Day 15: OPERATION: Create Your Own Path
- Details
- Created on Monday, 29 July 2013 15:02
- Published Date
- Written by Veronica Jorden
We have reached the halfway point of OPERATION: Create Your Own Path and we couldn't be more excited. Many of our featured military spouse business owners have found great success through working with a mentor. But where can you find one?
Lori Clinton
Your Yeoman
"The first thing I wish I would have done when I started my business was to get a mentor. I waited a little to long to get one, but I made sure they were a good match. I also surrounded myself with like minded people. People with similar goals and understand what I am trying to do and going thru. And if you find someone that is years ahead of you, they could save you from wasting time and money."
Finding a mentor can be a difficult task if you don't know where to look. Check out these eight great mentor programs. Know of another? Let us know!
SCORE Mentors: SCORE mentors deliver FREE, confidential, valuable advice for your business needs. Whether you are a start-up or an existing business, our mentors will help you reach customers and achieve your goals. You can chose to pursue a face-to-face mentor relationship or keep it all online.
Small Business Development Centers: SBDCs provide management assistance to current and prospective small business owners. SBDC services include financial counseling, marketing advice and management guidance. Some SBDCs provide specialized assistance with information technology, exporting or manufacturing. SBDCs are partnerships primarily between the government and colleges, administered by SBA.
Women’s Business Centers: WBCs provides business training and counseling with the unique needs of women entrepreneurs in mind. WBCs are a national network of nearly 100 educational centers designed to support women who want to start and grow small businesses.
Veteran’s Business Outreach Centers: The mission of the Veterans' Business Outreach Center (VBOC) is to help create, develop, and retain veteran-owned small business enterprises. The VBOC provides entrepreneurial training through workshops and the internet, counseling, technical assistance, and resource utilization services to Veterans, Service-Disabled Veterans, Reservists, National Guard Members, and Active Duty business owners and start-up entrepreneurs in the Southeast Region of the USA.
Military Spouse Business Association Small Business Incubator Program: Small Business Incubator with MSBA is a volunteer who is willing to help small business owners, whether they are just starting or have been around for a while. Volunteers can assist you with such topics as Business Plan, Marketing, Management, Budgeting and more.
Micromentor: MicroMentor is a free business mentor service for entrepreneurs and a rewarding volunteer opportunity for business professionals. Our mission is to help small businesses grow faster, generate more revenue, and employ more people. We make it easy to find a mentor, be a mentor, and build a business.
MilSpouse eMentor Program - The MilSpouse eMentor Program is a partnership of Academy Women and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation's HIRING OUR HEROES Initiative. It is open to all spouses or widow(er)s of military members and veterans. Divorced spouses are also welcome. Representatives of military spouse-friendly firms and other career professionals may participate as career mentors.
GSA’s Mentor-Protégé Program - GSA’s Mentor-Protégé Program is designed to encourage and motivate GSA prime contractors to assist small businesses and enhance their capability of performing successfully on GSA contracts and subcontracts. The goal is to increase the overall number of small businesses receiving GSA prime contract and subcontract awards, resulting from mentorship and refined business practices.
