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Mentoring service for local businesswomen

The Women in Business Network now has twelve mentors providing support, encouragement and advice to women who are opening or running businesses locally.

By Latrobe Shire Council - 14th April 2004 - Back to News

Invest Latrobe Investment Manager, Leo Billington, said that all of the mentors are experienced in running their own business and have had hands-on experience in managing people and budgets.

"Mentoring is another form of business networking in which one person with business experience is able to offer guidance, advice, empathy and encouragement to someone else, who perhaps is just starting out in the business world," Mr Billington explained.

Women in Business Network mentor, Kate Holz, who with her husband Werner, has run Timeless Framing in Traralgon for over six years, said that she has gladly volunteered her time to guide and encourage other women who are pursuing their business objectives.

"I know exactly what it is like to feel alone in the wide world of business, sometimes wondering if others are experiencing the same sense of isolation," Ms Holz said.

"Effective mentoring does not involve telling others how to run their business. It is more about listening, advising, nurturing and providing encouragement. It is very rewarding and relieving for business people to know that someone is always there to offer this assistance," Ms Holz explained.

Business owners in the local area have already started using the Women in Business Network mentoring service.

Francine Gray recently opened Embroiderer’s Oasis in Morwell and said that mentoring provided her with an outlet to voice her concerns before and after her business opened.

"Ms Holz listened to my initial ideas and gave me positive comments and encouragement, which made me more determined to chase my dream. I now have my own business up and running. However I am still keeping in contact with Ms Holz. We will not lose the valuable mentoring relationship that has developed between us," Ms Gray said.

Owner of Impressions on Franklin, Cherie Pfeiffer, said that she also benefited from mentoring when she opened her business earlier this year.

"Mentoring demonstrated to me that there is always someone else in business that you can contact and seriously discuss your business objectives with. It also gave me access to important local knowledge about business networks and relevant contacts, which otherwise would have been very hard for me to discover," Ms Pfeiffer explained.

StreetLife Coordinator, Gail Robertson, said that mentoring can also prevent businesspeople from becoming disheartened during the early stages of opening a business.

"Some people are deterred from opening their own business as the road ahead may seem formidable at many times. Mentoring can harness and foster business aspirations, providing much-needed help and advice which is easily accessed," Ms Robertson said.

Source: www.gippsland.com

Published by: news@gippsland.com

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