Relationships Matter

Of those matched during the survey period...
• 75% connected with a mentor
• Connected with 1.2 mentors on average
• Received 14 hours of mentoring per match
• 14% are still in contact with their mentor after more than one year

Testimonials

"His experience and enthusiasm kept me on track. Often it is easy to overlook aspects of your business. My mentor motivated me and had me focus on important items and planning for the future."

"He helped us with strategy & planning, and best of all, was always available by phone to help with important decisions."

Methodology

These statistics were developed from an email and phone survey of 285 MicroMentor participants by survey analyst Martha Janicki in August of 2012. All potential respondents were matched with a mentor between July 2010 and June 2011. Of 727 potential survey participants, 39 percent responded.

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MicroMentor is a free business mentor service for entrepreneurs and a rewarding volunteer opportunity for business professionals. Our mission is to help small businesses grow faster, generate more revenue, and employ more people.

Performance

True to mission, the 2012 Business Outcomes Survey shows that businesses who find mentors on MicroMentor...
• Launch - More pre-launch entrepreneurs started their businesses after receiving mentoring (42%) than those who didn't receive mentoring (29%).
• Survive - 84% of businesses were still operating 1-2 years after their mentoring relationship (compared to 66% national average)
• Thrive - Those who connected with a mentor saw a 121% increase in revenue, on average $60,000 more than their income when they first joined.
• Grow - Business owners who received mentoring were able to help the economy in a real way by hiring an average 0.66 more full-time employees, an increase of 84%.

Our Entrepreneur Profile

Of those matched during the survey period...
• 55% were women
• 46% were non-white
• The median age served was 39
• 48% of businesses were pre-launch, 11% were startups, and 41% were established.
• Top areas of assistance included Business Planning, Getting Started, Marketing, Growth, & Financial Planning
• Top Industries served were Health, Fashion, Management Consulting, Computer Services, and Marketing.

Stories

The annual business outcomes survey is a source of powerful personal stories. Learn about the people behind the numbers.