Propel - Mentoring Entrepreneurs

I'm about the enter my second year as a mentor on the Propel Programme for entrepreneurs.   I think this is one of the most comprehensive and effective entrepreneurial programmes in Ireland.  Through a combination of mentoring and workshops, it offers a great support - financial, business and practical, as well as training and access to further funding.  Best of all, it equips you with the skills to meet the challenges that all entrepreneurs face.

Because it is not just a standalone mentoring programme, it rigorously takes the participants through masterclasses in all aspects of developing their business and researching target markets.  This means that as mentors we know we are working with seriously committed people.

Many of the participants on the programme come from a technology or product background, and it is essential that they develop sales skills to launch their business. Creating a culture where sales and communication are at the forefront of business development, as well as helping form networks and create introductions is what I do to help Propel participants. 

You cannot underestimate the importance of a good mentor in your career.  One of my earliest mentors was a shrewd Belgian lady who was vice-president of sales at one of the first international companies I worked at.  She was an excellent communicator and networker (an international shopaholic and just a little bit crazy) who believed that a great product was only a small element to a successful business - marketing it and selling it effectively were even more important.  She and her husband subsequently sold their software company for over £50m and now live in a large Chateau in the South of France.  Nice!

Being a Propeller is fast becoming a real mark of distinction for local export focused entrepreneurs (and it is not easy to get on the programme).  I'm delighted to be associated with it again.

Geraldine Fusciardi

www.strategy-structure-sales.com