Small Business Mentoring

Could you use some mentoring? Whether you are a business intender, starting a business or an existing business, mentoring can be a valuable tool to assist in setting a clear direction, discussing your key ideas, and to help in achieving your goals.

Whitehorse City Council provides a range of mentoring opportunities for the business community. Including Small Business Clinics,  Small Business Vouchers for 90 minute mentoring sessions as well as Small Business Bus visits operated through Business Victoria, which provides sessions with an experienced business mentor. 

    Small Business Mentoring Clinics

    Whitehorse City Council in conjunction with Small Business Mentoring Service (SBMS) are offering Small Business Clinics to support businesses located within the Whitehorse municipality.

    Small Business Clinics provide general business advice for planning, starting or wanting to grow your business. SBMS mentoring sessions can help in the management of your business and guide you in the steps you need to apply to overcome an issue or information gap.

    Sessions of 45 minutes in duration are held monthly between February and November at the Whitehorse Civic Centre. The next in-person mentoring session will be held on:

    • 5 March 2024 - book now to secure your place. 

    Small Business Mentoring Vouchers

    Whitehorse City Council offers free mentoring vouchers to access the Small Business Mentoring Service.

    Whether you're planning, starting, growing or winding down your business, a mentor can help.

    • Business Intenders - People who are considering or intending to go into business but have not started
    • Business Start-ups - Business that are about to launch their business or have been operating for only a few months
    • Operating Businesses - Businesses that have been operating for more than a few months. They may be in a survival stage, successful but not willing to grow, successful and wanting to expand, in a rapid growth stage, or in maturity.

    Valued at $100, the voucher will provide access to a one on one mentoring session (up to 90 minutes), at a time and date suitable to you. This is available for business owners and intenders located in Whitehorse.

    You can choose from a range of mentors each with diverse backgrounds, skills, industry experience and many speaking a range of languages*. Mentors cover most industry categories and business disciplines including marketing, sales, finance, manufacturing, retailing, franchising and tourism. 

    To obtain your free voucher please register here. (please select YES to the prompt "Is your business located in a precinct where capital streetscape improvement works are occurring?", if you are wishing to claim mentoring vouchers in relation to capital streetscape improvement works). Once booked the voucher will be emailed within 3 business days of registration with booking instructions. One voucher per Whitehorse business/individual may be claimed and is valid for 8 weeks from the issue date.  

    * If English is not the preferred language, there are opportunities to choose a mentor who can communicate in a language you prefer.

      Small Business Bus

      The Small Business Bus is a mobile business centre providing free consultations on starting and running a small business. Sessions are available with business mentors and wellbeing coaches from the Monarch Institute. The next session will be:

      Walk-ins are welcome for independent, professional assistance with the concierge and to pick up the free guide: Planning & Starting a Business. The booklet is exclusively available from the bus and is a great resource for anyone wishing to start a business. Whether you're planning, starting or growing your business, the Victorian Government's Small Business Bus can help you to develop your business ideas and capabilities.

      To find further business training, workshops and events, visit the Calendar of Events on this website.

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      Aboriginal flagTSI flagWhitehorse City Council acknowledges the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung people of the Kulin Nation as the Traditional Owners of the land. We pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.