A mentoring program run by the Centre for Business and Economic Development is looking for mentees and mentors for this year's program, which will start in October and run until June 2007.

This is a not-for-profit organization that serves 14 municipalities throughout Dufferin County and the Georgian triangle and is centrally located in Collingwood.

They provides loans to new businesses and growing businesses (expansions), which mostly are operated by entrepreneurs who are unable to obtain loans from the traditional sources, such as a bank.

Business owners are provided with resources for business plans, such as marketing and communication plans.

The centre's general manager,Tilly MacDonald, said it is different from a bank because they meet with the business owner on a regular basis and support them in any way they can.

In 2004, the mentor program was launched as a pilot project, which is "just another layer of support for these people, often entrepreneurs working in isolation on their own," said Ms. MacDonald.

"We've built a mentorship program around their wants and needs."

To enter the program the business needs to have been operational for a year.

"It provides them with the opportunity to discuss real business issues and how to grow their business," said Jill Thatcher, an economic development officer. "It's really looking at businesses in the stage of growth. So, they've been in business for a year and now they want to expand and grow their business."

The mentors in the program tend to be people who have experience in the business industry and have operated their own business.

To match a mentor and a mentee, all participants take a personality test that profiles them and are paired based on a program objective form they fill out as well.

The pair have to meet for a minimum of three hours a month and attend

roundtable group discussions. The discussions will be on business topics such as sales and marketing.

"It also fosters an environment for continuous learning, which is really important for small business owners - keeping on top of trends, keeping on top of their own growth and learning continuously," said Ms. Thatcher.

Entering the program provides business owners with a networking opportunity that otherwise might not be available to them where they can learn from others in similar situations.

"When people start a business, they're all excited about their business and they go off and try to do everything," Ms. MacDonald said. "Pretty soon they burn out and we're here for support. But, what they really do need is for someone to take a look at their business with a critical eye and that's why we developed this program."

To join the program you can contact the Centre for Business and Economic Development at 938-5173 or info@centreforbusiness. ca