The original mastermind group started with a camping trip

Between 1915 and 1924, Henry Ford, Thomas Edison and Harvey Firestone went on a series of summer camping trips together, joined for several years by the naturalist John Burroughs. They called themselves the Four Vagabonds.

Three of the most successful businessmen of their age chose to spend their summer holidays sleeping in tents together, when they could easily have afforded the finest hotels in America. They clearly believed that spending time with people who understood their problems was worth more than another week at the office.

A century later, that idea has become an industry. You can now join a group of business owners online for £150 a month, or you can pay more than £60,000 a year to travel the world with Tony Robbins.

That is an enormous range, and as a result, it is very hard to work out what you actually get for your money.

We wrote this guide to make that easier. We compared the best known mastermind groups and peer advisory boards in the UK on format, price, Google reviews, time with your peers, time with the wider community and the type of owner each one suits.

We dug through independent reviews, member accounts and published dues to find the best price estimates we could.

We run Mastermind9, so we have included ourselves in this comparison too, and we have held ourselves to the same standards as everyone else. Every organisation in this guide helps business owners, and the right choice depends on your stage, your budget and how you like to work.

What you are really paying for in a mastermind group

A mastermind group is a small circle of business owners who meet regularly to work on each other’s challenges. You bring a real question, the group questions your thinking and shares what worked for them, and then they hold you to the action you commit to.

The idea is simple, but the packages built around it vary hugely. Once you strip away the branding, the price of any group comes down to four things.

Format

Meeting in person costs more to run, because someone has to pay for the room, the lunch and the facilitator’s travel. Online groups cost less to run, and that saving usually shows up in the price.

Time with your peers

Some groups give you a full day every month, while others give you a few hours. Count the hours you will actually spend working on your business with other owners, because that is the heart of any mastermind group.

Coaching

Several of the larger organisations include one to one sessions with a paid coach or Chair. That is valuable, and it is also one of the main reasons their fees run into five figures.

Time with the wider community

Conferences, retreats, online communities and international trips add to the experience, and they add to the bill as well. They are only worth paying for if you will actually turn up.

No single format, amount of peer time, level of coaching or size of community is right for everyone. A chief executive running a 200 person company may happily pay for a full day out every month, while a founder turning over £80,000 needs regular support at a price that makes sense for the business. Take our quiz to find out if a mastermind group is the right fit for you. 

Entrepreneurs Circle: a business growth membership with a busy community

At around £1,287 a year, Entrepreneurs Circle is the cheapest way into structured business support in this guide. Founded by Nigel Botterill, it is a UK business growth membership with a big and very active community.

Type of support: training and networking membership.

What you get

Members get weekly clinic calls on Zoom, a monthly printed magazine and a large library of how to guide. On the community side, there are more than 100 local networking meetings every month, plus in person and virtual events and an online members’ community.

More intensive coaching programmes are sold separately.

What it costs

Membership costs £99 plus VAT every four weeks. Because you pay every four weeks rather than every month, that adds up to 13 payments and about £1,287 a year before VAT, which is an easy detail to miss when you budget.

There is no contract, and a limited number of free four week trials are available.

The good bits and the catch

For the price, the amount of training on offer is hard to beat, and the free trial lets you look around before you pay a penny. Members have left 996 Google reviews with an average of 4.9 stars.

The catch is that Entrepreneurs Circle is mainly about learning and networking. You will meet a lot of owners, but there is no fixed small group that knows your business and works on it with you every month.

Entrepreneurs Organization London: a peer forum for million dollar founders

Once your business passes the million dollar mark, a whole new set of doors opens, and EO is one of the first you will find. The Entrepreneurs’ Organization is a worldwide network of business owners with a chapter in London, and membership is by invitation only.

Type of support: peer forum within a global network.

What you get

New members complete forum training and then join a forum, which is a small, confidential group of fellow owners that meets regularly. Around it is a busy calendar of boardroom style talks in London, regional and international events, and a global network of founders.

The London chapter itself is fairly intimate, with around 80 members.

What it costs

You pay chapter dues of £1,500 a year plus global dues of $2,630, which comes to roughly £3,500 a year. Joining costs another £1,000 plus $3,500, or roughly £3,650 in total.

The good bits and the catch

For the money, EO gives you a great deal of access, and its forum model is respected around the world. EO London has a perfect 5.0 rating from 10 Google reviews, and one member writes that after 20 years in business and plenty of other groups, EO beats them all.

The catch is the entry bar. You need a business turning over more than $1 million a year, and you must be a founder, owner or controlling shareholder.

Forums are led by trained members rather than a paid Chair, and events and retreats can add to the cost.

How EO compares with Mastermind9

A first year at EO London costs a little over £7,000, which is close to Mastermind9 Enterprise. After that, the annual fee is similar to Mastermind9 Growth Groups.

The big difference is who can join. EO is built for owners who have already passed the million dollar mark, while Mastermind9 welcomes owners from their very first sales upwards.

ActionCOACH: group business coaching led by a coach

A little further up the ladder, some owners decide they want a coach in charge rather than a room of peers. ActionCOACH is one of the best known business coaching franchises in the UK, and its ActionCLUB programme is the option closest to a mastermind group.

Type of support: group coaching programme.

What you get

ActionCLUB combines regular group coaching sessions with strategy workshops, practical tools and peer support. It is aimed at owner managed businesses that have been trading for at least a year or two, and members join ActionCOACH UK’s wider community of more than 2,000 businesses.

What it costs 

ActionCOACH does not set one fixed price, because each coach prices the programme around your business. Its own UK guide to coaching costs puts ActionCLUB at between £400 and £800 a month, which is £4,800 to £9,600 a year.

The good bits and the catch

You get a proven coaching framework and a coach who drives the agenda, which suits owners who want to be taught a system as well as supported. Each franchise has its own Google listing, so check the reviews for the coach nearest to you.

The flip side is that ActionCLUB puts the coach first and peer input second. Because each coach runs their own business, the price and the experience can vary between areas.

How ActionCOACH compares with Mastermind9

Mastermind9 Growth Groups costs £275 a month, which is below the bottom of ActionCLUB’s published range. ActionCLUB centres on a coach teaching a framework, while Mastermind9 centres on a group of owners challenging each other, with weekly accountability between sessions.

The Alternative Board: a peer advisory board with a coach attached

If you like the idea of a coach but still want a proper board of peers, TAB combines the two. The Alternative Board works with more than 5,000 business owners every month across 25 countries, and in the UK it runs through local franchises, each led by a trained facilitator.

Type of support: peer advisory board with one to one coaching.

What you get

Members sit on a monthly, confidential peer advisory board with owners from non-competing businesses. Each member also gets a monthly one to one session with their facilitator, plus access to TAB’s planning platform, the Business Builder’s Blueprint.

Between meetings, members can use TAB Connect, an online platform that links TAB members in more than 25 countries. Local facilitators also run workshops for owners.

What it costs

TAB sets its prices locally and gives each business a bespoke quote after a conversation with a facilitator. The only UK figure we found comes from a coaching firm’s comparison, which puts TAB at £400 to £800 a month, or £4,800 to £9,600 a year.

That comparison does not say where its figure came from, so treat it as a rough guide. Ask your local facilitator for the full annual cost in writing.

The good bits and the catch

A peer board and a personal coach in one package is a strong combination. TAB also offers your money back if you do not feel you have had value after three months, which takes a lot of risk off the table.

The weak spot is consistency. Because each board is run by a different franchise owner, the experience can vary from one area to the next, so sit in on a board as a guest if your facilitator offers it.

TAB’s UK head office has a perfect 5.0 rating, but from only five Google reviews, and several come from franchise owners rather than members.

How TAB compares with Mastermind9

TAB builds a monthly one to one session with your facilitator into every membership. Mastermind9 includes ad hoc one-on- one support from experienced business coaches, and members who want regular coaching can add sessions with Pete Mols. On the estimated figures, TAB costs between one and a half and three times as much as Mastermind9 Growth Groups. 

Mastermind9 gives you a published price, weekly accountability and an online format that does not depend on a board running near you. If personal coaching matters most to you, get a TAB quote and lay the two side by side.

Helm: curated founder forums for UK scale ups

Helm began life as The Supper Club, which is about as close to a campfire chat as London business gets. Today it is a members’ club for founders and chief executives of fast growing UK businesses, with more than 400 members across the UK.

Type of support: in-person peer forum within a members’ club.

What you get

Members sit in a forum of six to eight founders, led by a Chair, which meets for three hours ten times a year. Membership also includes a retreat and more than 160 events a year, both online and in person.

What it costs

Helm charges a £495 joining fee and then £495 a month, all plus VAT. That comes to £6,435 in the first year and £5,940 a year after that, and you can leave with a month’s notice.

The good bits and the catch

A forum of six to eight means everyone gets proper airtime, and the people around the table are running sizable, fast growing businesses. Helm has a 4.8 star rating from 21 Google reviews, and one member says they have belonged for 17 years. 

You do need a business turning over around £3 million, or one that has raised £3 million or completed an exit. The in person events also add most value if you live within reach of them.

How Helm compares with Mastermind9

For a business that qualifies, Helm costs about the same as Mastermind9 Enterprise, and it offers in person forums and a big events calendar. Mastermind9 Enterprise adds weekly accountability and quarterly planning, and it runs entirely online.

For owners below Helm’s threshold, Mastermind9 Growth Groups offers a monthly mastermind and weekly accountability for just over half of Helm’s annual fee.

YPO: the most exclusive peer network on the list

Keep climbing, and the rooms get smaller, the rules get stricter and the bills get bigger. YPO is a global network for chief executives who reached the top young, and for most small business owners it is firmly out of reach.

Type of support: peer forum within a global network.

What you get

Members join a peer led forum that meets monthly. YPO goes big on bringing people together, with a packed calendar of chapter events and global gatherings, plus dedicated programmes for members’ families.

What it costs

YPO does not publish dues for its UK chapters. Several US chapters do publish theirs, and those put annual fees at between $8,910 and $15,790, including global dues, which is roughly £6,700 to £11,900 a year.

On top of that comes a global joining fee of $4,790, about £3,600, plus any chapter joining fee, retreats and travel. We used US chapters because they are the only ones we found that publish their dues, so UK fees could be higher or lower.

The good bits and the catch

Few networks in the world put you in a room with leaders at this level, and the family programmes are something most peer groups simply do not offer.

Getting in is the hard part. You must be under 45 when you join, run the business with full profit and loss responsibility, employ at least 50 people in most cases and meet a revenue threshold that starts at $13 million. If you have already turned 45, we are sorry to say that ship has sailed.

How YPO compares with Mastermind9

Comparing YPO with Mastermind9 on price alone would miss the point, because the two serve very different businesses. YPO is for leaders of large companies who want a global network.

Mastermind9 is for owners of small and growing businesses who want practical support every week, at a price that suits where the business is today.

Vistage UK: the executive peer group heavyweight

Higher still, you reach the organisations that give you a full day with your peers and a personal coach every single month. Vistage is one of the best known names in CEO peer groups, with more than 45,000 members around the world.

Type of support: in person peer advisory group with one to one coaching.

What you get

The UK Chief Executive Programme places you in a group of 12 to 18 chief executives from different industries, led by a trained Chair. You get 12 full day meetings a year, 12 private coaching sessions with your Chair and up to eight workshops with expert speakers.

Beyond your own group, Vistage runs online and in person communities organised by industry, job role and location. Members can also tap into its global network of more than 45,000 leaders.

What it costs 

Vistage does not publish its UK prices. Independent reviews of the US programme put chief executive membership at around $1,380 a month plus a joining fee of about $2,500, which is roughly £12,500 a year plus around £1,900 to join.

A UK coaching firm’s own comparison puts Vistage higher, at £15,000 to £25,000 a year depending on the group and region. Taken together, a realistic budget sits somewhere between £12,500 and £25,000 a year, so ask Vistage for a written quote.

The good bits and the catch

A full day every month is a serious amount of thinking time, and the monthly coaching gives you a personal sounding board between meetings.

Twelve full days away from the business is a big commitment, though, and the room is built for established leaders of sizeable companies. Your experience also depends heavily on your Chair, so meet them before you sign.

How Vistage compares with Mastermind9

Vistage gives you more time in the room and a monthly session with your Chair, and it charges accordingly. Even at the bottom of our estimate, a year of Vistage costs nearly four times as much as Mastermind9 Growth Groups and almost double our Enterprise tier.

If you run a large business and want an executive coach included, Vistage deserves a place on your shortlist. For regular peer support at a price that suits a smaller business, Mastermind9 gives you weekly accountability for a fraction of the cost.

Tony Robbins: big events and an even bigger price tag

At the very top of the ladder, a long way from a tent in a field, sits Tony Robbins. He is one of the most famous names in personal and business development, and plenty of UK owners look at his programmes when they start searching for support.

Type of support: intensive event, plus a premium annual membership.

What you get

Business Mastery is a five day live event that you can join virtually from the UK, followed by a year long online curriculum and three one to one coaching sessions. You spend five days alongside thousands of other business owners, and then you mostly work through the course on your own.

The Platinum Partnership sits at the very top of his range, as an annual, application only membership with top tier tickets to his events, international trips, a peer group of fellow members and one to one coaching. Platinum Partners spend far more time together, travelling to events and on trips throughout the year.

What it costs

Tony Robbins publishes the Business Mastery price in US dollars, in his own payment terms, so this is an official US price. The monthly plan is a $1,995 deposit followed by 12 payments of $725, which comes to about £8,100.

The Platinum Partnership price is not published, so this one is an estimate. Members writing about it online have reported fees of between $85,000 and $120,000 a year, which is roughly £64,000 to £91,000 before you book a single flight. These figures come from members’ own accounts rather than from Tony Robbins, so treat them as a rough guide.

The good bits and the catch

Very few speakers can get thousands of business owners on their feet and cheering before lunch, and many people describe Business Mastery as a turning point.

Business Mastery is a single intense week followed by self study, and it does not include a small group that meets every month. Keeping that momentum going afterwards is largely down to you, and attending in person means a trip to the United States.

How Tony Robbins compares with Mastermind9

For about £8,100, Business Mastery gives you a five day event, a year long online course and three one to one coaching sessions. The same amount covers around two and a half years of Mastermind9 Growth Groups, which is roughly 30 monthly mastermind sessions, 10 quarterly planning sessions and a weekly accountability check in throughout. 

Mastermind9 gives you a group of peers who check on your progress every week, all year round. Plenty of owners would enjoy both, using the event to set the direction and the group to make sure it actually happens.

Mastermind9: an online mastermind group at an accessible price

Now that we have marked everyone else’s homework, it is only fair to mark our own. Mastermind9 is built for owners who want a small group that knows their business, at a price a growing business can carry.

The Four Vagabonds caught up each summer, while our members meet every month and check in every week.

Type of support: online peer group.

What you get

Mastermind9 runs online mastermind groups for UK business owners, matched to the stage your business has reached. Every member gets a monthly mastermind session, quarterly strategy planning and weekly accountability. Members pair up for a weekly accountability check in of 25 to 30 minutes, arranged at a time that suits them both. 

Between sessions, there are monthly online networking events, a members’ online community and a private WhatsApp group, which is usually the first place members go for a quick answer or a recommendation. Our founder, Pete Mols, also makes regular evening calls to members, one to one, to help them work through specific challenges. 

Mastermind9 is built on a simple belief. A business only truly succeeds when the rest of your life is working too, so our groups look at your health, your time and your relationships as well as your numbers. That is why our members work on building better lives and better relationships, alongside better businesses. 

What it costs 

We support business owners from start up to £6 million in revenue across three tiers. 

Momentum was built for founders turning over less than £50,000, and its groups hold up to 20 members. It costs £150 a month plus VAT. 

Growth Groups were created for business owners on the growth journey, typically turning over between £50,000 and £600,000. They cost £275 a month plus VAT. 

Enterprise groups are for well established owners, typically turning over £600,000 to £6 million a year. Some want to keep scaling, some want to build a stronger leadership team, and others are planning succession or an exit. Enterprise costs £575 a month plus VAT. 

Over a year, that works out at £1,800, £3,300 or £6,900 before VAT. You can leave with three months’ notice, and a refundable deposit covers the final part of that notice period.

The good bits and the catch

Last year, 91% of our members grew their businesses, and some have grown by more than 100% in a single year. Every one of our 66 Google reviews gives us five stars.

Each group mixes owners from different industries, with one seat per industry, so nobody sits across the table from a competitor. Everyone signs an NDA, which means members can talk honestly about the numbers, the staffing headache or the deal that is keeping them up at night.

The monthly mastermind is a facilitated half day, so there is real time to work on your business. Between sessions, the weekly check in keeps you moving, and because the core sessions run online, you never lose a day to the M4.

We are confident enough in the results to back them with a guarantee. If you have not at least doubled your investment within four months, your membership is free until you do (terms apply).

Every group also keeps a free seat for a charity leader. For anyone who misses a handshake, there are optional socials, dinners and days out in person.

Members also get ad hoc one to one support from experienced business coaches, quarterly half day planning sessions and introductions to useful people in the wider network. 

Online or in person: which mastermind group format suits you

Most of the big names in this guide meet in person, and there are good reasons for that. A shared lunch and a chat in the car park build trust quickly, and a day out of the office forces you to think about the business rather than work in it.

The catch is time and money. A full day meeting, plus the drive there and back, can take a big bite out of your week, and somebody has to pay for the room.

Online groups cut out the travel entirely. They let an owner in Cornwall sit with an owner in Leeds, and they make short weekly check-ins practical, which is very hard to arrange when everyone has to be in the same room.

Relationships still form online, although they take a little more deliberate effort. That is why online groups work best when they meet often and stay small enough for everyone to know each other.

Genuinely online mastermind groups are still fairly rare among the established names. Alongside Mastermind9, the main online options are Entrepreneurs Circle’s weekly clinic calls and the virtual version of Tony Robbins’ Business Mastery.

Women who already run a business can also look at the Create & Sell Mastermind from the Female Entrepreneur Association, a UK organisation founded by Carrie Green. Each intake takes ten women for six months of online coaching and calls, and it costs £5,197, which makes it closer to an intensive coaching programme than a monthly peer group.

Which mastermind group suits you

Realistically, your turnover and your budget will rule out half this list on their own.

• Just starting out, with turnover under £50,000. Mastermind9 Momentum and Entrepreneurs Circle both offer regular support at a price a young business can carry.
• Growing, with turnover between £50,000 and £1 million. Mastermind9 Growth Groups gives you a peer group and weekly accountability, while TAB and ActionCLUB build regular coaching into a higher fee.
• Past the million dollar mark. EO London and Mastermind9 Enterprise become options, and Helm opens up from around £3 million turnover.
• Leading a large company. Vistage suits chief executives who want full days and an executive coach, and YPO is worth exploring if you qualify.
• Looking for one big burst of inspiration. Tony Robbins’ Business Mastery gives you an intense week to reset your thinking, although it is not an ongoing group.

So, which mastermind group is right for you

The Four Vagabonds had no venue and no executive coach. What they had was a few people who understood their world and a regular date in the diary.

Every organisation in this guide offers some version of that, in very different formats and at very different prices. Mastermind9 was built for owners who want a small group that knows their business, a monthly mastermind and someone checking their progress every week, all at a price that suits a growing business.

Whichever way you lean, ask every provider the same three things before you sign. Ask for the full annual cost including VAT and joining fees, ask how many hours you will actually spend with your peers, and ask to sit in on a session first.

If you run one of these organisations and something here is out of date, email us and we will happily correct it.

We would love to hear which groups made your shortlist and what swung your decision. Prefer a proper conversation first? Book a free 20 minute call with Pete to talk through your business and whether a mastermind group is right for you. 

Book a free virtual tour of Mastermind9 and see exactly how our groups work before you spend a penny.

Onwards and upwards our friends,

Pete, Sarah, and the Mastermind9 team.