Author - Robin Bowman, Senior Business
Editor
It's great news that the government has announced investment to
recruit and train an additional 10,000 volunteers to become
business mentors.
This is in addition to the funding announced earlier to identify
and train a further 5000 mentors targeted specifically to help
women entrepreneurs, plus almost 11,000 mentors already available.
This means that some 26,000 business mentors will now become
available to help boost small and medium sized
businesses. 
According to Business Minister Mark Prisk, "Businesses tell us
they want to get advice from other experienced business people and
we know that those seeking support are more likely to succeed.
"Mentoring can deliver significant economic benefits from just a
small commitment of time and resources. Building a relationship
with a mentor can have a positive effect on your business, whether
you are just starting up or are already established."
This all sounds positive, but clearly it's assistance for the
long-term that, for the most part, is being offered
here.
So, what exactly is the business mentoring scheme and how can it
help small businesses?
In principle, the idea is an excellent one - if businesses can
tap into the knowledge and - most important of all - the experience
of those who have 'been there and done it', if can only be of
benefit.
The mentoring portal, www.mentorsme.co.uk , was
launched to give entrepreneurs a way of tapping into the
experienced business people who are available. Some of this
help is free, other groups will make a charge.
What the site does is allow businesses to match themselves with
mentors, both in their area and in the area of expertise they
believe they need guidance with. The site is operated by the
British Bankers' Association.
Experienced advice from mentors is available on a wide range of
areas, from finance, to marketing and HR. Many mentors are current
or retired bank staff who have volunteered and been trained.
Mentors can also be chosen by businesses based on the stage of
development their business is at. The service, though, is
especially useful for start-ups who can be particularly vulnerable
because of a lack of knowledge or experience. Businesses at
other stages of development can also benefit and the scheme can be
especially helpful for businesses that have hit some kind of
barrier to growth - perhaps a new phase of rapid growth has been
entered or finance has been turned down.
Just as it's important to understand how the mentoring service
can help a business, it's also key to appreciate what a mentor
can't do.
You can expect the mentor to offer an objective view of your
business, uncoloured by being directly involved. They will be ready
to hear your concerns and share their own experiences. They can be
used for bouncing ideas off as well as helping with your
decision-making - especially by offering alternative approaches to
problems based on personal experience.
They may also be able to offer contacts and networks that can
help you and your business.
But they won't counsel you or give specific advice in a field
that would normally be dealt with by an expert. Nor will they
offer a training service or take responsibility for the business
away from the owner of the business.
Robin has been a journalist for more than 20 years,
during which time he has held several senior media management
positions in both Fleet Street and Hong Kong. Robin recently
returned to the UK after being based in Italy for six years. He has
a passion for business innovation.
The content of this article reflects the views of
the author and may not necessarily reflect the views of Premierline
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