NEA Needs Business Mentors

10 enterprise Agencies across the North East of England are currently delivering a flagship project called The NEW ENTERPRISE ALLOWANCE.

The NEA is managed by Job Centre + and gives individuals who have been out of work for 6 months and over the opportunity to work on a business idea and plan with the goal of starting up their own business. 

As part of the programme they need a pool of mentors. Business people just like you! People who have started, run and managed their businesses successfully and can provide some light motivation and support to people just setting out on the same journey.

True mentoring has amazing business and personal benefits.  Not to be confused with an adviser or a counsellor the right mentor will not tell people how things should be done but will inspire, share wisdom and reinforce self-belief.

Another powerful benefit that emerges from the mentor/mentee relationship is access to the mentor’s personal networks, which can be invaluable - in businesses the ‘know who’ can be as important as the ‘know how’. 

We need representation from a range of industries and backgrounds so we are putting out the call. Could you:

·         Motivate and guide someone starting out in business

·         Support them with your experience and knowledge

·         Provide a bit of encouragement when the process gets hard

The mentoring work is voluntary so you would be giving something back to your communities and we can find and provide ways for you to talk to your contacts. 

If you’re a business based in the North East of England and would like to get involved with the NEA programme contact your local enterprise agency.