Mentoring Program

As a benefit of your OVES membership you are able to take advantage of our entrepreneurial Mentoring Programs.

  • Are You Seeking a Mentor?
  • Do you want to start a business or have you recently started a business?
  • Would it help you to hear from others who have successfully started or grown companies?
  • Do you want to be a mentor?
  • Are you concerned about the economic growth in the Okanagan Valley?
  • Are you an entrepreneur who has started or grown a business?
  • Would you be interested in sharing your expertise with a network of entrepreneurs to try and help our local community create more businesses and jobs?
  • Are you wondering if mentoring is for you or what is involved?

A Mentor could share advice or things they would do differently if they had it to do again. You would have a sounding board to test your ideas against from someone who has handled similar issues before. Maybe the benefit is as simple as having someone else to brainstorm with about your ideas because everyone else close to you does not share your passion for your business venture.

If you would like to try and locate a free mentor you have several options through the Okanagan Valley Entrepreneurs Society (OVES):

  1. Attend out monthly Town Hall Meetings where we discuss issues of interest to entrepreneurs and meet like-minded people.
  2. As a benefit of your OVES membership you are able to access our Mentorship Program and experienced business people who have chosen to work with us. 
  3. As a member you are able to login to the Members Area of our website and gain access to our "Ask A Mentor" forum. This forum is a collection of FAQs related to the many aspects of being a successful entrepreneur. You will be able to pose a question and have it answered by experienced entrepreneurs who have faced similar situations and have found solutions. We also have a pool of experts to answer those inevitable questions that Mentors are unable to answer. (Note: this feature is under development and will soon be available).

Are you wondering if mentoring is for you or what is involved?

About Mentoring: A mentor is an adviser, teacher and role model. A mentee is willing to learn and to develop skills that will help them make good business decisions. In order to understand mentoring, it is important to understand the roles of both the mentee and the mentor, as well as the basic principles of mentoring.

Role of the Mentee:
  • Be aware of your strengths, weaknesses and professional goals
  • Be proactive and take an active role in the mentoring relationship
  • Ask questions and listen carefully to your mentor's responses
  • Be willing to learn and share your experiences honestly
  • Be prepared for your meetings and follow through on advice given by your mentor
  • Show appreciation to your mentor
Role of the Mentor:
  • Be a role model
  • Share your knowledge and entrepreneurial experiences
  • Challenge and encourage the mentee to succeed both professionally and personally
  • Provide sound guidance and constructive feedback to the mentee

Principles of Mentoring:

  • A mentor is a role model
  • Mentoring is given freely and is freely received
  • Mentoring relationships are built on trust and honesty
  • Mentoring partners treat each other with respect
  • Successful mentoring relationship focus on the mentee as the learner
  • Mentoring is rewarding, satisfying and enjoyable for mentors and mentees

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to receive a Mentee Application Form to access this program. Note: To be matched with a Mentor in the Okanagan Valley Entrepreneurs Society Mentorship program you must be a member of the society.

 

Check out these web resources (not affiliated with OVES):

The Value of a Business Mentor: Why every entrepreneur should have one.

Working with a Business Mentor:  How to create a mutually rewarding relationship.

Choosing a Business Mentor (and Getting Them to Choose You): You're asking for a lot — show you're serious.

Identifying a Mentor

  

Are you considering serving as a Mentor?

Role of the Mentor:

  • Be a role model
  • Share your knowledge and entrepreneurial experiences
  • Challenge and encourage the mentee to succeed both professionally and personally
  • Provide sound guidance and constructive feedback to the mentee
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    Q: What type of time commitment do I have to make if I want to be a mentor?

A: Time is an entrepreneur's most valuable commodity. It is solely up to each person. This is free advice and support being offered by each Mentor. A Mentor is able to decline to help at any time and can offer help when they are available. In fact, it is likely that if a Mentor is assisting several entrepreneurs or running their own businesses, they might have to decline to help other entrepreneurs they would like to until their schedule frees up.

Mentoring can be an occasional breakfast, lunch or phone call with a prospective entrepreneur.   

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to receive a Mentor Application Form. Note: To serve as a Mentor in the Okanagan Valley Entrepreneurs Society Mentorship program you must be a member of the society.


Check out these web resources (not affiliated with OVES):

Are YOU a Potential Mentor?

Should you mentor another entrepreneur?

Five Questions Every Mentor Must Ask