Business Mentors

Step outside your business with a mentor

A business mentor can help you step outside the day to day running of your business to take a look at your business as a whole and see the opportunities and issues you face, or potentially will face.

“The best thing about having a mentor is it instills discipline to give time and attention to work on your business or to think about it without interruptions,” says Kerry Carr, who manages the Business Mentors New Zealand agency for the Auckland Chamber of Commerce.

“A mentor is not going to train you, or write you a business plan, nor do they necessarily have the magic answer. What they will do however is support your decision making.
They will likely know where you should go for research or to get answers and they will help you identify gaps that may need addressing.

“A good mentor is someone who is patient, has good general business experience in either their own business or a senior management role, and someone who can go in quietly and offer support. They need to understand the business quickly, focus on what the business is about and the skill levels of the business owner.”
Darren Cottingham, mentor and general manager of digital ventures at Parkside Media, says there are benefits to his own business from mentoring others.

“One of the best things about being a mentor is seeing the look of relief and gratitude when a business owner realises that a problem that was seemingly insurmountable has solutions that are achievable and someone is there to help guide them through it.

An additional benefit for us as mentors, often with our own businesses, is that mentoring can help us see different perspectives to our own challenges.”
Kerry believes any business owner can benefit from mentoring.

“There is no such a thing as the ideal mentee as every business and owner is a unique proposition. The qualities that help the successful mentor and mentee relationship are good listening skills, good communication and someone who is passionate about their business and eager to put some energy into it. It also helps if they know their industry well,” she says.

“Anyone who is trading and has a financial history can apply for a mentor. There is no time limit as to how long the business has been operating, although Business Mentors NZ doesn’t help startups,” she says.

Business Mentors New Zealand doesn’t always match mentors based upon industry. “It is very useful to have mentors look at your business as a business and to take away the emotional aspects of a specific industry.

“We have more than 200 mentors on our books at the moment – around 10 per cent are women, most are older but all have really good general business skills.”
Elizabeth Delany, owner of modelling and talent agency, odd Management 2004 Ltd has been mentored since last August by Darren Cottingham.

“I liked that Darren knew a little about my industry but was not an expert so he was looking at the business operation and not from an industry perspective. He doesn’t give me all the answers but teaches me how to bring out my own knowledge and apply that and I have discovered that I know more than I thought. Getting a second opinion has given me more confidence,” she says.

The process of obtaining a mentor is simple:
If your business employs fewer than 25 full-time employees and provides you with your primary source of income, with evidence of trading, you qualify to register for mentoring assistance.

1. Register online at www.businessmentors.org.nz
2. Complete an online application
3. Pay a one off $150 + GST registration fee (for up to two years of registration)
4. Your local agent will contact you to arrange your mentor match

And it is even easier to become a mentor:

1. Complete the Business Mentor application form at www.businessmentors.org.nz selecting the areas of expertise and industry experience with which you are most familiar
2. Your local agent will contact you to advise if your application has been accepted. There are 17 Business Mentors New Zealand agencies throughout New Zealand.

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