Birmingham and the West Midlands, UK
Business mentor who ACTUALLY owns businesses in Birmingham and the West Midlands
“Best month ever, twice”; “one business to four,” say clients. Most coaches have only owned a coaching business. Birmingham mentor who WALKS THE TALK. UK Business Coach of the Year, Dr Lewis Haydon, 100+ businesses coached. Birmingham is where I'm from and where I was born, and from my office in the Jewellery Quarter I'll challenge you, keep you accountable, and help you build a business that grows without everything depending on you. Planning days happen in person, in your business, across the Midlands and anywhere in the UK; monthly sessions run in person or on Zoom. I mentor owners across the UK on Zoom too, and prices are on the pricing page. Looking for a business coach in Birmingham? That’s the home page.
Our best month ever, on the back of last month being our best month ever.
Darren Legg, owner, Enhance Mobility Group£200K to £1M+ in revenue, and one business to four.
Matthew Weston, owner, Vantage 365 GroupHe asks the questions you’ve been avoiding.
James Merrix, owner, Appoly GroupIn a space full of big promises, his straightforward, practical approach stands out.
David Khan, Managing Director, OMS
How I compare
Compare Dr Lewis Haydon, mentor and coach, with other types of business coach.
See the full comparison, with the reason behind every ratingWho it’s for
Do I need a business mentor?
- Everything in the business still comes back to you, and it’s starting to feel chaotic.
- You want a mentor who will challenge you and keep you accountable.
- You need a proper management structure, real delegation, and people held to account.
- Cash flow and profit aren’t what the turnover says they should be.
- You want to lead strategically instead of being in every decision.
- The end game is to scale, bring in a general manager or appoint a managing director so the business grows without you while you lead it bigger, build other businesses or chase your life goals, or exit.
On site
What a planning day looks like
I spend the day in your business. We go through the numbers, the team and the way decisions get made, and agree what the business should be paying off for you. Then you get your managers around the boardroom table, operations, sales, finance, HR, and we work out the one thing each department needs to get done this quarter, that the whole team can get behind. I see a lot of owners come away from planning with 20 or 30 things on the list. You leave with a few priorities, in order, and a name against each one.
After that, monthly mentoring keeps you to it: in person at your business or mine, or on Zoom, with support between sessions when it matters.
Where to find me
Dr Lewis Haydon
71 Vyse Street
Jewellery Quarter
Birmingham B18 6EX
United Kingdom
By appointment. Monday to Thursday 8am–4.30pm, Friday 8am–3.30pm.
See me on Google Maps, with reviewsHow it works
Business mentoring in person in Birmingham and the West Midlands, in three steps.
- Virtual coffee. 30 minutes on Zoom. Bring your biggest question about the business; we’ll see whether I’m the right person for it.
- Planning day, in your business. I come to you, anywhere in Birmingham, the Black Country or the wider Midlands. We go through the numbers, the team and how decisions get made, and agree the plan.
- Monthly mentoring, in person or on Zoom. Sessions at your office, at mine in the Jewellery Quarter, or on Zoom, monthly, fortnightly or weekly, with wrap-around support on Teams, WhatsApp and by phone in between.
Prices
What a business mentor costs, with something to compare it to.
The same prices in person in the West Midlands as on Zoom anywhere in the UK, all plus VAT, billed monthly.
| Option | Price | Compare it to |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly mentoring | £800 a month | Less than two days of a freelance management consultant (UK average around £620 a day). |
| Business gap analysis | £699 | One meeting that unblocks what’s holding the business back, and gives you the next thing to focus on. Less than a day of a freelance consultant. |
Not just one session a month: wrap-around support all month, my private number for when you need me, and the backing of the senior leaders in the businesses I own, who are living the skills your business needs, plus MentorBusiness.com. You’re not going it alone. A partner to call on, with entire organisations behind me to support you, so when times are tough you sleep easier knowing someone’s in your corner, and someone to celebrate with when you break through.
Most owners choose weekly mentoring, with training for their team included. Want something different? Request a tailored quote.
Comparisons: YunoJuno 2026 Freelancer Rates Report; noomii.com UK executive coaching cost guide; a junior employee on £25,000 plus employer costs. Full detail on the pricing page.
Local proof
Proof from Birmingham and the Midlands
- Live on BBC Midlands Today, November 2026. In the studio on what Poundland’s troubles mean for staff, suppliers and the high street.
- BBC Radio WM, October 2026. Interviewed on air about what the weeks of Budget speculation were costing small businesses.
- Doctorate from Aston University, Birmingham. Research on how business coaches cope and persist, published on Google Scholar.
- Midlands Best Client Results 2021. An industry award for what clients achieved.
- UK Business Coach of the Year 2023. A national award for client results and ratings.
- Speaker, NatWest Boost, 2019. Speaking to an audience of business owners.
- Panel, Dragons’ Den-style pitch event, 2026. On the panel at STEAMhouse, Birmingham, hearing pitches from founders and owners.
West Midlands
A business mentor for the West Midlands, in person.
Focus: cash flow, profit and margin; a management team that takes the day-to-day off you; and a higher payoff for you as the owner, in dividends or time back. An independent mentor who finds the one constraint stopping your business growing and paying you more, from your own numbers, and fixes that first.
Area: Birmingham, the Black Country, Solihull, Coventry, Wolverhampton, Worcester, Stafford and the rest of Staffordshire, and Shrewsbury in person; monthly sessions on Zoom for owners anywhere in the UK.
That includes business mentoring in Wolverhampton, across the Black Country and in Staffordshire, at your premises.
Who: owners of established businesses, £250k to £20m turnover, who want the business to grow without them. Every price is published, from £800 a month.
Across the UK
A business mentor for owners across the UK, on Zoom or in your business.
You don’t have to be in the Midlands. Business mentoring works the same wherever you are: a planning day in your business, which I’ll travel for anywhere in the UK, then monthly, fortnightly or weekly sessions on Zoom, with support on Teams, WhatsApp and by phone in between. The price is the same as in person.
It’s for owners of established businesses, from £250k to £20m turnover, where everything still goes through the owner. If you’re at the smaller end of that, see small business coaching. If you’re comparing the two, here’s the difference between a business coach and a business mentor, and how to find a business mentor who’s right for you.
Why owners choose a business mentor near them
You’ll be working with someone who owns and invests in businesses and has coached owners of 100+ more since 2012. Being in the same city matters too: I can be in your office for a planning day, sit in on a leadership meeting, or meet your team, rather than only ever seeing the business through a screen.
On BBC WM on 27 October 2026, the day before the Autumn Budget, my point was that the weeks of speculation were doing more damage than the tax. One of my businesses works for the NHS as a subcontractor, and in the run-up to the 2024 Budget the large construction companies held back; our salespeople could do everything right and still hear “we can’t tell you when the job starts, because our customer hasn’t decided.” Read what I said on BBC WM.
I’ve coached and mentored owners across care and supported living, recruitment, construction and civil engineering, fire safety and risk management, manufacturing, IT, telecoms and AI, distribution and warehousing, property development, accountancy, marketing and lead generation, management consulting, arboriculture, security, mobility and healthcare equipment, and medical technology — and I own and invest in businesses in several of those myself. Chances are I’ve already sat at the table of an owner in your sector. But that isn’t what makes the difference. What does is that I own and run businesses myself, so I’m not advising from a textbook.
Questions
What makes you different as a business mentor in Birmingham?
I own and invest in several businesses myself, so I advise from the owner’s seat. Think about it: why would you learn how to lose weight from somebody who’s never had to lose any? I also work from evidence, not opinion: a doctorate in business, the numbers from my own companies and the data from owners on the Mentor Business Podcast. And I’m independent, so there’s no set programme: we find the one constraint stopping your business growing and paying you more, fix it, then find the next. Comparing coaches in Birmingham? Score us all on the same ten questions with the choose a business coach tool.
Do you only mentor businesses in Birmingham?
No. I’m based in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter and do planning days in person across the West and East Midlands (the Black Country, Solihull, Wolverhampton, Coventry, Worcester, Nottingham, Shrewsbury, Stafford and the rest of Staffordshire), and I’ll come to your office anywhere else in the UK too. Monthly sessions run on Zoom for owners anywhere in the UK and abroad.
What does it cost?
Business mentoring from £800 a month plus VAT: Not just one session: support all month, my private number, and the backing of the businesses I own and their senior leaders. A business gap analysis is £699 plus VAT: one meeting that unblocks what’s holding the business back and gives you the next thing to focus on; the fee comes off your first month if you carry on. The first conversation is a 30-minute virtual coffee. Full prices are on the pricing page.
How much does a business mentor cost in the UK?
In the UK, one-to-one business coaching and mentoring usually costs £1,000 to £3,000 a month. My mentoring is from £800 a month plus VAT: Not just one session: support all month, my private number, and the backing of the businesses I own and their senior leaders. Or start with a business gap analysis at £699 plus VAT: one meeting that unblocks what’s holding the business back and gives you the next thing to focus on. The price is the same in person or on Zoom, and every price is published.
What’s the difference between a business coach and a business mentor?
A business coach usually asks the questions and helps you find your own answers. A business mentor has done it, and tells you what they’d do. I do both: I’ll challenge you and keep you accountable like a coach, and because I own businesses myself, I’ll tell you what I’d do in your seat.
Can we meet at your office?
Yes. I’m at 71 Vyse Street in the Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham B18 6EX, by appointment. Most planning days happen in your business, because that’s where the problems are.
Do you work with care businesses in the West Midlands?
Yes. Care is one of the sectors I own and invest in, and I work with owners of supported living, children’s homes, domiciliary care and care homes across the Midlands. See care consultancy for how that works.
How much is my business worth?
For a quick figure, use the free business valuation calculator. It works out adjusted EBITDA times a multiple, and shows what the business would be worth if it ran without you. A formal valuation comes later, when you’re ready to sell.
Can I just WhatsApp you?
Yes. Send your question on WhatsApp and I reply myself, not an assistant. Clients get me on WhatsApp between sessions too, which is when most of the worrying happens.
Is there a minimum contract?
No. Mentoring runs month to month, with no fixed-term contract. If you want to stop, give 30 days’ notice.
“It’s not only me he’s supported; he’s worked with members of my team too, which has made a real difference across the business.”
How I compare
See how I compare to coaches, coaching franchise companies, and consultants.
Sixteen things owners care about, scored green, amber or red, with the reason for every score, including where someone else is the better choice.
See the full comparisonNext step
Book a virtual coffee with Dr Lewis Haydon
Bring your biggest question about scaling the business to a 30-minute virtual coffee, and leave with a straight answer.
Not sure I’m the right fit? Compare me with other coaches and mentors, honestly, including where others are the better choice. Want something built around your business? Request a tailored quote and I’ll call you to go through it.