Mentoring 

in the Business 

Environment 

May 2003 

Submitted to: 


The National Women’s Business Council Prepared by: Barrera Associates, Inc.
 
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
 

Mentoring in the Business Environment
 

The authors of this study would like to thank the National Women’s Business Council (NWBC) for their support of this project. 


We would also like to thank the professionals who provided invaluable insight on business mentoring to us during our research 


for this report. We are indebted to them for their contributions of time, talent and expertise in the pursuit of promoting women-owned
 

businesses. 


Specific contributors include: 

Maggie Ailes National Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers 

Susan Phillips Bari Women’s Business Enterprise National Council 

J. Robert Baum University of Maryland 

Martha Brown Small Business Administration (SBA) 

Office of Women’s Business Ownership 

Vicki Brown Columbia College 

Candida Brush Boston University 

Camille Burns Women Presidents’ Organization 

Nancy Carter University of St. Thomas 

Melissa Compton Young Entrepreneurs’ Organization 

Trish Costello Kauffman Fellows Program 

Susan Davis Capella 

Lisa Erich Queensland University of Technology 

Nancy Duffy Fortney U.S. Marketing Corporation 

Harriet Fredman SBA Office of Women’s Business Ownership 

Betsy Gatewood Indiana University 

Brent Goldfarb University of Maryland 

Aileen Gorman The Commonwealth Institute 

Patricia Greene University of Missouri-Kansas City 

Susan Hailey Forum for Women Entrepreneurs 

Myra Hart Harvard University 

Monica Higgins Harvard University 

Robert Hisrich Case Western Reserve University 

Beverly Inman-Ebel National Association of Women Business Owners 

Michele Janson Helzberg Entrepreneurial Mentoring Program 

Ali Kemal Karakaya University of Maryland 

Kathy Kram Boston University 

Mark Lange Edward Lowe Foundation 

Amy Millman Springboard Enterprises 

Kweilin Moore Center for Women and Enterprise 

Steve Mueller Texas Christian University 

Terry Neese Women Impacting Public Policy 

Meghan O’Brien The Committee of 200 

Patricia O’Brien Simmons College 

Rebecca Oxford University of Maryland 

Sue Preston Kauffman Foundation 

Belle Rose Ragins University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee 

Mary Schwartz Center for Creative Leadership 

Roberta Skebo University of Houston 

Small Business Development Center 

Mike Smith Young Entrepreneurs’ Organization 

Shauna Soom Athena Foundation 

Don Spero University of Maryland 

Lee Tennent Queensland University of Technology 

Maribel Topf The Executive Council 

This research study was 


conducted for the National
 

Women’s Business Council
 

(NWBC) by Barrera
 

Associates. The opinions and
 

recommendations of the
 

authors of this study do not
 

necessarily reflect official
 

policies of the NWBC, 


the U.S. Small Business
 

Administration, or any 


other agency of the 


U.S. government.
 

—— i —— 
FOREWORD
 

Mentoring in the Business Environment
 

It is with great pleasure that I announce the release of the National Women's Business 

Council's study "Mentoring in the Business Environment." 

Prior research on the subject of mentoring confirms that formal mentoring programs 

continue to be a strong predictor of success among such diverse populations as at-risk 

children, high school students, new immigrants and business professionals. 

The National Women's Business Council is particularly interested in mentoring as a 

support tool for women entrepreneurs. An updated understanding of mentoring needs 

and program practices furthers the Council's mission to make sound public policy and 

programmatic recommendations to The President, Congress and Small Business 

Administration to assist the nation's 9.1 million women-owned businesses. 

This study examines existing, formal mentoring programs offered around the country to 

women entrepreneurs and small business owners. It compares program structures, how 

matches are made between mentor, protégée and peer groups. It offers insights into the 

relationship between business stages and program types, and it looks for uniqueness 

among programs geared specifically to women. The study also suggests avenues for 

additional exploration such as e-mentoring, which we predict will take mentoring to the 

next level in its evolution and greatly expand its accessibility and immediacy. 

The National Women's Business Council is proud to contribute "Mentoring in the 

Business Environment" to the greater body of knowledge on the subject of mentoring. It 

is our hope that it will be used to extend the reach and effectiveness of mentoring to help 

women business owners everywhere who desire to build a business and leave a legacy. 

Sincerely, 

Marilyn Carlson Nelson 

Chair, National Women's Business Council 

—— ii —— 
TABLE OF CONTENTS
 

Acknowledgements...............................................................................................................................i
 

FOREWORD.............................................................................................................................................ii
 

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY........................................................................................................................iv
 

Mentoring in the Business Environment 

INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................................1
 

PROGRAM OVERVIEW..........................................................................................................................2
 

Methodology ...............................................................................................................................2
 

Main Findings .............................................................................................................................2
 

All Mentoring Programs......................................................................................................2
 

Women’s Mentoring Programs ............................................................................................3
 

Program Practices........................................................................................................................5
 

Planning...............................................................................................................................5
 

Design..................................................................................................................................5
 

Promotion ............................................................................................................................6
 

Recruitment .........................................................................................................................7
 

Support ................................................................................................................................7
 

LITERATURE OVERVIEW .......................................................................................................................9
 

Methodology ...............................................................................................................................9
 

Results of Literature Review.......................................................................................................9
 

RECOMMENDATIONS .........................................................................................................................11
 

APPENDICES ..........................................................................................................................................13
 

Appendix A: Organizations in the Study ..................................................................................13
 

Appendix B: Programs within Organizations in the Study 


(By Program Type, 2002-2003).........................................................................................14
 

Appendix C: Descriptions of Programs for Women .................................................................15
 

Appendix D: Descriptions of Programs for Women & Men ....................................................18
 

BIBLIOGRAPHY .....................................................................................................................................20
 

ABOUT THE AUTHORS .......................................................................................................................23
 

FIGURES AND TABLES
 

Figure 1: Four Stages of Business & Relevant Types of Programs ...........................................3
 

Table 1: Synthesis of Women’s Mentoring Programs (2002-2003)...........................................8
 

—— iii —— 
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 


Mentoring in the Business Environment
 

Introduction 

Recent estimates indicate that over one in 18 adult women 

in the U.S. – 5.7% — is a business owner. Further, 

women-owned businesses are growing at twice the rate 

of all U.S. firms (14% vs. 7%). As a direct result of such 

growth, there are now an estimated 6.2 million majorityowned, privately-held women-owned firms, employing 

9.2 million people and generating nearly $1.2 trillion in 

sales.1 These impressive facts draw attention to the need 

for resources that facilitate business success. Among such 

resources are training and technical assistance, and, more 

specifically, business mentoring. 

This is a two-pronged study, comprised of: 1) a literature 

review of research on mentoring for women business 

As regards all business mentoring programs in this study: 

owners and 2) a review of the structure and coverage of 

existing programs. Its goals are three-fold: first, to underscore the relevance of business mentoring for women and 

to highlight relevant research in the field for U.S. policymakers; second, to update the mentoring community on 

the business mentoring practices being adopted in the 

field; and finally, to inform women business owners on 

the merits of business mentoring. 

Main Findings 

There are three main findings in this study. The first two 

findings provide direction to business owners on the 

effective selection of a mentoring program. The third 

finding identifies for organizations the effective program 

practices that transcend program type. 

Finding #1: At given points of a business’ maturity, a business owner is currently best served by a 

particular type of mentoring program. In particular: 

If their businesses are pre-start-up or start-up, business owners would appear to benefit most from 


entrepreneurial training. 


If their businesses are start-up or second-stage, business owners would appear to benefit most from 


a mentor-protégé program. 


If their businesses are second-stage or established, business owners would appear to benefit most 


from peer-to-peer networking. 


As regards the women’s business mentoring programs in this study: 

Finding #2: At given points of a business’ maturity, a woman business owner is currently best served by 

similar types of mentoring programs as those for business owners in general, but which 

contain some different elements. In particular: 

If their businesses are pre-start-up or start-up, women business owners would appear to benefit most 

from entrepreneurial training.

2 

If their businesses are start-up or second-stage, women business owners would appear to benefit most from 

a mentor-protégée program that matches one protégée with several mentors or one mentor with several 

protégées and gives each protégée the experience of a realistic stretch via a mentor(s) who is at the 

very next level up. 

If their businesses are second-stage or established, women business owners would appear to benefit most 

from a structured form of peer-to-peer networking that plans participant composition, develops meeting 

agendas and monitors goal achievement. 

1 Center for Women’s Business Research, www.womensbusinessresearch.org. 

2 Due to the small number of entrepreneurial training programs in this study, we cannot make any statements about differences in 

these programs for the women's programs versus all programs. 

—— iv —— 
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 


Mentoring in the Business Environment 

As regards the effective program practices that transcend program type in this study: 

Finding #3: Irrespective of whether an organization offers entrepreneurial training, a mentor-protégé program 

or peer-to-peer networking, there are three key effective practices for business mentoring: 

Structure that includes a well-planned orientation with discussion of expectations, goals, time commitment
 

and effective communication processes;
 

Participants who are familiar with and embrace the concept of mentoring; and
 

Promotion that consists of both word-of-mouth and direct recruitment efforts.
 

Sources of Information and What They 

Provided This Study 

The main information sources for this study were program 

outreach and a literature review. Outreach consisted of 

discussions with representatives of seventeen U.S. organizations sponsoring nineteen business mentoring programs. 

After consultation with the National Women’s Business 

Council, we approached these organizations because they 

focus on women, mentoring and/or entrepreneurship. 

Based on our outreach, we discovered a rich variety of 

programs to help businesses grow and thrive. 

Outreach began with a small, core group as a starting 

point. As we hoped, each organization produced referrals 

to other organizations, creating a large and diverse network of professionals to speak with. These organizations 

include non-profits, membership organizations, universities, and government offices, among others. 

For this study, the organizations described their efforts to 

offer business owners the opportunity and skills to build 

mentoring relationships. Organizations shared information on their mentoring practices related to the type of 

program(s) they sponsor (e.g., mentor-protégé, peer-topeer networking, or entrepreneurial training). The contributing organizations varied in the types of mentoring 

programs and practices they used, in their motivations for 

providing business mentoring and in their organizational 

structure and function. We found that the organizations 

also varied in the key mentoring program aspects they 

shared on planning, design, promotion, support, and 

recruitment. 

The second important research effort was a targeted 

review of mainstream and academic literature since 1995 

on business mentoring for women business owners. Based 

on the review, we believe that the literature—especially 

the theory of business mentoring—is probably five to 

seven years behind the actual practice of business mentoring. Because of the vibrant, fast-changing, innovative 

nature of mentoring, theory has not kept up with practice. 

Major gaps in the literature include works addressing 

business mentoring for business owners in general, and 

women business owners specifically. 

Recommendations 

Nine recommendations to the National Women’s Business 

Council arise from this study. Five concern future 

research and four involve program support and raising 

the profile of women’s business mentoring. 

First, use the results provided here as a springboard 

for further research to explore the match suggested in 

this study between business stage and program type 

(see Findings 1 and 2). It would appear that this match 

is the determinant of a successful program; however, 

more research and a larger dataset are required to conclusively make this case. Gather more details than those in 

this study to demonstrate that certain program types are 

effective at various stages in the business development 

process, especially for women business owners. Also 

gather details on whether women business owners are 

—— v —— 
 

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 


Mentoring in the Business Environment
 

better served by women-focused organizations across 

program types. 

Second, use the results provided here as a springboard 

for further research to explore the program elements for 

each program type that are required for successful 

mentoring programs (see Finding 3). An exhaustive list 

of program elements would be helpful in establishing and 

promoting effective models. The program elements 

explored in this study simply represent those that emerged 

from conversations with program staff on best practices 

and lessons learned. Gather more details on each element 

about the effective practices that comprise that element, 

especially from organizations that sponsor a women’s 

mentoring program. 

Third, explore e-mentoring (also known as telementoring) 

programs and their advantages for women business owners to determine if the reach of mentoring can be extended using the Internet, either for program outreach and 

marketing or for service delivery. Some online models 

exist to launch an inquiry. 

Fourth, explore business-to-business mentoring programs 

to determine their advantages for women business owners. 

Focus on programs sponsored by federal and state governments. Some models are available from which to proceed. 

Fifth, consider creating a database of original research on 

women business owners with mentoring as one of the 

database’s research categories. Such a tool could be used 

by academic researchers to enhance the study of women’s 

entrepreneurship and, in turn, could spur further practical 

innovations. 

Sixth, create a mentoring section on the NWBC web site 

under “Links to Other Resources” to raise the profile of 

the mentoring concept. Provide links to the web sites of 

the programs included in this study, as well as to other 

promising programs. Also explore within this section the 

use of web casts with prominent women business owners 

as a means for inspiring and sharing business knowledge. 

Investigate the creation of an online portal to offer women 

business owners one point of entry to business mentoring 

resources. Partner with an organization that already has 

an online presence and brand. 

Seventh, publicize the business development tools of 

entrepreneur-support organizations, like the Edward Lowe 

Foundation and the Kauffman Center for Entrepreneurial 

Leadership, that focus on helping business owners measure their successes and get to the next level. 

Eighth, work with major magazines whose audience is 

primarily women business owners to determine the 

availability of no or low cost advertising opportunities 

for women’s business mentoring programs on an ongoing basis, or at minimum, during January, which is 

the federally-established National Mentoring Month. 

Ninth, encourage formal and informal evaluation of programs to help build the case for business mentoring and 

to help determine the extent to which women’s program 

needs differ from those of men. While many of the 

organizations reported investing time in follow-up program evaluation through the use of exit surveys or informal verbal check-ins, it was noted that none have begun 

to evaluate their programs formally and consistently. 

Evaluations can be outsourced to university entrepreneurial centers if organizations do not have the staff capacity 

to conduct evaluations in-house. External evaluations 

often turn up information that is missed internally. 

—— vi —— 
Mentoring 

in the Business 

Environment 
 

INTRODUCTION 


Mentoring in the Business Environment
 

Purpose 

Recent estimates indicate that over one in 18 adult women 

in the U.S.—5.7%—is a business owner. Further, womenowned businesses are growing at twice the rate of all U.S. 

firms (14% vs. 7%). As a direct result of such growth, there 

are now an estimated 6.2 million majority-owned, privatelyheld women-owned firms, employing 9.2 million people and 

generating nearly $1.2 trillion in sales.3 These impressive facts 

draw attention to the need for resources that facilitate business success. Among such resources are training and technical assistance, and, more specifically, business mentoring. 

Mentoring is a concept that has been defined in many ways. 

Some think of mentoring as a one-to-one interaction and 

some think of it as counseling, among other definitions. 

Research confirms that, as yet, there is no one definition 

upon which everyone agrees. This could be due to the fact 

that the concept has been evolving over the years as the 

composition of the business environment has been evolving. 

A one-to-one model was once the typical model implemented, whereas now a one-to-many model is becoming a 

prevalent alternative. The fact that mentoring takes on different forms in the business environment is also significant. 

In this study we review entrepreneurial training programs, 

mentor-protégé programs and peer-to-peer networking programs. For the purposes of this study business mentoring is 

defined as a deliberate partnership between business professionals (whether trainer-to-trainee, mentor-to-protégé, or 

peer-to-peer) that is pursued to build the competencies that 

will grow a business or business idea. 

Business mentoring occurs both formally and informally 

in today’s business environment, across sectors. Formal 

business mentoring differs from the informal in that formal is typically the product of planned programming. 

Formal business mentoring programs can be found under 

public and private auspices at the local, state and national 

levels. One example of an early formal program is the U.S. 

Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Service Corps of 

Retired Executives (SCORE). Operating in all 50 states 

through 389 chapters, SCORE has offered low-cost 

workshops and free counseling to entrepreneurs since 

1965. Formal business mentoring programs employ 

diverse models, establish varying eligibility requirements 

and target different audiences, among other characteristics. 

The purpose of each program, however, is fundamentally 

the same —to foster the success of U.S. businesses. 

This is a two-pronged study, comprised of: 1) a literature 

review of research on mentoring for women business 

owners and 2) a review of the structure and coverage of 

existing programs. Its goals are three-fold: first, to underscore the relevance of business mentoring for women and 

to highlight relevant research in the field for U.S. policymakers; second, to update the mentoring community on 

the business mentoring practices being adopted in the 

field; and finally, to inform women business owners on 

the merits of business mentoring. 

As a federal advisory council, the National Women’s Business 

Council advises the President, Congress and the Small 

Business Administration on economic issues of importance 

to women business owners. An objective of the National 

Women’s Business Council is to promote the interests of 

women-owned businesses, and at the same time, identify the 

barriers that may inhibit their success. By raising the profile 

of business mentoring for women among policymakers, 

practitioners, and potential participants, it is believed that a 

powerful domino effect could be created whereby increased 

awareness and understanding leads to formal programming 

and participation, producing, in turn, a more complete and 

effectual toolbox for women business owners. 

Organization 

This report is designed to give the reader a brief view into 

business mentoring as it looks in practice and on paper. 

Three sections follow: Program Overview; Literature 

Overview; and Recommendations. Program Overview 

explains how the programs in this study were identified and 

introduces three findings. Alternately, Literature Overview 

gives details on the sources of information that we tapped to 

pinpoint current thinking and research on business mentoring. 

It also shares the results of our literature review, addressing 

what research exists, whether there are inconsistencies, and 

if there are major gaps. Finally, Recommendations are shared 

to take business mentoring to the next level in terms of 

effectiveness and profile. The authors hope that, as a result 

of exploring this content, readers are inspired to talk about 

and invest in business mentoring opportunities—particularly 

women business owners. 

3 Center for Women’s Business Research, www.womensbusinessresearch.org. 

—— 1 —— 
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
 

Mentoring in the Business Environment
 

Methodology 

Seventeen organizations provided information on nineteen 

mentoring programs that exist for women business owners 

(see Appendix A). (Two of the organizations each offer 

two mentoring programs.) We approached these organizations because they focus on women, mentoring and/or 

entrepreneurship. Outreach began with a small group as a 

starting point. As we hoped, each organization produced 

referrals to other organizations, creating a large and 

diverse network of professionals to speak with. These 

organizations include non-profits, membership organizations, universities, and government offices, among others. 

In every case of outreach, organizations shared information generously and displayed strong interest in the 

findings of this study. Information was collected, where 

possible, on program details (e.g., name of program, date 

of inception, type of program, application process, 

description of program, number and type of participants, 

best and worst practices, and lessons learned), organization details (e.g., contact person, contact information, 

type of organization, ownership, size, and mentoring 

history) and other relevant or miscellaneous comments 

(e.g., recommended reading, accessibility of program 

materials, and referrals). 

Main Findings 

There are three main findings in this study. The first two 

findings provide direction to business owners on the 

effective selection of a mentoring program. The third 

finding identifies for organizations the effective program 

practices that transcend program type. 

All Mentoring Programs 

As a result of our outreach, we identified nineteen noteworthy business mentoring programs (see Appendix B for 

a program overview and Appendix C and D for program 

details). Some of these programs are for women, and 

some are for both men and women. While not an 

exhaustive list, these programs represent some of the 

finest investments being made in business mentoring 

today. Looking at the programs together, we observe a 

few realities that lead us to our first finding. 

Businesses operate at different stages within the business 

environment. In conversation with those who segment 

businesses by stage, distinctions are made between prestartup, start-up, second-stage and established businesses. 

Following are basic definitions of these stages as they are 

applied in this study 4

: 

Pre-startup is characterized as having a business 

idea and the impulse to develop it. 

Start-up is characterized as being engaged in defining 

markets, developing products and building the organization. 

Second-stage is characterized as beyond start-up but 

not yet professionally managed. 

Established is characterized as having dramatic 

expansion success with evidence of professional 

managers and systems. 

In addition to the above distinctions regarding business 

stage, we note that mentoring takes different forms in the 

business environment. The program types we discovered 

include entrepreneurial training, mentor-protégé, and 

peer-to-peer networking. 

Entrepreneurial training programs provide subjectspecific training to groups of largely prospective and 

start-up business owners. 

Mentor-protégé programs match a business owner 

with a seasoned business mentor to facilitate coaching, knowledge transfer, and the creation of contacts, 

among other supportive activities. The mentor-protégé relationship can be one-to-one, one-to-many, or 

many-to-one (e.g. one or more protégés with one or 

more mentors). 

Peer-to-peer networking programs gather non-competing peers from a variety of industries to confidentially examine significant business challenges that 

they face. Such programs may be structured or more 

informal. 

4 These definitions are based on the Edward Lowe Foundation’s 

segmentation of businesses by business stage. 

—— 2 —— 
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
 

Mentoring in the Business Environment 

Our resulting finding for all business mentoring programs is (see also Figure 1): 

Finding #1: At given points of a business’ maturity, a business owner is currently best served by a 

particular type of mentoring program. In particular: 

If their businesses are pre-start-up or start-up, business owners would appear to benefit most from 

entrepreneurial training. 

If their businesses are start-up or second-stage, business owners would appear to benefit most 

from a mentor-protégé program. 

If their businesses are second-stage or established, business owners would appear to benefit most 

from peer-to-peer networking. 

Figure 1: Four Stages of Business & Relevant Types of Programs 

PRE-START-UP START-UP 

Entrepreneurial Training Entrepreneurial Training 

Mentor-Protégé 

In sum, the choice to invest in business mentoring is a 

strategic choice for business owners. When selecting a 

mentoring program, they need to keep in mind where their 

businesses are in development so that they can receive the 

most benefit from mentoring. A mismatch of business 

stage and program type could prevent a business owner 

from getting to the next level of business at the desired 

pace. Does this hold true for women business owners? 

In the next section, we answer this question, providing 

snapshots of the women’s mentoring programs. 

SECOND-STAGE ESTABLISHED 

Mentor-Protégé 

Peer-to-Peer Networking Peer-to-Peer Networking 

Women’s Mentoring Programs 

Over half of the programs identified for this study are 

women’s mentoring programs, that is, programs that are 

exclusively for women or proactively target women. As 

discussed below, these programs cross all three of the program types discussed thus far. Following are helpful snapshots of these women’s mentoring programs according to 

program type. 

A small percentage of the women’s mentoring programs 

are entrepreneurial training programs (see Table 1). These 

programs were launched in the late 1990s. They provide 

subject-specific training twice a year to small groups of 

business owners who are typically in the pre-start-up and 

start-up phases of their business. Business owners develop 

business knowledge to facilitate business launch. 

—— 3 —— 
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
 

Mentoring in the Business Environment 

A small percentage of the women’s mentoring programs 

are mentor-protégée programs. These programs were 

launched in the late 1990s. They match one protégée with 

many mentors or one mentor with many protégées. 

Business owners, who are typically operating start-up or 

second-stage businesses, learn tactical and strategic business skills to take their businesses to the next level as 

regards their domain (e.g., products, services, markets, 

operations). Mentors and protégées typically meet face-toface, as well as via email, for one year on a monthly basis. 

The majority of the women’s mentoring programs are peerto-peer networking programs. These programs were 

launched in the mid to late 1990s. They provide a business 

owner, who is typically operating a second-stage or established business, with a small, structured group of noncompeting peers from a variety of industries with the 

purpose of confidentially examining the challenges they 

face. Working with trained facilitators, subject-matter 

experts and peers, business owners learn tactical and 

strategic business skills to take their business to the next 

level as regards their leadership competence. Peer groups 

typically meet face-to-face indefinitely on a monthly basis. 

Four of the eleven women’s mentoring programs target 

women business owners at a specific business stage, 

although none of these programs target women with 

established businesses. The remaining seven of the eleven 

women’s mentoring programs each target women business 

owners across multiple business stages, with most targeting either start-up/second-stage or second-stage/established. Only two programs target women across more than 

two of the four business stages. 

With the assistance of the above snapshots, we can make 

several observations about the women’s mentoring programs. The majority of programs are peer-to-peer networking programs. The predominance of this program 

type over mentor-protégé programs and entrepreneurial 

training may be a reflection of the membership base of 

the organizations sponsoring these programs. Specifically, 

almost half of the women’s mentoring programs in this 

study are sponsored by membership organizations that 

largely target women business owners with second-stage 

businesses. The predominance of peer-to-peer networking 

programs may also reflect the consistent feedback 

received from organizations that mentor-protégé programs, 

in particular, are less feasible because they are so laborintensive in comparison. It was reported to take a great 

deal of time to screen mentors and protégées, arrange 

effective matches and then nurture the matches or quickly 

reconfigure them to achieve the requisite chemistry or 

connection. 

The entrepreneurial training programs for women that 

were studied typically target pre-start-up and start-up 

businesses. Alternately, a strong majority of the mentorprotégée programs for women that were studied target 

start-up and second stage businesses, while most of the 

peer-to-peer networking programs for women that were 

studied target second-stage and established businesses. 

All of the mentor-protégée programs for women that 

were studied meet on a regular basis over a one-year 

period. A strong majority of the peer-to-peer networking 

programs for women that were studied meet on an 

ongoing basis. The entrepreneurial training programs 

for women that were studied make their offerings available on a semi-annual basis. This suggests that women 

business owners who are focused on business stage in 

collaboration with an advisory board of mentors can 

benefit from short-term access to business expertise. 

This also suggests that women business owners who are 

leaders of their companies can benefit from working 

“on” their business with their peers in a structured 

setting on a consistent basis. 

All of the mentor-protégée and entrepreneurial training 

programs for women that were studied were launched in 

the late 1990s. All of the peer-to-peer networking programs 

for women were started in the mid to late 1990s. Given the 

tandem growth of women-owned businesses in this period, 

this suggests that as their businesses collectively continue 

to gain economic influence, women entrepreneurs could 

experience increasing opportunity to participate in mentoring programs. However, women business owners will not 

necessarily see increasing opportunities for mentoring 

programs if, for instance, budgets are limited. 

—— 4 —— 
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
 

Mentoring in the Business Environment
 

Finding #2: At given points of a business’ maturity, a woman business owner is currently best served by 

similar types of mentoring programs as those for business owners in general, but which 

contain some different elements. In particular: 

If their businesses are pre-start-up or start-up, women business owners would appear to benefit most 

from entrepreneurial training.

5 

If their businesses are start-up or second-stage, women business owners would appear to benefit most 

from a mentor-protégée program that matches one protégée with several mentors or one mentor with 

several protégées and gives each protégée the experience of a realistic stretch via a mentor(s) who is at 

the very next level up. 

If their businesses are second-stage or established, women business owners would appear to benefit 

most from a structured form of peer-to-peer networking that plans participant composition, develops 

meeting agendas and monitors goal achievement. 

In sum, the choice to invest in business mentoring is also 

a strategic choice for women business owners. When 

selecting a mentoring program, they too need to keep in 

mind where their businesses are in development so that 

they can receive the most benefit from mentoring. 

Program Practices 

What makes the mentoring programs in this study successful according to the organizations who sponsor them? 

Organizations shared information on their common practices to give us an idea, allowing us to create snapshots of 

key programming elements like planning, design, promotion, support, and recruitment. Following is a discussion 

of these elements. Importantly, this is not an exhaustive 

list of the elements required for successful mentoring programming. They simply represent elements that emerged 

from conversations with program staff on best practices 

and lessons learned. 

Planning 

The majority of programs are between four and ten years 

old. Given this timeframe, sponsoring organizations have 

the planning phase of their programs well-defined. They 

have a feel for which planning practices have paid off in 

the past and which have not, although staff turnover was 

the one variable noted to adversely affect such knowledge. 

When mentioned, organizations described planning as 

both an initial and an ongoing program activity. Some 

organizations indicated that planning is the first of several 

activities they conduct to initiate program launch. Others 

indicated a consistent focus on this activity throughout the 

program lifecycle and in tandem with other programming 

elements. Organizations reported that effective mentorprotégé matches, in particular, require significant staff 

investment on the front end. One of the study’s peer-topeer networking programs incorporates its facilitators in 

ongoing planning to capture their professional expertise 

on effective processes. 

Design 

As with planning, organizations have their program 

designs well-mapped. Structure, including a well-planned 

participant orientation, was the deciding factor of program 

success, irrespective of program type and despite the fact 

that a more structured program was said to equal a more 

labor- and time-intensive program. For mentor-protégé 

programs, structure translates to a number of imperatives. 

Strategic matching is one of them. For one organization, 

this strategy places each protégé with a mentor who is at 

the very next level up, so that the protégé experiences a 

realistic stretch. 

Notably, organizations with mentor-protégé programs 

cited personal chemistry as a potentially important facet 

of developing an enjoyable mentoring relationship, but 

they infrequently mentioned this factor as necessary for 

5 Due to the small number of entrepreneurial training programs in this study, we cannot make any statements about differences in 

these programs for the women's programs versus all programs. 

—— 5 —— 
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
 

Mentoring in the Business Environment
 

developing a productive one. If providing protégés with 

multiple mentors, organizations advised introducing the 

mentors upfront as a group, as opposed to successively 

throughout the program. Organizations subsequently 

reported being focused on maximizing the time of their 

mentors and protégés because business owners maintain a 

number of competing demands on their schedules. 

Organizations reported that a well-planned orientation 

was critical for explaining the “how” of the mentoring 

relationship, providing guidelines as opposed to rules. 

Organizations recommended a combination of both formal 

and informal mentoring opportunities after the initial orientation for mentor-protégé programs. This includes formal one-on-one interactions with the mentor, as well as 

group interactions with fellow protégés. Organizations 

repeatedly cited time for relationship-building on both 

fronts as critical. Notably, they reported that more time in 

the mentoring relationship contributes to the relationship’s 

growth, but a long mentoring period is not required for 

achieving results, if the mentor and protégé are focused on 

a goal or business issue. Whether over a long or a short 

meeting period, however, organizations conveyed that faceto-face meetings between the mentor and protégé are critical to the relationship-building process. As previously 

noted, the mentor-protégée programs for women that were 

studied meet on a regular basis over a one year period. 

For peer-to-peer networking programs, structure again 

translates to a number of imperatives. While there was a 

lack of consensus on creating groups by business stage 

(some target one business stage, others welcome several), 

organizations consistently agreed on keeping a peer group 

small (under 20 business owners), confidential, diverse 

and absent of industry competitors or suppliers. The 

rationale for this structure is that small groups foster 

intimacy and intensity. Further, confidentiality and a lack 

of competitors create an open and safe environment. 

Organizations noted that despite differences in industry, 

the critical issues addressed by participants within a group 

are universal (e.g., human resources, finance, growth). 

In fact, connecting business owners with professionals in 

industries outside of their purview creates a ripple effect 

as business owners are introduced to the networks of 

those professionals. 

Other structural imperatives for peer-to-peer networking 

programs included using a well-planned orientation for 

newly formed groups to review roles, responsibilities and 

expectations. Organizations also advised having the same 

group of peers meet routinely for a certain period of time, 

if not on an ongoing basis. Having participants commit to 

meeting attendance improves individual chances of seeing 

business results and improves the group’s potency. 

Organizations recommended consistently integrating 

nationally or internationally recognized speakers into their 

meetings and suggested using experts to offer subjectmatter expertise. 

In addition to structure, peer-to-peer networking programs 

also require accountability. To achieve this, organizations 

reported consistently using a seasoned facilitator “to keep 

participants honest,” which increases their accountability. 

Organizations also reported that having participants make 

business decisions during meetings increases the group’s 

ability to hold them accountable for those decisions. 

Finally, peer groups need to have the option to expel 

non-performing participants. 

Many of the organizations contacted for this study use technology to facilitate mentoring and networking connections. 

Across programs, we found that mentors, protégés and 

peers are encouraged to use email to complement faceto-face interactions. Further, some of the organizations 

offer their members sophisticated, online platforms for 

their members to solicit best practices and peer feedback 

on business challenges. Such member-only sites can 

represent significant investment from an organization, but 

were reported to increase program potency. Interestingly, 

we did not come across a business mentoring program that 

publicizes e-mentoring (also known as telementoring) as 

part of its program offering. 

Promotion 

Irrespective of program type, all organizations agreed that 

program quality and growth are spurred by a champion 

and/or consistent promotion. Organizations sponsoring 

mentor-protégé and peer-to-peer networking programs frequently reported the effectiveness of word-of-mouth promotion. They don’t stop there, however. They noted that 

getting business owners to participate in programs can be 

a sales process, especially because business owners are 

required to be very open about their business’ operations and 

finances. Thus, promotion also includes direct recruitment. 

—— 6 —— 
 

PROGRAM OVERVIEW
 

Mentoring in the Business Environment
 

Organizations sponsoring entrepreneurial training programs 

advised that investors invest in entrepreneurial pursuits 

based on relationships, so it is effective to include them at 

every juncture of the programming process. If hosting 

training in changing locations, these organizations advocated building collaborative relationships in the community 

where the training takes place. Doing so has been found to 

create and increase opportunities for business owners. 

Recruitment 

Universally, organizations reported seeking program participants who embrace the overall concept of mentoring. For 

mentor-protégé programs, organizations reported recruiting 

and rigorously screening for mentors who are seasoned business owners and protégés who are “advisable.” If an organization has a membership, it should target member recruitment to business owners who are already familiar with and 

embrace the concept of mentoring. For peer-to-peer networking programs, organizations pursued participant diversity 

(gender, race, age, background). For entrepreneurial training 

programs, organizations recommended screening applicants 

thoroughly to ensure they are well-positioned to receive and 

make use of training. 

Support 

Across program type, organizations stressed the importance 

of addressing participant expectations, goals, time commitment, and communication processes. For mentor-protégé 

programs, organizations addressed these areas in a written 

agreement between the mentor and protégé. Importantly, 

this agreement also clarifies that the relationship is voluntary. After the match is launched, organizations consistently 

encourage protégés to maintain a strong emphasis on relationships and networking, and they frequently follow up 

with each match to ensure its effectiveness. To assist protégés in making the most of their matches, one organization 

openly discusses the “star-struck” factor, which is allowing 

the feeling of awe of someone to impede outreach. 

For peer-to-peer networking programs, organizations have 

found it useful to structure group meetings around case 

studies of member businesses to assist all members with 

the topic of business development. Where groups are 

sponsored by organizations with a membership, the organizations have created online communities where peers can 

reach the entire member base with a business issue. 

Organizations advocated regularly educating facilitators 

throughout the program lifecycle. Facilitators, like the 

business owners themselves, can begin to feel isolated, so 

they should meet consistently to strategize and share best 

practices. Rotating locations for meetings also provides 

flexibility for participants. 

For entrepreneurial training programs, organizations 

emphasized personalizing service as much as possible. 

The more personalized the service to participants, the 

more successful the programs. Organizations also highlighted the importance of managing expectations without 

dampening enthusiasms. Providing training comprised of 

modules that build on one another, one organization 

encourages participants to complete modules linearly 

(from first to last). This organization allows its participants to start where their business needs dictate, however. 

As preceding discussion indicates, there are some practices within the programming elements of planning, 

design, promotion, support, and recruitment which transcend program type. The third finding of this study identifies for organizations these effective program practices. 

Finding #3: Irrespective of whether an organization offers entrepreneurial training, a mentor-protégé program 

or peer-to-peer networking, there are three key effective practices for business mentoring: 

Structure that includes a well-planned orientation with discussion of expectations, 


goals, time commitment and effective communication processes;
 

Participants who are familiar with and embrace the concept of mentoring; and
 

Promotion that consists of word-of-mouth and direct recruitment efforts.
 

—— 7 —— 
PROGRAM OVERVIEW 

Mentoring in the Business Environment 

The information in this section highlights program 

elements and related common practices. It is important 

to note that these program elements are not an exhaustive 

list of the elements required for successful mentoring 

programming. They simply represent those elements 

touched upon by program staff when asked about best 

practices and lessons learned. An important case in point 

is the absence of the program element, evaluation. While 

many of the organizations reported investing time in follow-up program evaluation through the use of exit surveys 

or informal verbal check-ins, it was noted that none have 

begun to evaluate their program’s effectiveness formally 

and consistently. 

Finally, the program practices described within each 

programming element do not suggest rigid models or 

models that should be used by all organizations interested 

in a specific program type. The nature of organizations 

varies (e.g., nonprofit foundation, nonprofit membership 

organization), as do programming motivations (e.g., retaining members vs. fulfilling an unmet training need in the 

economy), which will impact the program practices desired. 

—— 8 —— 
LITERATURE OVERVIEW
 

Mentoring in the Business Environment
 

Methodology 

After developing an understanding about the women’s 

mentoring programs that organizations are currently 

implementing, we reviewed both mainstream and academic 

literature to locate research on mentoring for women 

business owners. As requested, this review focused on 

literature published since 1995. 

Review of the mainstream literature included consultation 

and review of books, magazines, and newswire content 

both online and offline. This review process included 

such search terms as: mentoring, mentoring in business, 

business mentoring, business women and mentoring, 

entrepreneurial mentoring, entrepreneurial mentoring 

programs, annotated bibliography and business owners, 

annotated bibliography and mentoring, annotated bibliography and business mentoring, annotated bibliography 

and entrepreneurship. 

Review of the academic literature included consultation of 

relevant databases, journals, consortiums, and scholars. 

This consultation process included such databases as 1) 

ABI Inform, 2) Lexis-Nexis, 3) Business & Company 

Resource Center, 4) PsychLit and 5) Socio using such 

terms as: mentoring, mentoring in business, business 

mentoring, business women and mentoring, entrepreneurial 

mentoring, entrepreneurial mentoring programs, annotated 

bibliography and business owners, annotated bibliography 

and mentoring, annotated bibliography and business 

mentoring, annotated bibliography and entrepreneurship. 

Following database research, we reviewed pertinent issues 

of the following academic journals: Academy of 

Management Journal (1995-2003); Academy of 

Management Review (1995-2003); Business Horizons 

(1995-2003); Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice 

(1995-2002); Entrepreneurship and Regional 

Development (1995-2002); Journal of Business Venturing 

(1995-2003); Journal of Developmental Entrepreneurship 

(1998-2002); Journal of Small Business Management 

(1995-2003); and Mentoring and Tutoring (1995-2002). 

Subsequent to database and journal reviews, we contacted 

the National Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers 

(NCEC) to determine its knowledge of salient research. 

Created with the support of the Kauffman Foundation 

Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership and the combined 

leadership of the University of Maryland, University of 

Southern California, and Ball State University, NCEC 

assembles what it considers to be the best entrepreneurship centers in the country with an agenda to “enhance 

and foster improvements in curriculum, research, outreach, 

projects and financial support for entrepreneurship.” 

NCEC members include entrepreneurship centers from 

57 U.S. universities. 

Finally, we contacted mentoring and entrepreneurship 

scholars from across the U.S, the majority of whom are 

considered to be experts in their fields. 

Results of Literature Review 

An in-depth review of the literature reveals that discussion 

on the topic of business mentoring focuses primarily on 

corporate mentoring and related programs. Very little has 

been written on the topic of mentoring programming for 

business owners. When asked specifically about mentoring 

programming for women business owners, the majority of 

the scholars contacted for this study stated no knowledge 

of such research. Separately, the NCEC shared that, while 

it does not track its members’ research, it could confirm 

that its annual conferences have yet to sponsor sessions on 

salient research related to business mentoring. Finally, we 

found a dearth of journals focused on business mentoring. 

Mentoring & Tutoring was the only journal we identified 

as being topic-specific, and it addresses a mixture of 

educational and business mentoring. 

Where the topic of business mentoring for women is 

addressed in the literature, we found discussion of the 

necessary evolution of the concept. Cheryl Dahl’s, 

“Women’s Ways of Mentoring,” 6 states “Women’s 

mentoring is more about commitment than chemistry, 

personal growth than promotion.” The “new rules” she 

observes includes, among others, the reality that, 

“Mentoring doesn’t have to be one-on-one. Mentoring 

works best when you mix and match.” 

Outside of business mentoring for women, the literature 

has also begun to suggest the need to evolve the concept 

6 See bibliography for referenced items. 

—— 9 —— 
LITERATURE OVERVIEW
 

Mentoring in the Business Environment
 

of business mentoring past the one-to-one model due to 

the drastically altered business environment that 

businesses now operate in. In Jim Billington’s “Meet 

Your Mentor. It’s a Network,” Billington writes that “the 

traditional mentor-protégé relationship has gone the way 

of the mainframe computer—while it hasn’t completely 

disappeared, it isn’t nearly as common as it used to be. 

Several thoughtful writers offer a sensible alternative: a 

network—but a narrow one of mentors.” In “Beyond the 

Myth of the Perfect Mentor: Building a Network of 

Developmental Relationships,” Linda Hill and Nancy 

Kamprath write that “Instead of embarking on a quest 

for the perfect mentor, individuals should pursue a 

strategy of being the perfect protégé and building a 

network of developmental relationships.” 

For insight into what is being researched on the 

combination of mentoring and technology, we consulted 

with the National Mentoring Partnership and the National 

Mentoring Center on the issue of e-mentoring. While 

both organizations are exclusively focused on youth, we 

found it useful to explore the e-mentoring training 

materials and software that they have developed to 

increase mentoring relationships for their target audience. 

The National Mentoring Center cited MentorNet, an 

e-mentoring network for women in engineering and 

science whose target audience is female university 

students. 

Despite the availability of the foregoing works, mainstream and academic research literature within the field 

of entrepreneurship has yet to catch up with actual mentoring programming for business owners. Major gaps 

exist regarding works that address business mentoring 

for business owners, in general, and women business 

owners, in particular. These gaps, in turn, create a 

disparity between practice and theory in the area of 

business mentoring. 

Opportunities exist to address this disparity with research. 

In “The Leadership Focus of Women Entrepreneurs at 

Start-up and Early-Growth Stages,” Lisa Gundry writes 

that “Little research has been done on a sample of women 

entrepreneurs using stage of business development as a 

differentiating factor.” With increased investment in 

women’s mentoring programs, such research could 

directly impact the U.S. economy, given the current 

number and growth rate of women-owned businesses. 

—— 10 —— 
RECOMMENDATIONS
 

Mentoring in the Business Environment
 

Nine recommendations to the National Women’s 

Business Council arise from this study. Five concern 

future research and four involve program support and 

raising the profile of women’s business mentoring. 

First, use the results provided here as a springboard for 

further research to explore the match suggested in this 

study between business stage and program type (see 

Findings 1 and 2). It would appear that this match is the 

determinant of a successful program; however, more 

research and a larger dataset are required to conclusively 

make this case. Gather more details than those in this 

study to demonstrate that certain program types are effective at various stages in the business development process, 

especially for women business owners. Also gather details 

on whether women business owners are better served by 

women-focused organizations across program types. 

Second, use the results provided here as a springboard 

for further research to explore the program elements for 

each program type that are required for successful 

mentoring programs (see Finding 3). An exhaustive list 

of program elements would be helpful in establishing and 

promoting effective models. The program elements 

explored in this study simply represent those that emerged 

from conversations with program staff on best practices 

and lessons learned. Gather more details on each element 

about the effective practices that comprise that element, 

especially from organizations that sponsor a women’s 

mentoring program. 

Third, explore e-mentoring (also known as telementoring) 

programs and their advantages for women business owners to determine if the reach of mentoring can be extended 

using the Internet, either for program outreach and marketing or for service delivery. Some online models exist 

to launch an inquiry. MentorNet facilitates online 

mentoring between women in the fields of engineering 

and science (www.mentornet.net). MicroMentor 

facilitates online mentoring between low-income owners 

of very small businesses and accomplished industry 

professionals (www.micromentor.org). 

Fourth, explore business-to-business mentoring programs 

to determine their advantages for women business owners. 

Focus on programs sponsored by federal and state governments. Some models are available from which to proceed. 

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and U.S. 

Department of Defense (DOD) each have a 

mentor-protégé program that encourages prime 

contractors to work with small and often disadvantaged 

firms (www.hr.doe.gov/ed/osdbu/mentor.html and 

www.acq.osd.mil/sadbu/mentor_protege, respectively). 

Fifth, consider creating a database of original research 

on women business owners with mentoring as one of the 

database’s research categories. Partner with an organization, like the NCEC, whose members undertake original 

research. Such a tool could be used by academic 

researchers to enhance the study of women’s entrepreneurship and, in turn, could spur further practical 

innovations. 

Sixth, create a mentoring section on the NWBC web site 

under “Links to Other Resources” to raise the profile of 

the mentoring concept. Provide links to the web sites of 

the programs included in this study, as well as to other 

promising programs. Also explore within this section the 

use of web casts with prominent women business owners 

as a means for inspiring and sharing business knowledge. 

Investigate the creation of an online portal to offer women 

business owners one point of entry to business mentoring 

resources. Partner with an organization that already has an 

online presence and brand. Partner suggestions include: 

iVillage (which bills itself as the #1 Internet site for 

women); the National Mentoring Partnership (which is 

building a strong brand and has strong public-private 

backing); and the American Business Women’s Association 

or Business and Professional Women (which have been 

ranked sixth and seventh respectively in the Top 20 

Business Women’s Organizations by Membership by the 

Business Women’s Network). 

Seventh, publicize the business development 

tools of entrepreneur-support organizations, like the 

Edward Lowe Foundation and the Kauffman Center 

for Entrepreneurial Leadership, that focus on helping 

business owners measure their successes and get to the 

next level. 

Eighth, work with major magazines whose audience is 

primariy women business owners to determine the availability of no or low cost advertising opportunities for 

women’s business mentoring programs on an on-going 

basis, or at minimum, during January, which is the federally-established National Mentoring Month. A partner 

—— 11 —— 
RECOMMENDATIONS
 

Mentoring in the Business Environment
 

suggestion includes Enterprising Women (which bills 

itself as the only national magazine published exclusively 

for women business owners). 

Ninth, encourage formal and informal evaluation of programs to help build the case for business mentoring and 

to help determine the extent to which women’s 

program needs differ from those of men. While many of 

the organizations reported investing time in follow-up 

program evaluation through the use of exit surveys or 

informal verbal check-ins, it was noted that none have 

begun to evaluate their programs formally and 

consistently. Evaluations can be outsourced to university 

entrepreneurial centers if organizations do not have the 

staff capacity to conduct evaluations in-house. For 

example, Babson College has evaluated the women’s 

mentoring program offered by the Committee of 200 

(www.babson.edu/entrep/fer/Babson2001/IV/IVE/IVE.htm). 

External evaluations often turn up information that is 

missed internally. 

—— 12 —— 
APPENDIX A
 

Mentoring in the Business Environment 

Appendix A: 

Organizations in the Study 

Organization Web Site 

Athena Foundation http://www.athenafoundation.org 

Center for Women and Enterprise http://www.cweboston.org 

The Committee of 200 Foundation http://www.c200.org 

The Commonwealth Institute http://www.commonwealthinstitute.org 

The Executive Committee http://www.teconline.com 

Forum for Women Entrepreneurs http://www.fwe.org 

Helzberg Entrepreneurial Mentoring Program http://helzbergmentoring.org 

Kauffman Foundation http://www.emkf.org 

National Association of Women Business Owners http://www.nawbo.org 

SBA Office of Women’s Business Ownership http://www.sbaonline.sba.gov/womeninbusiness/index.html 

Springboard Enterprises http://www.springboardenterprises.org 

University of Houston Small Business Development Center http://smbizsolutions.uh.edu/ 

University of Maryland Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship http://dingman.rhsmith.umd.edu 

U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce http://www.uswomenschamber.com 

Women Presidents’ Organization http://www.womenpresidentsorg.com 

Young Entrepreneurs’ Organization http://www.yeo.org 

Young Presidents’ Organization http://www.ypo.org 

—— 13 —— 
 

APPENDIX B
 

Mentoring in the Business Environment 

Appendix B: Programs within Organizations in the Study 

(By Program Type, 2002-2003) CLIENTS

Women and MenWo(8)

men 

Only (8)WomenTargeted (3)

AGE OF ORGANIZATION AGE OF PROGRAM 

BUSINESS 

ORGANIZATION PROGRAM PROGRAM TYPE STAGE 

Athena Foundation 

Committee of 200 

Foundation 

National Association of 

Women Business Owners 

University of Maryland 

Dingman Center for 

Entrepreneurship 

University of Maryland 

Dingman Center for 

Entrepreneurship 

Helzberg Entrepreneurial 

Mentoring Program 

Kauffman Foundation 

Young Entrepreneurs’ 

Organization 

Commonwealth Institute 6 

Commonwealth Institute 6 

University of Houston 19 

Small Business 

Development Center 

US Women’s Chamber 2 

of Commerce 

Women Presidents’ 4 

Organization 

SBA Office of Women’s 24 

Business Ownership 

Young Presidents’ 53 

Organization 

The Executive Committee 46 

The Executive Committee 46 

Springboard Enterprises 

Center for Women and 

Enterprise 

20 

17 

28 

17 

17 

8 

38 

16 

2
 

8
 

PowerLink 

Growing Entrepreneurs 

Mentoring Program 

NAWBO Mentor Program 

Dingman Traditional 

Mentor Program 

Dingman Cohort 

Mentor Program 

Helzberg Entrepreneurial 

Mentoring Program 

Kauffman Fellows Program 

WPO-YEO Mentor Program 

5 

4 

0 

8 

1 

8 

9 

6 

Mentor-Protégée 

Mentor-Protégée 

Mentor-Protégée 

Mentor-Protégé 

Mentor-Protégé 

Mentor-Protégé 

Mentor-Protégé 

Mentor-Protégé 

Commonwealth Forum 6 Peer-to-Peer Start-up X 

for Women CEOs Networking to Second-stage 

Commonwealth Forum for 3 Peer-to-Peer Start-up X 

Emerging Technology Companies Networking to Second-stage 

Women’s Business 8 Peer-to-Peer Second-stage X 

Ownership Initiative Networking 

USWCC CEO Forum 2 Peer-to-Peer Second-stage X 

Networking to Established 

WPO Chapter 4 Peer-to-Peer Second-stage X 

Networking to Established 

WNET Roundtables 10 Peer-to-Peer Pre-Start-up X 

Networking to Established 

YPO Forum 28 Peer-to-Peer Established X 

Networking 

Traditional TEC 46 Peer-to-Peer Second-stage X 

Networking to Established 

Emerging Entrepreneurs 10 Peer-to-Peer Second-stage X 

Networking to Established 

Springboard 2 Entrepreneurial Start-up X 

Training to Second-stage 

Community Entrepreneurs 4 Entrepreneurial Pre-Start-up X 

Program Training 

Start-up 

Second-stage 

Start-up 

to Established 

Start-up to 

Second-stage 

Pre-Start-up 

to Start-up 

Second-stage 

Pre-Start-up 

to Start-up 

Second-stage 

to Established 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

(Results are synthesized from all data available at the time of this report.) 

—— 14 —— 
APPENDIX C
 

Mentoring in the Business Environment
 

Appendix C: 


Descriptions of Programs for Women
 

MENTOR-PROTÉGÉE PROGRAMS 

Athena Foundation - “Athena PowerLink” 

“Athena PowerLink” is a five-year old program that unites 

a woman-owned business with a group of local mentors 

who serve as a panel of advisors. Advisors work with the 

protégée on her business for one year at no charge. The 

protégée and her panel meet quarterly and run their meetings with the formality of a Board of Directors meeting. 

To qualify for participation, the protégée needs to have 

been in business for at least two years, as well as meet certain revenue thresholds. Each PowerLink program is governed locally by an interested community organization. 

These organizations make use of a panel coordinator with 

each match to ensure an effective and professional mentoring process. 

Web Site: http://www.athenafoundation.org/ 

Phone Number: 800-548-8247 

Committee of 200 - “Growing Entrepreneurs 

Mentoring Program” 

“Growing Entrepreneurs Mentoring Program” is a fouryear old program that seeks to help women entrepreneurs 

take their businesses to the next level (represented by 

C200 membership). Six to seven entrepreneurs who gross 

between $3 million and $10 million on an annual basis 

are selected for the protégée class via an application 

process. Using a team approach to mentoring, each protégée receives two to three mentors who serve as her advisory board. Protégées meet with their mentors throughout 

the year individually and informally. Additionally, the protégée class meets together four times a year to network 

and attend a two-day Teaching Institute facilitated by an 

accomplished instructor and offering curriculum defined 

by the protégées themselves. 

Web Site: http://www.c200.org 

Phone Number: 312-751-3477 

National Association of Women Business Owners ­

“NAWBO Mentor Program” 

The “NAWBO Mentor Program” is to be launched as a pilot 

program this year. Mentors will be recruited by business issue 

and then matched with a NAWBO protégée(s) who is interested in being mentored on a specific business issue. Mentors 

will have been in business at least five years. Protégées need 

only to be NAWBO members to apply. A mentoring agreement will be used to launch each mentoring relationship. 

Matches are targeted to last for a year. The majority of participants will be women, although men are welcome. 

Web Site: http://www.nawbo.org 

Phone Number: 800-55-NAWBO 

PEER-TO-PEER NETWORKING PROGRAMS 

Commonwealth Institute - “The Commonwealth 

Forum for Women CEOs” 

“The Commonwealth Forum for Women CEOs” is a sixyear old, structured peer-to-peer networking program that 

brings 8-10 women CEOs together in a confidential environment on a monthly basis to discuss issues and develop 

growth strategies. Participants come from a variety of 

industries with no competitors in each group. Groups 

meet monthly for four hours and are scheduled one year 

in advanced in order to incorporate the meetings into the 

participant’s schedule. A professional facilitator with 

extensive business experience runs each Forum. Meetings 

often feature an expert resource with extensive knowledge 

in a particular business discipline. 

Web Site: http://www.commonwealthinstitute.org 

Phone Number: 617-859-0080 

Commonwealth Institute - “The Commonwealth 

Forum for Emerging Technology Companies” 

“The Commonwealth Forum for Emerging Technology 

Companies” is a three-year old, structured peer-to-peer 

networking program that brings 8-10 emerging women 

CEOs together in a confidential environment on a monthly basis to discuss the high growth potential technology 

companies they are launching. Participants are graduates 

of a “boot camp” at which top experts have worked 

through their business plan. As with the Commonwealth 

Forum for Women CEOs, participants come from a 

variety of industries with no competitors in each group. 

Groups meet monthly for four hours. A professional 

facilitator with extensive business experience runs each 

Forum. Meetings often feature an expert resource with 

extensive knowledge in a particular business discipline. 

Web Site: http://www.commonwealthinstitute.org 

Phone Number: 617-859-0080 

—— 15 —— 
APPENDIX C
 

Mentoring in the Business Environment
 

SBA Office of Women’s Business Ownership - 

“WNET Roundtables” 

“WNET Roundtables” is a ten-year old, unstructured peerto-peer networking program that offers access to public and 

private sector individuals who are available to provide contacts, services, and suggestions for women business owners. Peers are women business owners, and they receive 

practical support and guidance in an informal, ongoing 

relationship from a range of mentors with a wealth of experience. There are several hundred roundtables across the 

country. Each is structured according to the needs of the 

community it serves. If a roundtable does not exist in the 

community of an interested woman entrepreneur, she can 

start one with the help of the program’s national coordinator. Men are welcome to attend a WNET roundtable. 

Web Site: 

http://www.sbaonline.sba.gov/womeninbusiness/index.html 

Phone Number: (202) 205-6673 

University of Houston Small Business Development 

Center - “Women’s Business Ownership Initiative” 

The “Women’s Business Ownership Initiative” is an eightyear old, structured peer-to-peer networking program that 

hosts seven roundtables a year beginning each fall for 

local women business owners who have been in business 

between one and four years (no start-ups). Participation 

occurs via recruitment and word-of-mouth referrals. Each 

roundtable meets on a monthly basis and is comprised of 

an SBDC staffer, four to five “coachees” and one to two 

“coaches.” Coaches are in charge of roundtable management. Members of a roundtable are at the same business 

stage and are comprised of non-competing businesses. 

The objective of the roundtables is to provide a forum for 

women business owners to tackle the issues that will help 

them develop their businesses. The cost of the roundtable 

to the coachee is $100. 

Web Site: http://smbizsolutions.uh.edu/ 

Phone Number: 713-752-8444 

US Women’s Chamber of Commerce - 

“USWCC CEO Forum” 

The “USWCC CEO Forum” is a two-year old, structured 

peer-to-peer networking program designed to reduce the 

feelings of loneliness that many women leaders experience 

at the top. Specifically, each forum provides women CEOs 

with education, feedback and support in a confidential 

atmosphere on a monthly basis to enhance the success of 

their businesses. Forums are lead by a seasoned CEO and 

have 12 members who are from non-competing businesses. 

Web Site: http://www.uswomenschamber.com 

Phone Number: 888-861-9290 

Women Presidents’ Organization - “WPO Chapter” 

“WPO Chapter” is a four-year old, structured peer-to-peer 

networking program that brings 20 women Presidents 

together in a confidential environment on a monthly basis 

to discuss their business challenges. Meetings are managed by a trained facilitator and the agenda often focuses 

on one member’s business in a case study fashion. This 

allows the member to have some of her current challenges 

rigorously analyzed and discussed from a number of different perspectives. Business revenue thresholds drive 

membership in a WPO chapter. 

Web Site: http://www.womenpresidentsorg.com 

Phone Number: 212-688-4114 

ENTREPRENEURIAL TRAINING PROGRAMS 

Center for Women and Enterprise - “Community 

Entrepreneurs Program” 

“Community Entrepreneurs Program” is a four-year old, 

entrepreneurship training program. It is primarily designed 

for women who intend to start their own business to 

achieve economic self-sufficiency. The program offers a 

modular approach to training which enables clients to start 

the program at any point and take different modules based 

on their needs and prior experience. Modules include: 

Visioning (12hrs), Making Your Money Work (18hrs), 

First Step FastTrac (42hrs), Business Launch (12hrs), and 

Grow. Fees for the training are offered on a sliding scale. 

The majority of participants are women, although men 

are welcome. 

Web Site: http://www.cweboston.org 

Phone Number: 617-536-0700 

—— 16 —— 
APPENDIX C
 

Mentoring in the Business Environment
 

Springboard Enterprises - “Springboard” 

“Springboard” is a two-year old, entrepreneurial training 

program. It is designed to increase the participation and 

profile of women entrepreneurs in the equity markets. 

Participating entrepreneurs are focused in the area of 

Technology or Life Sciences and represent a variety of 

business stages. Their recruitment occurs by market via 

networking events and information sessions sponsored by 

Springboard. Applications are put through a rigorous 

screening process to determine business readiness. Twenty 

applicants are selected and sent to a “bootcamp” where 

they spend two months with coaches and peers reworking 

their business plans. The culminating event in the program is the Venture Forum at which participants pitch 

their businesses to equity investors. The program lasts for 

six months. 

Web Site: http://www.springboardenterprises.org 

Phone Number: 202-242-6282 

—— 17 —— 
APPENDIX D
 

Mentoring in the Business Environment
 

Appendix D: 


Descriptions of Programs for Women & Men
 

MENTOR-PROTÉGÉ PROGRAMS 

Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship (University of 

Maryland) - “Dingman Traditional Mentor Program” 

The “Dingman Traditional Mentor Program” is an eightyear old, local initiative that focuses on entrepreneurs with 

specific plans to build companies that produce significant 

revenues and jobs (an emerging growth company). 

Entrepreneurs are matched at a low cost with a mentor who 

averages twenty years of business experience. (Mentor services cost $45/hour, which is paid to the Dingman Center, not 

to the mentor.) Each match is tailored to the needs, business 

maturity and industry of each entrepreneur. Mentor and protégé meet for one or two face-to-face meetings per month 

for as long as the needs of the entrepreneur’s business dictate. More than one mentor can be sought by a participating 

entrepreneur. 

Web Site: http://dingman.rhsmith.umd.edu 

Phone Number: 301-405-9545 

Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship (University of 

Maryland) - “Dingman Cohort Mentor Program” 

The “Dingman Cohort Mentor Program” is a one-year 

old, local initiative that brings together three entrepreneurs 

and three mentors for a structured, eight week period to 

focus on specific goals of the participating entrepreneurs. 

Each entrepreneur is matched with a mentor. The match is 

encouraged to have at least three face-to-face meetings 

during the eight weeks. Each entrepreneur is also given 

the opportunity to network with the other entrepreneurs 

and mentors in the cohort. Dingman staff contact each 

match at the mid-point of the program to monitor match 

effectiveness, as well as progress toward goal achievement. The cost of the program is $250. Entrepreneurs can 

participate in the program as many times as they like. 

Web Site: http://dingman.rhsmith.umd.edu 

Phone Number: 301-405-9545 

Helzberg Entrepreneurial Mentoring Program ­

“Helzberg Entrepreneurial Mentoring Program” 

The “Helzberg Entrepreneurial Mentoring Program” is an 

eight-year old program. Its program cycle is a three-year 

period that kicks off annually in the fall. Locally run, its 

recruitment targets protégés who, among other qualifications, 

are passionate about what they do, generate between $1 

million and $75 million, and whose businesses are not in 

the midst of major change. Once recruited, protégés and 

mentors are selected via a rigorous screening process and 

then matched one-on-one. Mentors are viewed as coaches, 

rather than consultants who fix problems. Face-to-face 

meetings occur as determined by the match, and an additional fourteen group meetings are held each year (retreats, 

speakers, networking events, celebration dinners). The cost 

of the program to the protégé is $750 annually. 

Web Site: http://helzbergmentoring.org 

Phone Number: 816-235- 6125 

Kauffman Foundation - “Kauffman Fellows Program” 

The “Kauffman Fellows Program” is a nine-year old 

program designed to educate and train future venture 

capitalists and future leaders of high-growth companies. 

Fellows develop learning plans with industry mentors and 

program faculty and are then placed on-site at a venture 

capital firm to gain first-hand experience of the venture 

capital process. Requirements to become a fellow include: 

US citizenship, a graduate degree, and some professional 

experience. Beyond this, excellence is emphasized along 

with a desire to learn about the venture-building process. 

The program lasts for a year and a half. 

Web Site: http://www.emkf.org 

Phone Number: 913-648-0002 

Young Entrepreneurs’ Organization - 

“WPO-YEO Mentor Program” 

The “WPO-YEO Mentor Program” is a six-year old program sponsored by YEO in collaboration with the World 

Presidents’ Organization (WPO). It matches YEO entrepreneurs with experienced WPO mentors in a mentorship 

that seeks to develop the entrepreneur in business, personal growth and perspective. YEO members must be under 

40, as well as be the Founder, co-Founder, Owner, or 

Controlling Shareholder of an operating business with 

annual gross sales exceeding $1 million. 

Web Site: http://www.yeo.org 

Phone Number: 703-519-6700 

—— 18 —— 
APPENDIX D
 

Mentoring in the Business Environment
 

PEER-TO-PEER NETWORKING PROGRAMS 

The Executive Committee - “Traditional TEC” and 

“Emerging Entrepreneurs” 

The Executive Committee sponsors two peer-to-peer networking programs. “Traditional TEC” is a forty-six-year 

old program, and “Emerging Entrepreneurs” is a ten-year 

old program. Both are structured peer-to-peer networking 

programs that bring CEOs together in a roundtable format 

with the objective of increasing their efficiencies and 

accountability so that they can drive business results. 

Locally based, each roundtable has a Chair and up to 16 

members. Members are from non-competing industries 

and are required to a make significant personal commitment to their roundtable. Each member must come into 

the process with written personal and professional goals, 

attend a monthly eight-hour roundtable, and meet with 

the roundtable Chair for two hours every month to 

discuss goal progress. Roundtables last as long as the 

members find value in them. There are several hundred 

roundtables across the country and abroad. Certain 

revenue thresholds apply. 

Web Site: http://www.teconline.com 

Phone Number: 800-274-2367 

Young Presidents’ Organization - “YPO Forum” 

The “YPO Forum” is a 28 year-old program hosted at the 

local level internationally by YPO chapters. Within each 

chapter, small groups of twelve, young business leaders 

meet on a consistent basis annually to share and consult 

with their peers on personal and professional issues in a 

safe environment for the purpose of learning and growing. 

Work-life balance is explored and supported through targeted educational programming. To make the most of its 

international membership, YPO uses its web site to facilitate the networking of members in different geographic 

locales and time zones. Membership in the organization is 

sponsored by another member. Applicants must be under 

44 and have full responsibility for business operations. 

Other qualifications related to employees and valuations 

apply. 

Web Site: http://www.ypo.org 

Phone Number: 800-773-7976 

—— 19 —— 
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—— 22 —— 
ABOUT THE AUTHORS 


Mentoring in the Business Environment
 

Barrera Associates, Inc. is a 13 year-old veteran- and 

minority-owned firm specializing in the provision of 

professional administrative and management support 

services to clients in the public and private sector. 

Among its many successful projects, Barrera Associates, 

Inc. has been engaged to provide research tasks related to 

issues in the women-owned and minority business area 

as well as in educational programs operated by states 

with funding from the U.S. Department of Education. 

The company is classified as a small business and was 

admitted to the U.S. Small Business Administration’s 

8(a) business development program in 2002. 

This study was commissioned by The National 

Women’s Business Council. The National Women’s 

Business Council is a bi-partisan Federal advisory council 

created to serve as an independent source of advice and 

policy recommendations to the President, Congress, and 

the U.S. Small Business Administration on economic 

issues of importance to women business owners. The 

Council’s mission is to promote bold initiatives, policies 

and programs designed to support women’s business 

enterprises at all stages of development in the public 

and private sector marketplaces, from start-up to success 

to significance. 

—— 23 ——