Jill CONNELL

I Project Manage Lanarkshire Larder in addition to providing Consultancy Services to Scottish Chambers of Commerce UK Finance Mentoring Programme.

Previous 2021-2023 work included Business Start-Up Consultancy Services to Business Gateway/Elevator Lanarkshire & Aberdeen. I was previously Scotland Trainer for MyBnk, the leading charity in the UK for financial education in addition to Finance Education Project Manager for Young Enterprise Scotland.

During the Covid-19 pandemic I was a Volunteer with Chest Heart Stroke Scotland.

Jill has 20 years+ experience including business development, marketing, programme/project management & training workshop design & delivery.

Selected for Lord Sugar’s The Apprentice 1st round.

To date Jill has delivered, training to a collective audience in excess of 15,000 attendees and practical business advisory support directly to over 10,000 start-up  & existing businesses inc the Voluntary sector.

Jill has started up & ran 3 businesses since 1997. Several pivotal roles inc:

• Jill’s 1st proposed business idea at age 25; A Women’s Taxi Service in Glasgow achieved equity investment by Sir Tom Farmer CBE
• Scottish Women into Business Conference Speaker
• Microcredit Business Lending Manager for Scotland
• Scottish Enterprise Master Trainer for Scotland (1 of 10)
• Prince’s Initiative for Mature Enterprise Trainer for Scotland (1 of 2)
• Scottish Chambers of Commerce Business Mentoring Consultant
• Financial Educator to S6 school pupils for Scotland   (1 of 17)

Consultancy Services include Project Management of the Charities/Social Enterprise sector. Feasibility Studies, Business Plans & Funding Strategies.

Previous Clients include Scottish Enterprise, Careers Scotland, Business Gateway Scotland, East Dunbartonshire Council, The Stewart Ivory Financial Education Trust, Targeting Innovation, Council for Ethnic Voluntary Organisations Scotland (CEMVO) Minority Ethnic Carers of Older People Project (MECOPP), Enterprising Women, Get Ready for Work Organisations Scotland, The Voluntary Sector Scotland, Ayrshire Council, The Princes Trust, The Princes Trust for Mature Enterprise (PRIME), West Lothian Chamber of Commerce, DHP Scotland Ltd, Argyll & Bute Council, The Co-operative Group, MsMissMrs Social Enterprise Glasgow, Enterprise Mentoring, Glasgow Regeneration Agency, Glasgow City Council, Scottish Women’s Aid, The Scottish Music Industry Association, Dumfries & Galloway Council & Scottish Chambers of Commerce.

Thanks for reading. Ok following on from my glamorous picture holidaying at Burntisland. At age 18 I started a Bsc Quantity Surveying in my hometown of Glasgow. I left after 4 months; couldn’t visualise myself swapping my heels to walk round building sites in steel toe cap boots examining the cavities of walls. Eventually after being unemployed for sometime I started a career in office/payroll work. Started to have a ‘dread’ sunday feeling for the working week ahead though put it down to being young & living for the weekends. Little did I know my life would change so dramatically.

After both my parents died; by the age of 22 I suffered a breakdown; lost everything & hit rock bottom. 

After several years of recovery, re-training & personal growth I wanted to start my own business.

My 1st business idea at age 25; a women’s taxi service in Glasgow achieved equity investment by Sir Tom Farmer CBE. 

I then launched my 2nd business which is now JillConnell.Com

It has been my privilege to work with people’s potential over the last 20 years. Having trained over 15,000 individuals through various personal growth & business skills courses.

I have set up several other businesses along the way:

Proclean (10 years) from from commercial premises with 10 staff members. Lota Properties (10 years) managing & letting rental property.

I am very passionate about my work.

A few extracts from workshop delivery over the past few years to the Question:

“What was the best bit about the session?”

• “Learning stuff I hadn’t even thought of”
• “Relaxed atmosphere & interaction”
• “Confirming ideas & answering all questions”
• “Increased my confidence thank you Jill”
•  “Fantasic, great trainer”
• “Jill’s knowledge & making everything simple & easy to understand”

• “Outstanding Feasibility Study, much more than we had hoped for, this will help us so much to obtain our vision of a £million pound stand alone Life Limiting & Cancer Centre in rural lanarkshire; thank you Jill.”