Learning from experience: The success of mentoring in the small‐business environment

Abstract

Purpose

Reviews a mentoring project for small‐businesses in regional Australia.

Design/methodology/approach

This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments.

Findings

When it comes to training, small businesses often miss out. When there are few staff, training days away from the office can mean the business comes to a standstill, and when revenues are relatively low employing professional trainers is often simply beyond the budget. Yet business writing over the past five years has stressed that training is important to the small business, often being effective in improving the owner's management and planning skills and, ultimately, in avoiding failure. It makes sense: if small business owners aren't in a large team environment, with colleagues to offer advice and tasks being covered by people with different strengths, then it is hardly surprising that they make wrong moves. So how can they learn what they need to know, and how can they do it quickly and cheaply?

Practical implications

Provides evidence in favor of mentoring as an effective training tool and advises on the best approach to such a program.

Originality/value

The briefing offers the chance to avoid training mistakes by pointing out what must be considered in effective mentoring.

Citation

(2007), "Learning from experience: The success of mentoring in the small‐business environment", Development and Learning in Organizations, Vol. 21 No. 3, pp. 26-27. https://doi.org/10.1108/14777280710739133