Success Doncaster

Doncaster 100 is the business to business mentoring opportunity in Doncaster as part of the wider Success Doncaster offer of support. It is free and accessible anytime, whether someone is already receiving support from another Success Doncaster programme or not. When accessing support from Doncaster 100, you get access to a mentor from within the business community to support you.

Mentors are individuals who own their own business (entrepreneurs) or individuals currently employed in a local Doncaster business. They give their time for free to support others in/establishing/running a business in Doncaster. It is free of charge and Doncaster 100 mentors do this in their own time without charge.

Mentors’ experiences span many sectors and they are working in a range of specialist fields. The reason they offer their time to others under Doncaster 100 is because they have something to share – whether that is experience, know-how, a skill or simply their reassurance. They are here to listen to what you need and offer you a direction – they are mentors because they have been there before you and they are happy to share that experience.

Doncaster 100 mentors offer a wider range of support on specific business issues (marketing, business planning, financial planning, outsourcing, and much more.). But they also a kind of support, presence and direction that can help you develop skills that are important when ‘doing business’ (this includes building confidence, networking, negotiating with your clients, etc).  All mentors also have their own sectoral expertise and they can help you with their knowledge of an industry.  You can ask them that burning question, ask them for direction and support with something you are developing. They can really provide you with all sorts of support as long as you don’t ask them do to everything for you, but with you.

The Doncaster 100 team will ‘match’ you with a mentor who can respond to your enquiry based on the information you provided. This information will either be collected when you directly approach or get referred to Doncaster 100 by someone else you know at Success Doncaster. A match is, of course, dependent on mentor availability. Information from you helps us match you with the right person from the network of mentors.

YES. Doncaster 100 is supporting all types of enterprise activity. The aim is to encourage and inspire enterprise development across the borough, assisting start-up, pre-start and established businesses. The Doncaster 100 team matches you with mentors to address your need. On the rare occasions where a match is not possible, Doncaster 100 is well connected across Success Doncaster to direct your query to someone who can help.

Mentoring can be very short (a one hour meeting only), but it can also be over a prolonged period of time. Each case is different.

Mentors signed a pledge to Doncaster 100 and they provide their time free of charge – they will provide you as much support as you need and as they can. The matching process helps ensure that you get a mentor who has the capacity to help you – the relationship then develops as you engage with them over time. 

In general, you cannot expect mentors to take time off for mentoring you – they will fit mentoring around their working requirements, in the same way that you will fit it around yours.

As long as you need support from – and as long as it works for you mentor too. Some interventions require only one meeting, some take a few weeks, others a few months.  In cases where mentoring goes over a number of weeks, updates to check on progress will take place. You can also have one more than one mentor if you have several needs.

YES, you can access Doncaster 100 anytime, whether during your time with another person who offers you support, or just because you heard of us now.

Doncaster 100 is accessible whenever support from a fellow business person can help you– it can be provided alongside other forms of support from Success Doncaster.  If you do already get support from someone else, speak to them and they will connect you to Doncaster 100.

YES, many of our mentors are sensitive to the fact that building confidence is part of the experience of setting up / running a business successfully. The Doncaster team will do their best to support you in any way you need when you first get to have a conversation with your mentor – just make sure you let the Doncaster 100 team know.

If you contacted Doncaster 100 directly, they will speak with you to direct you to the best person to support you further. If you accessed Doncaster 100 through someone else at Success Doncaster, the Doncaster 100 team will tell them that you have finished with your mentor and they will continue to help you.

If you are interested or have any questions about the Doncaster 100, simply contact the D100 team directly on telephone: 01302 734556 or Email: D100@deloitte.co.uk