Why I Volunteer…
Our mentors are passionate, committed and experienced business people who volunteer their time specifically to help small business.
Business Mentors New Zealand (BMNZ) draws on the skills and experience of business people from a diverse range of fields including sales and marketing, general management, finance and accounting, administration, manufacturing, production and distribution, human resources, legal, international trade and export, and technology.
Every mentor applicant is vetted and reference checked by an Agent of BMNZ before being accepted into the service to confirm that;
- They are experienced business people from either small or large business environments. They may have senior management experience in a corporate environment or have successfully operated their own business.
- They have empathy for small business operators and entrepreneurs and genuinely want to assist.
- They are available at least four hours per month for mentoring assignments.
- They have the ability to communicate with, and win the confidence of others.
The privacy and confidentiality of our clients and their businesses is paramount. Before a mentor can be assigned a client, they must agree to the terms and conditions of operation within our comprehensive Mentor Commitment Contract. Business Mentors New Zealand provides professional development for our mentors through a Mentor Accreditation Programme.
The concept of Business In The Community (BITC) is based on the English and European models which began in late 1979. Dr Grahame Craig, current Chairman of Trustees of Business In the Community, introduced BITC into New Zealand in December 1991.
The Business In The Community Charitable Trust is a private enterprise, charitable trust. The operational arm of the Trust is a 100% owned tax exempt company, Business In The Community Ltd., which is a non-profit earning company.
From its outset, BITC fulfilled a major need in this country to help small to medium sized businesses prosper and grow, and accordingly, create wealth and employment opportunities. Since 1991, BITC has provided support to over 50,000 SME businesses throughout New Zealand through a volunteer business mentoring service.
Business In The Community’s mentoring service, branded as “Business Mentors New Zealand” (BMNZ) is 70% funded by approximately 100 private sector companies and 30% funded by Central Government via New Zealand Trade and Enterprise.
http://www.businessmentor.org.nz/
