Booking a Mentor

Once I have completed the number of sessions applied for, am I able to have further sessions with my Mentor?

Yes. We have many clients that seek ongoing support of their Mentor. Mentors are there to help you for as long as you need their help. 

Will the Mentor I choose be the one that I will get?

Not necessarily, as volunteers our Mentors are sometimes unable to take on your mentoring due to their busy schedule or unavailability. If this is the case, you will be matched with a Mentor that fits as closely as possible to your requirements and when the booking arrangement is being confirmed you will be asked if the change is acceptable.

Will I have a choice of Mentor?

Yes, you choose a Mentor by their skills or industry. You will be given the names of Mentors who best match your choice of skills, industries or locations. You can then read about them by clicking on their full profile link.  

How long does it take from when I apply to seeing the Mentor?

Assuming payment has been made by the credit card you should receive a call from the mentor within 3 business days. If paying by Direct Bank Deposit you should allow a further 3 to 4 business days for clearance of funds.  

How do I book to see a Mentor?

Click on Our Mentors in the main menu and then refine your search by required skill,industry and/or location. From here, you will be able to view a mentor's profile to see if they are suitable before making your booking. Alternatively you can select any of the help topics on the home page and a list of suitable Mentors will be displayed. You can then refine your search using the skills, industry and location boxes on the side menu. 

How many sessions should I have?

That is up to you. However our experience is that long term benefit can best be obtained with a minimum of 4 sessions. The key exceptions to this is where you are seeking advice on a very specific problem that could be covered in one session, or a start-up business idea that needs to be run past an experienced business person to determine its possible viability.

Metropolitan and Regional

SBMS Mentors are usually retired or semi-retired Volunteers who offer their assistance at low subsidised rates to help you make your business better. In most instances the Mentor will come to you. If you live outside of a mentors listed area (Mentors work areas are shown under their Profile), Mentors will be happy to meet you at an agreed location. 

If you are a regional client seeking a metropolitan mentor or the reverse, you can still choose any mentor provided you are prepared to travel to meet at an agreed location. In general if a selected Mentor does not travel to your region we will endeavor to find a suitable more local one.