What Is Mentoring?

The Hills Shire Council has approved the continuation of the Mentoring Program for businesses within the Shire. Known as the Hills Mentoring "Focus on Business" Program, its aim is to assist businesses to grow and develop business skills.

The program provides small business owners with guidance and fosters a culture of open and regular communication through:

• Experienced business people
• Workshops delivered by appropriately qualified partners
• Networking with other local business people

The program will provide guidance in:

• Developing and enhancing business skills
• Developing business plans
• Understanding different aspects of business procedures that are critical to the success of the business
• Identifying key partnerships
• Forging relationships with business partners

The Hills Mentoring "Focus on Business" Program is administered by the Hills Excellence in Business 355 Management Committee, a volunteer Committee of Council. It receives the support of Council's Economic Development Team and sponsors.

To be eligible, business people:

• Are required to live and/or work or do business in the Shire
• Have less than 20 employees
• Be prepared to grow their business
• Be willing to share business concerns with a mentor
• Listen and learn from the experience of others
• Attend workshops and regular meetings with Mentors/Mentorees

The program is split up into two programs

Level 1 program-designed for start up businesses (in operation less than
twelve months)

Turnover $0 - $300K
Sole Trader
Home Office/Business Premises
Franchises on application
Start up businesses will receive valuable referrals to appropriate
government and business workshops and be provided with one on one
mentoring by an experienced business person from March to November.


Level 2 program-designed for established businesses (in operation for
more than twelve months)

Turnover $300K +
Personnel (Full time - Part Time FTE)
Established business Premises
Franchises on application
More established businesses will be provided with one on one mentoring
by an experienced business person. Level 2 participants will have access
to monthly workshops.

 

“The mentoring program has been great for our company and Rob Milligan has been a wonderful mentor. He has supported us through a restructure of the company and given us a better insight into how we should be marketing Assured Relocations. Through the mentoring program we were encouraged and gained the confidence to enter the Hills Excellence in Business awards and become finalists in the Small Business Enterprise. The entry paperwork gave us the opportunity to analysis our own company and show ourselves the achievements we have gained in the last 20 months in business. I can not speak highly enough of the program and I am happy to promote it for you at any time as I did recently at the Business Expo held in Castle Hill.”

Mentoree, Tricia Ellison

“I have had 3 years of involvement with the mentoring program. The program helps start up businesses. Usually it is the fact that the mentorees need someone to talk to and to learn from and mentorees need to learn from those with many years of experience. There is no magic potion to successful businesses, you need to keep trying and this takes both time and commitment” 

Mentor – Don Stockbridge

For further information on the Sydney Hills, Focus on Business Action Plan Stepping Up Mentoring Program, Click Here