News

October 23, 2009

Small firms to nominate mentors for £1,000 prize

Small-business owners who have benefited from online business mentoring can nominate their advisers to win a £1,000 cash prize, following the launch of the Yell Mentoring Works Awards.

The awards, a joint initiative between Yell.com and social networking website Horsesmouth.co.uk, aim to reward business mentors for their support.

Businesses can put forward any mentor they have used on the Horsesmouth website for the Yell Small Business Mentor of the Year Award. The nominee can be someone the entrepreneur knows or a formal mentor. Mentors must be registered on the website before they can be nominated, but registration is free.

The judges are looking to reward mentors that have given the right encouragement at a crucial time, helped an entrepreneur through a crisis, guided someone to some useful resources, or passed on valuable lessons from their own experience.

"Mentors can be invaluable to entrepreneurs and small businesses, helping them to avoid mistakes, pointing them to practical solutions and resources, and developing confidence levels," said Horsesmouth founder, MT Rainey. "Many would argue that during these difficult times, the role of the mentor has never been more important.

"Undoubtedly fuelled by credit crunch worries and the future of their careers and businesses, people are increasingly turning to the Internet to find mentoring, support and advice," he added.

The deadline for nominations is 31 December.

• For more information about the awards and to nominate a business mentor, visit the Horsesmouth website