Improve your entrepreneurial savvy through mentorship

Entrepreneurial savvy is not something you learn at school. It's partly innate and partly acquired throughout your business life. Mentorship will help you improve your entrepreneurial savvy and increase your chances of business success.

Mentorship can help you improve your entrepreneurial savvy and increase your chances of business success. By exchanging with a seasoned entrepreneur, you will boost your confidence and leadership abilities, broaden your vision and develop your skills.

Why get a mentor

When you start up a business, you become a leader, a decision maker fully liable for the business's future. Many new entrepreneurs feel the burden of their responsibilities, which can lead to unwise decisions, affect management morale and negatively impact the business. A neutral and objective third party's involvement provides invaluable support that promotes both business growth and the entrepreneur's performance.

In addition to breaking the isolation, mentorship serves the entrepreneur, the individual, and becomes vital to business creation and growth. It also encourages the business's success and sustainability for generations to come.

Mutual trust and respect

Mentorship is a free and voluntary support relationship based on trust and respect, which plays on the mentoree's overall know-how. It's a medium- or long-term learning relationship.

Mentors are not advisors, coaches or consultants. They don't give advice, tips or recommendations. Mentors encourage thinking, provide support, and motivate and guide mentorees towards autonomy.

Retired, late career or active business people and big company executive—mentors are known for their long business experience and their desire to help as many people as possible benefit from it. Mentors are involved, available and known for their expertise, knowledge, personal values and passed accomplishments.

Mentors:

  • listen
  • question
  • encourage and motivate the mentoree
  • help the mentoree get a new perspective on ongoing issues
  • help find solutions
  • share their critical sense
  • give feedback on the mentoree's performance and attitude
  • respect the confidential nature of exchanges

Mentorees have to be ready to:

  • develop their potential
  • change their behaviour
  • adopt new attitudes
  • look for ways to do things better or differently
  • explore new ways of thinking and proceeding

Mentorees boost their self-confidence, enhance their leadership skills and develop their ability to capitalize on opportunities. They improve their search skills, outline their business objectives and clarify their vision and values. They gain invaluable entrepreneurial know-how by tapping into their mentor's experiences.

For a perfect match

Fondation de l'entrepreneurship's Réseau M is a community of interests committed to rolling out the mentorship program to entrepreneurs. The goal is to make it available to all entrepreneurs who want a top quality support relationship with seasoned business people to help them maximize their chances at success and growth.

This high-calibre program regulated by a code of ethics is intended for all economic sectors, all entrepreneurs and all existing businesses.

Learn more about the mentorship program for entrepreneurs: Programme de mentorat pour entrepreneurs - This link will open in a new window. .