Mentoring Green Enterprises – Growing Green Businesses

As part of its work in Zimbabwe, the ILO[1] launched the Green enterPRIZE Challenge in 2018, to support green, growth-oriented Small to Medium enterprises (SMEs) through an Innovation Challenge and Business Development Programme. The overall goal of the ILO programme was the creation of green and decent jobs for women and men, and especially young people, through sustainable enterprises. Q Partnership was selected as one of several organisations to provide mentorship services under the 2020 Green enterPRIZE Challenge. Q Partnership was allocated eight SMEs to mentor in the Northern Region of the country over an initial 5-month period, which was extended to 10 months due to the challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. The nature of the SMEs businesses ranged from agriculture – farming, hydroponics, juice production; recycling/ upcycling for furniture manufacturing, motor spares, arts; to engineering.

To deliver the service, we assembled a team of 8 Mentors, with general business mentorship and coaching skills in developing people and institutions, to provide dedicated mentorship to each enterprise. After conducting an initial assessment of each SME, reviewing and amending their business and financial plans, a mentorship plan was developed. With the COVID-19 pandemic raging, we had to adjust our approach to deliver the mentorship sessions online using suitable platforms, which differed from enterprise to enterprise, depending on internet connectivity and network availability. As part of our approach, we also brought on board technical experts to provide detailed knowledge in areas the entrepreneurs were struggling with including Financial bookkeeping and accounting; Legal and registration; and Marketing.

The Covid-19 induced lockdown measures introduced in the country at the beginning of 2021 adversely affected the SMEs, with some operations completely stopping or turning over very low business levels. During this period, as mentors we had to take on a more coaching and counselling role to keep the entrepreneurs motivated and to ensure the businesses did not completely fail but would be in a position to resume, following lifting of the lockdown restrictions.

As Q Partnership, we found the process extremely rewarding, to be able to provide mentorship and business development services to bright entrepreneurs, who would ordinarily find the cost of such services prohibitive, with the potential to achieve sustainable growth and create jobs in the country. This experience reinforced how important business development services are for the development and growth of green SMEs. Accessing management consulting services can greatly increase the growth of green SMEs and go a long way to making them sustainable and even become full-fledged corporates. Green SMEs could greatly benefit from the involvement of stakeholders such as government, financial services and development partners, to carry the cost of management consulting services as part of grants extended to these SMEs for their growth, which would have a positive impact on economies globally.

[1] The International Labour Organization (ILO) is the only tripartite U.N. agency. Set up in 1919, the ILO brings together governments, employers and workers of 187 member States to set labour standards, develop policies and devise programmes promoting decent work for all women and men.