Overview
A workshop can introduce an important concept. Applying it to an operating business is another task. Founders may leave a session understanding why branding or strategy matters while still needing help to decide what to change first. Mentorship provides space for that second conversation.
The context
Useful mentorship starts with the participant’s situation. What does the enterprise sell? What problem is it trying to solve? Which decision is most urgent? A diagnostic helps avoid giving every participant the same assignment regardless of their stage of development.
Learning should produce something the entrepreneur can use: a clearer description of the customer, an asset inventory, a draft action plan or a better-organised set of questions. The output need not be elaborate. Its value lies in making the next decision easier.
Follow-up matters. Regular conversations allow participants to explain what they tried, where they became stuck and what evidence they gathered. Programme teams can use that feedback to adjust materials and identify support needs rather than treating attendance as the whole result.
The portfolio records David’s involvement in programmes combining training, coaching and mentorship, including WACEMS, the Zimbabwe IP and branding project and EYIC. Their formats reinforce a practical point: learning is most useful when participants have a route from the classroom to action in their own enterprises.
Agree a meaningful first task
Identify a decision the entrepreneur can work on between sessions. It might involve describing a customer, organising brand assets or investigating a market assumption. Keep the task proportionate to the information and time available. An achievable action creates a stronger basis for follow-up than an ambitious list that nobody can complete.
Keep a record of the conversation
Capture the issue discussed, the next action and what will be reviewed. At the next session, ask what the participant tried and what happened. This prevents mentoring from restarting each time and helps both sides recognise where understanding has improved or where additional support is required.
Use difficulty as feedback
When an exercise is not completed, investigate the reason. Instructions may be unclear, the example may not fit the enterprise or a capability may be missing. Those explanations can improve the programme for other participants. A barrier to application is useful information, rather than evidence that the entrepreneur is not committed.
Report different measures separately
Attendance, diagnostics, completed exercises and changes in business practice answer different questions. Record them distinctly. A programme can report a brand identity or mentoring activity without claiming an unmeasured financial outcome. Accurate reporting helps partners understand both the progress achieved and the support still needed.