Mentoring programme

Last Updated (Tuesday, 14 December 2010 13:53) Written by Raido Thursday, 04 December 2008 18:59

No one can be taught anything, people can only be directed to think.
Socrates

The mentoring in entrepreneurship is the cooperation relationship between two persons where the experienced entrepreneur (mentor) provides voluntarily and generally free of charge its knowledge and experience into the disposal of the starting entrepreneur (mentee) for supporting its entrepreneurial development.

Successful mentoring is based on trustworthy cooperation between a mentor and mentee, where the role of a mentor is to provide advice and encourage, but primarily to direct the mentee to think in such a manner that the mentee itself would reach the most effective solution to its problem.

The role of the mentee is to be open and active, to ask questions, be prepared to listen and take advice. A mentor offers the mentee possibilities and alternatives based on its rich knowledge and experience, provides benchmarks and opens doors. However, the decisions are made by and liability for the decisions and development lies with the mentee.

Enterprise Estonia has implemented the business mentoring programme since 2004. Experience has indicated that as a result of the cooperation between the mentors and starting entrepreneurs more strong and sustainable companies have incurred which have started to sell more (93% of the companies of mentees having participated in the programme) and gain profit (70% of the companies of mentees having participated).

Success and maximum profit from the programme have been guaranteed by regular and well-prepared meetings of the cooperation pairs.

Priit Liiv
Coordinator of mentoring programme of Enterprise Estonia
627 9444, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it