Connecting With a Mentee

Finding the right connection is easy. Your first step is to sign up and complete your Mentor Profile. Once enrolled, there are three ways to find an entrepreneur to mentor:

1. In the Mentoring section, Search Mentoring Requests to find an entrepreneur with a Mentoring Request that is a good fit for you.
2. Our smart matching engine will email you personalized Mentoring Opportunity Alerts that match your experience and expertise. You may update these preferences or choose to suspend Alerts at any time. Just go to Profile & Contact Settings.
3. Entrepreneurs can send you messages directly asking for your help. If you prefer not to receive these messages, or to limit these to entrepreneurs within your industry or your local area, you may update your Contact Settings.

Once you find an entrepreneur with a Mentoring Request that is a good fit for your experience and expertise, send them a Mentoring Offer. They will have 14 days to respond and once they accept, we will exchange contact information via email and you can start working with your mentee.

Mentor Requirements

The most important requirement is that you are dedicated and patient. We ask that all participants treat others within the MicroMentor community with respect, and that participants put an honest effort into each mentoring relationship they establish. To qualify, you must have 3 years of business ownership experience, or 5 years of management experience, or several years of professional experience in a specialized skill, such as marketing, web site development, or accounting and financial planning.

Expertise Needed

What types of skills and experience are MicroMentor entrepreneurs looking for?
MicroMentor entrepreneurs are a very diverse group, starting and growing businesses across a wide range of industries and needing a variety of functional expertise. Commonly requested skills include, but are not limited to, business planning, marketing strategy, increasing sales, time management, analyzing cash flows, managing finances, and website development.

Why Be a Mentor?

Why volunteer with MicroMentor?

• Make an Impact: Work with a diverse community of entrepreneurs to build their businesses, creating long-term, sustainable economic impacts in neighborhoods across the nation.
• Save Time: MicroMentor helps busy business owners and professionals find convenient and rewarding volunteer opportunities. The sign up and matching process is simple and easy, and most mentoring happens over email and the phone.
• Cultivate Your Skills: Tackle new challenges and sharpen your mentoring and advising skills. With MicroMentor you'll have the opportunity to work with entrepreneurs across a range of industries and topics, from business basics to specialized industry knowledge.

Time Committment

While each mentoring relationship is unique, as a rule of thumb, we recommend that you set aside 3 hours per month for 3 months for each of your mentoring relationships.

Working With Multiple Mentees

How many mentees can I work with at one time?
You are welcome to work with up to seven entreprenuers at one time, as long as you are able to dedicate sufficient time to each mentoring relationship.

How Long Does it Take to Get Matched?

It varies, however most mentors are matched within a few days to a few weeks. You can help this process by being proactive and sending Mentoring Offers to entrepreneurs.

Can I Work With a Local Entreprener?

MicroMentor is a national program, and most mentoring relationships take place remotely over email or telephone. However, you can search for entrepreneurs in your region by using the Located Near Me option in Search Mentoring Requests. Depending on your location, you may not find someone local right away, but we are growing every day.

Mentor Contact Settings

Can I change my contact settings to receive fewer emails?
Yes. You may update your preferences in Contact Settings where you can choose to not receive Mentoring Opportunity Alerts and Mentoring Invitations.