Business Mentoring in the Highlands and Islands
Business Mentoring is a service that is provided through the partnership of Scottish Chambers of Commerce (SCC), Highlands & Islands Enterprise (HIE) and the European Social Fund (ESF) through the Highlands & Islands Partnership Programme (HIPP). The service is led by Inverness Chamber of Commerce and the strategic aims are to contribute to the improved performance of Highlands & Islands businesses and the economy by assisting and encouraging more businesses that are seeking to develop and grow, within the Highlands, throughout the UK and abroad.

Contributing to Lasting Success
Business Mentoring aims to work principally with businesses that are seeking to develop and grow. The Mentors are experienced business people from a range of sectors and industries with their own unique blend of business and life experience and crucially, each has a burning desire to 'give something back' and support businesses and the economic growth of Scotland. Mentors provide their time on a voluntary basis and the service is provided free to businesses that meet the criteria.

One to One Mentoring
The 'one to one' business mentoring service aims to match an ambitious and growing business leader with a suitable mentor, taking into account the skills, background, experience, sector and personality of the individuals involved.

The service itself supports a mentoring period of up to 12 months, with the respective parties meeting at least once a month for the period of engagement. During this time, the business will meet with their mentor and be encouraged to identify business issues within their company which require improvement or support. With the help of the mentor, the business will be able to discuss and explore these issues in a safe and supportive environment, allowing the individual to further develop and implement appropriate improvement strategies.

It is important to note that the mentor will in no way offer business advice, their role is always to facilitate open discussion, share their knowledge and experience, offer an alternative perspective and challenge the business to look beyond the immediate future.

Read what people have to say about business mentoring here.

If you are interested in becoming a mentor or applying for a mentor, please follow the links below. If you would like to find out more, please email mentoring@inverness-chamber.co.uk or call 0800 232 1765.

Becoming a Mentor

Finding a Mentor

Client Testimonials

Inverness Chamber also runs a series of business mentoring briefing events providing information on the programme and how to get involved.  Check the events calendar for details of forthcoming events.