.
Ivy has served as Business Mentor for start-ups, NGOs and social enterprises.

Professional business coaches

Mr. Joe Lee

Area of expertise:
Company formation and structure; Accounting; Tax; Corporate finance

Joe specialises in advising overseas (especially Hong Kong) clients who wish to move to the UK and provides assistance to help them structure their business and tax affairs. Furthermore, he provides financial advice, accountancy and tax issues for entrepreneurs, family offices, high net worth private individuals and owner-managed businesses in the UK. He also has extensive knowledge of the London property market acting for many UK and overseas investors and developers.

Joe qualified as a Chartered Accountant and has over 20 years’ experience in the profession. Leftley Rowe is endorsed by the Department for International Trade of the UK government as one of the Advisory Panel in supporting overseas businesses investing in the UK.

Mr. Thomas Fung

Area of expertise:
Accounting and bookkeeping; Corporation tax; VAT; Financial management

Thomas has been residing in the U.K. in the previous ten years. After graduating from Newcastle University, Thomas is currently working as a semi-senior accountant in an accountancy firm based in Oxford. His main responsibilities are managing a portfolio of corporate clients by taking care of their accounts, corporation & personal tax affairs.
Thomas also assists some HongKongers organisations with his professional experience on a voluntary basis.

Ms. Wanda Chow

Area of expertise:
Real estate portfolio management; English criminal law; Merger and acquisition

Wanda is currently working as a solicitor in a London law firm. She has previously worked in the Hague, New York and Tanzania.

Her commercial experience includes her role as Vice President of a listed company in Hong Kong, Director of a real estate fund in the UK, and Director of a company specialising in acquiring hotels and guesthouses.

Ms. Cherry Wan

Area of expertise:
Digital marketing; Website development; eCommerce; Search engine marketing

Cherry is an experienced Consultant in the marketing and advertising industry.

She is currently working in a local marketing agency in London, managing clients' campaigns and providing insight and recommendations to clients.

Cherry was a director and founder of an UK based digital company, leveraging the team of talent and expertise from the sister company in Hong Kong.

Ms. Stella Chiu

Area of expertise:
Marketing strategy; Brand image and storytelling; Social media strategy; Event management

Stella is currently Global Internal Communications Manager of an international management consulting firm in London. Stella has assumed key roles in companies in a wide range of industries including technology, energy, chemical, properties, luxurious brands, and the media.

Stella was also a university part-time lecturer specializing in Intercultural Communication and has participated in mentorship programs for years.

Stella is a co-founder of a non-profiting-making organization, Ignite Community Services.

Mr. Ivan Yip

Area of expertise:
Writing business plan and pitching; Business strategy; Advisory on technology sector; Government relation; Fintech

Ivan has been Head of New Economy at Department for International Trade at the British Consulate General Kong Hong for 9 years. He had advised and assisted over hundred Hong Kong companies in expanding businesses to the UK particular in sectors such as technology, fintech, digital, creative, life science and capital investment. Ivan worked closely with regional government in key UK cities such as London, Manchester, Birmingham, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland to formulate strategy in facilitating Hong Kong companies expanding in the region. Ivan also led the formation of strategic partnership for the UK government with key government and private organisations in HK to foster business expansion of the companies to the UK and vice vera.

Mr. Lennon Wong

Area of expertise: Strategic Marketing; Customer Engagement; Brand Building; Small Business Start-up/Management

Lennon is a seasoned marketing and account management professional working with a rich mix of major brands, global creative agencies and AI Tech solutions provider.

His current role focuses on business development and client engagement for a leading client feedback company providing top class services & state-of-the-art Client Insight Platform to blue chip companies and international professional services firms.
In Hong Kong, Lennon has established Culture Club, a café created as a ground breaking platform blended with modern art, Argentine tango, and cultural & music elements.

Mr. Winy Lee

Area of expertise:
e-Commerce; Sales and Marketing; Social media marketing; Innovation and Technology

Winy has engaged in sales management and market development in engineering, professional recruitment, IT and innovation and technology industries.

Winy is currently the CMO of GroupBuyer www.groupbuyer.hk. He is Vice President of the Hong Kong Science Park Technology Incubation Network (TIN), the executive committee of the Hong Kong Sales and Marketing Professionals Society, the Honorary President of the book club Smart Book Club, and a guest speaker of the "Zhuo Yu Jing Ge" secondary school students' career planning sharing.

Mr. Kaga Chung

Area of expertise:
Social Media Development; Digital Marketing; Content Creation; Business analysis and consultation

Kaga Chung was a Journalist, Digital Content Producer and Social Media Specialist back in Hong Kong.

He is now the personal assistant of an English hospitality entrepreneur, responsible for music event management, social media marketing of a coffee and antique brand, as well as the daily operation of several pubs in London, Reading and Winchester.

Ms. Janice Liu

Area of expertise:
Go-to-Market Plan; Communications; Investor Relations (i.e. fundraising, pitch deck) and Stakeholder Management

Janice Liu is Head of Communications and Public Affairs at TranSwap UK, a fintech (PayTech) company with UK presence, headquartered in Singapore and offices across Asia.

Prior to that, Janice has 8+ years of experience in financial communications (investor relations) and 4 years as Head of Hong Kong at Scottish Development International, an economic development agency for the Scottish government, which specialised in attracting overseas companies to setup businesses in Scotland and assist Scottish companies to trade worldwide.

Currently residing in Edinburgh, UK Janice was born and raised in Hong Kong. She has completed her education in Canada and worked in major cities in Asia and the UK.

Apply Now

Please complete the application form and submit the required documents to ignite@hkbusinesshub.net on or before 25 October, 2022.

The application form must be completed by an authorised representative of your business. HKBH reserves the right to seek additional information as it deems necessary. You should also provide all clarification, information and documents requested by HKBH from time to time for processing your registration.

Download the Application Form

Ignite BN(O) Entrepreneurs Mentoring Programme