As your business takes shape and progresses through various stages it is inevitable that important decisions will need to be made. These decisions are often complex and sometimes it is important to get advice and support from independent sources. A good mentor can be invaluable to entrepreneurs, helping to give advice and new insights.
Local Enterprise Office Fingal has a specially selected panel of skilled and experienced mentors from a range of business backgrounds, who will be able to assist and guide you in order to help your small business succeed.
Mentors are assigned to clients who need practical and sound one-to-one business advice and guidance. All Mentors have been carefully selected, each with their own areas of expertise and all are highly skilled in assisting small business owner/managers.
Expert Business Mentors
A Business Mentor can help you by
- Listening
- Advising and counselling
- Identifying problems and areas for improvement
- Suggesting solutions and assisting in drawing up a Business Plan
- Contributing independent, informed observations to aid a company in its decision-making process
Mentors have expertise in
- General Management
- Financial Structuring
- Production Planning
- Marketing
- Product Distribution
- Corporate Organisation
- Strategic Planning
A mentor will be able to
- Outline guidelines that can be followed
- Point out strengths and weaknesses in proposed projects
- Act as a confidential sounding board
Note: A Mentor is not a professional consultant and, under the terms of the programme, may not become actively involved in the day-to-day management or assume the role of an executive in the company.
How the Small Business Mentoring Programme works
- Each request for a business mentor is dealt with individually
- Careful consideration is given to a "match" between the requirements of the individual/company and the specialised skill and experience of the prospective business Mentor
- Several possible Mentors will be suggested on the basis of information supplied by the individual/director and the final selection is made by the individual/company
- The Mentor signs a confidentiality agreement before taking on any assignment
- Either the individual/company or the Mentor may terminate the arrangement at any time
- If assistance is needed in more than one field of expertise, one or more additional Mentors may be assigned to the individual company
How to apply
Any individual or company in Fingal that feels in need of specific, temporary, confidential advice, can contact us to discuss their needs.
If you are unsure as to what specific area you need assistance in, our Business Advice Clinics are likely the best option for you at this stage. Many people choose our Business Advice Clinics as a first step and are often then referred to the mentoring programme at a later stage.