Mentoring
The WBCS Mentor Initiative is a mentoring program designed to help women-owned businesses move to the next level of success. Under the guidelines of the program, a Mentee company will receive consultation from a Mentor company for a very specific need. The length of time is flexible; usually the average length of time is expected to be three (3) months. In addition, there is no set start or end time. The Mentor Initiative flexibility is geared to fulfilling the mentee company's specific need. Mentee companies are not limited to one opportunity, but may again request a mentor after one year elapsed time.
The Mentoring Initiative is the perfect way to link power to potential.
Expectations | Eligibility Requirements | Testimonials | DownloadablesExpectations
Mentees shall identify a specific business needs that they wish to be guided through by the Mentor. Mentees should also set goals that they wish to achieve through the Mentoring Initiative, as this is an important way to measure success in the program. Mentors and mentees must decide upon mutually beneficial time commitments and schedules and must respect each other's time. Appointments between the parties must be considered a priority. Parties must also keep a record of contacts, meetings, and accomplishments and provide feedback on progress to WBCS.
Back to the topEligibility Requirements
Mentee- WBE Mentee must be currently certified by the WBCS
- WBE Mentee shall be a member in good standing of the WBCS
- WBE Mentee must provide a three-page company profile, including:
- Bibliography of the firm
- Specific mentoring objective(s) along with why mentoring is important at this point in your business
- Simple business plan
- Financial reports in place (what is being measured monthly, quarterly, etc. and not financial details)
- WBE Mentee will participate in an interview coordinated by a Mentor Initiative Committee member
- WBE Mentee company must be willing to put forth the necessary time and resources to address the area(s) of concern
- WBE Mentee is required to sign and submit WAIVER before beginning the mentoring process
- Mentor must be a current member in good standing with the WBCS
- Mentor must be willing to put forth resources to address the Mentee's area(s) of concern and agree to a limited finite time commitment
- Mentor must sign and submit a WAIVER before beginning the mentoring process
Testimonials
"I have been on both ends of the mentoring program - Mentee and Mentor - and have found both approaches extremely rewarding. As a Mentee I have discovered a willingness of people to share their invaluable experience. I have found people get excited to be a contributor to your company's growth and success. As a Mentor I have found a sense of fulfillment in that I have something to offer. Sometimes you do not realize how far you have progressed until you are asked to share your experiences. This offers an opportunity to reflect and see just how far you have come. The process can be extremely rewarding." - Kelly Roberts, president and CEO, Ricochet Fuel Distributors, Inc.
"As a mentee, this program gave me more confidence in sales and marketing techniques and as well as new approaches. As my mentor and I became friends, I really got a lot from the relationship both in the professional and personal areas. It was a very positive experience." - Valerie Pelan, Owner, Integrated Focus
"I became a mentor because I wanted to be involved in helping other woman owned businesses find success at being entrepreneurs. You would normally expect the mentee to gain so much from the meetings, but I as the mentor also gained so much. Discussions around growing a business and strategies on how to do that brought me back to the basics and I realized that I wasn't doing everything I should be doing for my own business. Also, working with a mentee brings new, fresh ideas to the table. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and got just as much out of it as my mentee. " - Tammy O'Connor, CEO, Red River Solutions, Inc.
Back to the topDownloadables
- Mentor Application (Word, 32K)
- Mentee Application (Word, 42K)
