Each year Schmooze hosts a unique program that enables participants to share professional and business skills, inspiration and ideas in a four week program aimed at supporting their business and professional growth. 

The Schmooze Business Mentoring Program  matches participants in a mentoring partnership and they work together through a targeted project. The program is open to anyone, but is particularly suited to someone in small business, anyone starting their career, or at a point in their career and need fresh insights to steer them towards the next stage.

Matched participants work together to complete a project or goal together and share their knowledge and insights.The partnerships are completed over a four week period following a matching process facilitated and supported by Schmooze.

The projects are defined by the participants and are focused on achieving one or two key objectives in your business or career through a mentoring partnership. 

In some instances you'll be a mentor to one person and mentored by another, or perhaps you'll have a three way partnership as we'll match up those with the right skills sets and compatibility.  You'll have the opportunity to meet your potential matches first at a meet and greet event on 30 March before signing on to the partnership.

The Mentoring program can be used to develop new contacts, be exposed to ideas from outside your industry, expand professional knowledge or gain an improved support base to achieve your business goals- whatever you decide!

Some of the benefits from past participants include improved skills in listening, counselling, coaching and leadership, increased revenue, expanded professional networks and fresh perspectives and approaches through contacts with their peers from a range of industry sectors.

How it Works

Schmooze provides participants with the tools for achieving an effective mentoring partnership including a mentoring kit and advice. The program is a seven step process:

1. Determine what your goals and objectives are for the program
2. Send the application form to Schmooze
3. Potential matches are then short listed based on skills/experience/personality and sent to potential matches
4. A meet/greet event takes place to enable potential mentoring matches to meet and settle on who they want to work with
5. A mentoring agreement is signed and a simple plan set down to achieve the goals for the program
6. Working together the participants program the work over four weeks
7. At the end of the period participants send Schmooze a short summary of their outcomes, experiences and achievements.

In some cases participants may have multiple mentoring partners each contributing some expertise and insight. The final stage is an event for debriefs and discussions and participants provide reports on their experience and achievements.

Participants Receive

• Profiles of a short list of potential mentoring partners
• A free welcome event to learn more about the project, and meet their potential mentoring partners
• Program support and advice from Schmooze
• A How-to Mentoring kit including a Mentoring Agreement form
• A Wrap Event at the end of project  to debrief and share participant experiences

Examples of Past Partnership Projects

• Career transition
• Developing a strategy for their business or community organisation
• Advice on event promotion or PR
• Developing a business or marketing plan
• Developing a strategic alliance or sponsorship partnership
• Providing marketing advice for a fashion boutique
• Promotional and PR services for a community gallery
• A creative review of a company's image and identity
• Developing a strategy to develop an non-profit association program of events
• Achieving work/life balance for a small business owner

Requirements

• You must be over 18

Cost

• Free for Professional and Young Professional members of Schmooze
• $250 incl GST for Social members of Schmooze
• $350 incl GST for non-members.

Application Form

• Application form  (Word doc) - DOWNLOAD HERE
• Please send your applications via email to info@schmooze.net.au by 14 March
• You'll then be sent a short list of potential matches
• Applicants will be invited to a meet/greet event on the evening 30 March for participants to all meet, ask any questions they may have and then settle on their partners.
• Participants will then have four weeks through April to complete their work.