Properties, with correct handling, do not simply get repossessed – there is usually a way through to navigate.
We have also recently dealt with the death of a mortgage account holder and removing the deceased's name from the mortgage and advising the beneficiaries on a declaration of trust.
Mike Staton, director at Staton Mortgages
Every mortgage should be tailored to the individual need, sometimes there is a hell of a lot of work involved and there is value in your input.
On other occasions, you look at a case, you see it with a few clicks of a button and it is the right outcome for the client.
It is all about knowing your own worth in this industry and sometimes, unfortunately, brokers do not value themselves enough, but on other occasions, [working pro bono] is just the right thing to do.
Rachel Hayward, managing director at Ask the Chameleon
Research shows 92 per cent of small businesses will trust each other more than the mainstream, therefore we are often found to be helping each other out, signposting, advice, and guidance. Reciprocity is alive and well in small business land.
So much so that I co-founded a swap shop of business-to-business support during the pandemic that ran for three years – all totally for free.
I still support other budding business owners through a range of memberships – everyone needs a helping hand, and I learn a lot about business too.
However, a small business cannot live on pro bono (or swaps) alone, they do not pay the bills.
So I cap what I do and when, and always ask for something in return ie, help for a friend, a testimonial, an introduction.
Emmi Kavander, chief executive and founder at MatchInverse
Over the past years, I have given hundreds of hours of pro bono mentoring and coaching to founders and start-up chief executives.
I find it a meaningful way to support those who work to build a better world for us, and there are very few places that are lonelier than being a start-up founder and chief executive.
The investment in time has been a significant one for me, however I get so much energy and inspiration from these conversations.
I have gotten to know fantastic people and learned about various industries, their challenges, and their upcoming innovative solutions.
In addition, it has built me a significant international network and brand in the start-up ecosystem as an expert in pitching and as a personal coach. I will always be the one that stands in the founder's corner.
If you are reading this as someone with relevant knowledge and experience, give some of it away. It is one of the few things in life that give you both short-term and long-term returns from the minute you start.
