Business mentoring programme a success

By EMMANUEL MAIPE
A BUSINESS mentoring programme has been assisting small businesses in the country become successful through training and assistance.
The Pacific Business Mentoring Programme specifically deals with assisting small businesses and since its inception, has assisted those in tourism and hospitality, health, information technology, and transportation.
John Helsdon, Pacific Business Mentoring Programme country manager, said the main aim of the programme was to assist small businesses in the country to better improve how they managed their financial assets, employees, accounting tasks, and overall management.
The programme is a New Zealand Aid-funded project to assist small businesses in Pacific island countries become successful.
It started back in 1991 and since then has had successful results in the region, including PNG.
The mentors and trainers engaged in the programme are all experienced business specialists, who have done much to assist small business managers.
Helsdon said the trainers and the mentors had different tasks in assisting the small businesses for overall objective of the programme.
Specialised business trainers will usually see their clients – managers of the small businesses –  for three months after the business mentors have spent their time with them, assisting them to develop skills to manage their businesses.