Affordable IT mentoring for small and medium sized businesses

Hiring expensive IT consultants can seriously cut into the budgets of small and medium-sized businesses. This can lead to decisions that cost even more in the long run.

I want to help smaller businesses by sharing my more than 35 years of experience in the IT industry.

I can now offer affordable online mentoring and adviser services as an independent consultant.

Examples of subjects for mentoring and advice:

• Planning and running projects and change initiatives.
• Recruiting IT personnel.
• Hiring IT consultants.
• Understanding IT contracts.
• Understanding privacy legislation.
• Maximising return on investment for your money spent on IT systems, subscriptions, and services.
• Training the staff to use IT systems.
• Being present on the web and social media.

My career so far includes:

• Twenty-one years in different manager positions (IT Project and Change Manager, IT Service Delivery Manager, IT Quality Manager).
• Sixteen years in technically oriented positions (WinTel Engineer and Consultant, Microsoft Certified Trainer, technical teacher).

This is why I’m qualified to help you:

I’ve worked in originations of all sizes, from small family-owned businesses to giant international corporations. I’ve worked for commercial companies and in public services.

I’ve been on both sides of the table, as a customer buying IT services and as a provider.

My education is cross-disciplinary, combining technical and business administration subjects into an academic degree that roughly corresponds to a bachelor’s degree today.

I have excellent communication skills honed through teaching and developing e-learning content. I can make complex information understandable for any target audience.

Please have a look at my Timeline if you want further information about my background:

This is how the service works:

Book a free online preparation appointment so that we can discuss your problem and agree on the terms.

(The self-service appointment booking is temporarily unavailable. Please use the contact form option, and we’ll agree on a time for an online appointment. My apologies for the inconvenience.)

• Choose IT mentoring for SMBs preparation and quote from the services menu.
• Choose an available time slot in the calendar.
• Enter your name and email address in the details form.
• It will help me to prepare well if you write a short summary of what you want to discuss in the Note field.

In or after the appointment, depending on the subject we discuss, I will give you a fixed price or an hourly rate for the work you want me to do.

For an hourly rate, the estimated rate will be £30 – £45.

The preparation appointment itself is free of obligation and cost. If we cannot identify how I can help you within my areas of experience and knowledge, you pay nothing.

How do we do an online appointment?

I will send a Zoom meeting link to your email address before the appointment.

You can join the meeting from a smartphone or desktop computer at the time of the appointment.

If you aren’t familiar with Zoom meetings, please read my Zoom guide:

What is Smoking Hedges Creations?

Smoking Hedges Creations is a one-person sole trader company run by me, Tom Antonsen.

Smoking Hedges Creations offers professional and personal mentoring and advice as online services in the UK and internationally.

I am a Norwegian now living in the UK. I am eligible for work in the UK.