Business mentoring, where an
experienced senior business person coaches a developing enterprise, is a well
established part of the commercial landscape in New Zealand, with thousands of
owner managed companies drawing on the programme for support.
The model of a free service,
manned by highly skilled volunteer professionals has been so successful that
the New Zealand government has chosen to use it as a vital centre piece of its
Pacific aid programme.
Since May 2010, Business
Mentors New Zealand (BMNZ) has operated a Pacific Mentoring Programme to
provide practical support for businesses in eleven Pacific Island countries with
funding from the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
Former Canterbury farmer and
co-founder of Agrifax, the rural business information service, Rod McKenzie,
was one of the first people to join the scheme as a mentor.
Rod was awarded the
Membership of the New Zealand Order of Merit for his services to agriculture. He
explains: `Before joining the Pacific mentoring scheme I was involved in
mentoring in Christchurch for two years. Mentors were asked to apply for the
Pacific scheme about two years ago. I have done a lot of travel in the region
over the last 30 years and have a high degree of empathy for the people. While
I have a strong agricultural background, I have also developed interests in
tourism, car rentals and internet marketing.
`Around 120 mentors applied
and 15 were accepted for the first intake.
I was allocated to Samoa, which was one of the Pacific countries that I
had not been to so I was pleased with that.
`I went up for the first
visit in June 2010. There were five mentors as well as the BMNZ Pacific
Programme GM, Ian Furlong. We went for a full week and were allocated five
clients each. There was a big range including hospitality, tourism, IT, real estate and agriculture.’
Mentors visit the islands every
six months, which means that each client gets two visits a year in June and
November.
Rod points out: `I’ve just
been on my fourth visit. It is quite challenging but interesting and has become
very rewarding as you see your clients begin to change and progress. For
example, I introduced new marketing techniques and promotional initiatives to two
tourism clients which have transformed
their visibility. Although there are some similarities with small businesses in
New Zealand the issues are different. Many have basic capital inadequacy and
profitability issues related to poor marketing, accounting and staffing.’
At the first meeting Rod aims
to develop a set of action points with his clients which they undertake to do before
he returns for the second visit six months later. In between he keeps in touch
by email.
He says: `As you help them
through the issues the clients are able to go on their own and new ones come on
the programme. I’ve only got one client from my first visit.’
It’s clear that the BMNZ
Pacific Programme has earned a special place in the island business
environment.
Rod explains: ‘Although there
are a lot of other agencies in the region and aid is offered from other countries,
there is an excellent attitude towards our programme and NZAid. Confidentiality
is very important in the Pacific islands and they are very reticent about
talking to their own countrymen about business but they are much happier
talking to us.’
Tokoroa based business adviser, Dianne Turco has
brought a lifetime of commercial experience to the people of Vanuatu through
the Pacific mentoring programme.
Dianne was born in New Zealand, has a background
in teaching and then thirty years in the US in business where she held a
variety of management and leadership roles in five different states.
As general manager of the South Waikato
Economic Development Trust she established and developed the Business Development
Centre for the South Waikato and has worked with over 900 businesses across all
sectors in that role. A special moment was winning the Vero Excellence Award
winner for Small Business support with the implementation of QLBS.com Web based
Business Capability Assessment for businesses. She was also involved in the facilitation
of economic development projects in the South Waikato.
Dianne started business mentoring in 2004 with Business Mentors New Zealand,
while working in the both Waikato and Bay of Plenty regions.
When she left the Business Development Centre she was asked to be an Capability
Assessor for the NZTE training programme and did so until the programme was re structured in 2011. She now works as a mobile business advisor and
mentor with her consultancy, Diversity –enabling solutions.
Dianne explains: `I enjoy working one to one
with my clients as it gives me the time to help them relate to their business.
I am very focussed on them understanding what the purpose of their business is and
how important it is to carry that knowledge through all levels of the business.
‘As part of the five member Vanuatu mentoring
team, I thought it would require a very different approach, but I find I do just
what I do in New Zealand and take the same approach. I listen, find out their
needs and issues and how we can help, then together put achievable action plans
in place. The people are friendly, resourceful, enthusiastic and are like
sponges; very receptive and hungry for it. One thing a little different for the
Pacific Island programme is that the Vanuatu businesses are not all at the
level where you can go into a very deep assessment. Some are very basic whereas
others have been to University and are “on the ball”, moving very quickly
through the action plans. There is a wide cross section of capability levels
and issues.
‘I was interested to find that some clients on
Vanuatu have had a lot of help but indicated that it had been mostly theory or
was “done for us”. There is among our clients a lack of understanding of the
“whys” and “hows”.
“Getting people to realise that they do have the answers is such a thrill
for me. That is what mentoring is all about. Assisting businesses to learn how
to do for themselves in a way that makes sense to them and which they can be
successful in.’
Dianne finds the five member team approach works
well, with mentors having a variety of experience and skills to draw on during each
week long and remotely within New Zealand should the need arise. ‘The Vanuatu
team is a very close, supportive team,’ she says.
Dianne is working with Vanuatu businesses in Tourism,
Timber milling and Furniture Manufacture, Food Manufacturing and Alternative Energy,
with six clients. She will complete her third visit in March. She has expectations
that there will be closures during the next two visits: ‘Some clients I will
see for two or three visits and then they’ll be ready to go on their own. Others
only need a little encouragement or a sounding board as is the case in New
Zealand. The skill with mentoring is to know when to jump in and then jump out
again.
`Business principles are the same, and underneath,
people are the same.
‘Mentoring is one way you can truly make a
difference and my passion is working with small and medium businesses. Throughout
my career I have been involved in start ups and the Pacific Programme rang the
same sort of bells for me.
‘I am literally pumped by The Pacific mentoring
experience. The clients are so happy to see us. It was an exhilarating
experience the first time and it still is looking forward to my third visit.
There are some fantastic businesses out there who are truly appreciative of the
mentoring assistance received through this Programme.’
The programme now covers six
countries and 270 client businesses. In
2012 the Programme will enter Fiji, Kiribati, Tuvalu, Niue and possibly
Tokelau. As well as New Zealand volunteer mentors offering their valuable
skills and expertise, local mentors are also being trained so that they can be
a source of ongoing advice, knowledge and information. These locally based
mentors have high credibility in their Pacific Island communities, with many
owning their own businesses or holding respected positions in other companies.
The programme aims to assist
small and medium sized businesses in the Pacific to manage and grow their
businesses in a way that supports sustained increases in production and
employment over time. It is hoped the programme will be a catalyst for
identifying other business needs such as training, and create opportunities for
partnerships and joint ventures, and increased Pacific exports, including to
New Zealand.
Business Mentors New Zealand
is funded largely by patrons from the private sector, with additional support
from New Zealand Trade and Enterprise. It provides a mentoring service to
businesses that have been operating for at least six months and is the owner’s
main source of income. A registration fee of $100+GST applies, which entitles
you to use the mentoring service for two years. This is the only cost to you –
the mentoring you receive is free!
More details can be found at
www. businessmentors.org.nz or by calling 0800 209 209.
Peter Boyes is a volunteer
Business Mentor as well as a PR and marketing communications advisor with BPR.
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