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Reaching across t seas he Interested in mentoring a pacific business? The Pacific aid programme can make it happen 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 ten Pacific Island countries with funding from the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Mentors visit the islands every six months, which means that each client gets two visits a year, one in June and one in November. Tokoroa based business adviser, Dianne Turco, has brought a lifetime of commercial experience to the people of Vanuatu through the Pacific mentoring programme. 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. Dianne started business mentoring in 2004 with Business Mentors New Zealand, while working in the both Waikato and Bay of Plenty regions. She says, ���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. ���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 as I look forward to my third visit��� ���There are some fantastic businesses out there that are truly appreciative of the mentoring assistance received through this Programme.��� Kerry Burridge, Country Manager for the Paciific Mentors Programme explains, ���Our programme is monitored by an independent market research company based in New Zealand and all of our business clients are surveyed every six months. What we are seeing clearly across the region is that the businesses in the programme are experiencing increasing revenues, increasing profits, and they are able to create more jobs for their families and other people in their communities.��� Ms Burridge points out, ���Once we reach about the fourth visit ��� which takes 18 months of time ��� we see a rapid growth in the number of applicants for the programme. This is because our existing clients are so impressed by their experience that they start recommending the programme to friends, family, customers and suppliers. On this trip to Vanuatu we saw exactly this phenomena taking place ��� we have been overwhelmed by the number of applicants in both Efate and Santo and we can���t wait to get started on helping this new batch of clients.��� The programme now covers 10 countries and over 500 client businesses. 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. Peter Boyes www.businessmentorspacific.org.nz www.h e rmagaz in e .co.n z | 35