Peer Mentoring Groups offer women entrepreneurs opportunities to discuss growth challenges that businesses face, and maintain a positive outlook needed for business success.

Groups of women in non-competing businesses meet under the guidance of a Mentor, an experienced entrepreneur who leads the group. The group will:

• Discuss the challenges of business growth
• Learn from the experiences of others
• Provide support to one another
• Develop new business skills and knowledge

You’ll come with a specific problem or opportunity in mind, then the group will discuss the challenge and brainstorm solutions (guided by the mentor). You’ll develop an action plan, then go out and implement it.

Next time, you’ll come back and report on your progress. Did it work, or was it a flop? How can you adjust your strategy? Was it successful and something your fellow mentee can use in her business?

We interview every woman to make sure we don’t have any competing businesses in each group. We want to create a safe and confidential environment so you feel comfortable sharing!

We find a lot of the challenges that women business owners face – like work/life balance, growing their sales, managing too much demand – transcend industries, and our mentees appreciate the different points of view from different types of business owners.

Every group is led by an established entrepreneur in your community who has been through a lot of the same situations you’re dealing with, and has come out the other side.

The mentor has a knowledge base from her years of running a business, and she’ll share her insights based on her own experiences.

MEET OUR MENTORS

The BC group is led by Dawn McCooey, WeBC Entrepreneur in Residence.

A Mentee is an entrepreneur who is committed to developing her business, achieving business goals, and improving her business skills and knowledge.

Mentees must be willing to:

• Share business challenges and issues
• Contribute ideas and experiences to help other Mentees
• Receive constructive feedback
• Accept suggestions and advice
• Open up to new ideas and change
• Respect the other group members
• Keep the confidentiality of the group discussions

Peer Mentoring Groups acknowledge women’s preference for learning through the experiences of others. Women can find power and confidence in sharing their concerns with a mentor and peers in a group setting.

Mentees benefit from:

• Receiving personalized advice
• Improving their business knowledge
• Receiving an outside perspective
• Increased productivity
• Growing confidence from support regarding business decisions
• New networks and partnerships within the business community
• Emotional support
• Relief from isolation through regular, supportive contact

Successful applicants must:

• Be actively operating a business in Canada and ready to grow
• Be a woman over the age of 19

Eligible applicants may be contacted for a brief interview to learn more about their businesses and get more details about participation in the program.

Pre-start-ups are not eligible for the mentoring program; however, you can seek free professional guidance from our Business Advisors.

Due to grant funding from the Women Entrepreneurship Strategy, the program is free to all participants in 2023/24.

Please note: As there are limited spaces for this program, all participants must commit to attending all sessions. Registrants who miss more than 25% of sessions will be charged an administrative fee of $150.