Business Mentors
Business requires a variety of skills and information at different stages and this is where a Mentor can greatly assist.
Mentoring can provide you with peace of mind, inspiration or simply a sounding board to bounce ideas off for growing your business.
Vision Manawatu offers its Mentoring service through Business Mentors New Zealand. The Mentor Programme offers expertise in all areas of business management.
Overview
Business Mentors New Zealand operates a national mentoring service, through 28 agency offices spread across the country.
The Business Mentors service matches eligible New Zealand businesses with skilled and experienced business mentors. Most New Zealand small to medium size businesses are eligible for this assistance, as long as they are currently trading, and employs fewer than 25 employees.
Business mentoring is free for clients, apart from an initial one-off registration fee, which covers up to two years of mentoring. Whether you meet with a mentor once or five times during the two years, no fees other than the one-off registration fee apply.
All of our mentors are volunteers, and provide their experience, skill and knowledge without additional charge. Many of our mentors have backgrounds with leading New Zealand businesses and startups, and are well placed to help you.
Mentoring offers a range of benefits for you and your business. Your mentor will provide you with independent, impartial advices that may challenge you to go further, set new business goals, and achieve better results. You may experience peace of mind, increased business confidence, and inspiration as a result, or you may wish to use business mentoring to get a fresh perspective about your business ideas. A mentor can provide vital assistance in identifying business strategies and opportunities for growth, and sometimes help to implement improvements.
The level of success you achieve from your mentoring relationship depends on the level of commitment you make to it. Business Mentors New Zealand engages with a diverse range of people and circumstances, and we pride ourselves on treating people equitably and with respect. We take an active role in assisting people with their businesses, and supporting New Zealand’s economic growth.
For more information about Business Mentors New Zealand, please visit our website at http://www.businessmentors.org.nz, or contact your local agent.
About Our Mentors
Mentoring draws on the skills and experience of proven successful business people from a diverse range of fields including sales and marketing, general management, finance and accounting, administration, manufacturing, production and distribution, human resources, legal, international trade and export, and technology.
Our Mentors have a genuine desire to make a difference to your business – they volunteer their time and are committed to sharing their skills, knowledge and experience in an independent and impartial way.
Does my business qualify?
If your business has been trading with evidence of accounts, employs less than 25 full-time employees, you are eligible to apply for a business mentor.
How do I Apply?
Applications may be made on-line. Please note that a registration fee, which entitles you to use the mentoring service for two years, will apply. This is the only cost to you – the mentoring you receive is free!
Business Mentors New Zealand is 70% funded by private sector companies and 30% funded by New Zealand Trade and Enterprise.
Specialised Export Mentoring Service
In addition to the standard mentoring service, Vision Manawatu is able to call upon specialist export mentors, who have proven exporting experience and (in many cases) current international contacts, to help you in establishing your markets.
If you are not eligible for our service, you can find out about other types of support and services available to small business by visiting www.business.govt.nz.
