Our business background

Elana Siew and Neale Roberts - the owners of Mentors - have run their own businesses for the last 20 years and have enabled, coached, rejuvenated and developed businesses since 1998. They're focused on getting people and systems to work together to achieve results. Since they founded Mentors, they've been refining their skills, knowledge, qualifications and competencies in the field.

Because Mentors has worked with many different types of companies, we've become experts in the research and development of new business models. We believe that businesses are made by refining the balance between people and processes so that objectives are met. As a part of the process, we empower management teams to become self sufficient and we've managed to improve top line sales by 20-30%.

↑ Back to the Top

Our business enabling, business rejuvenating, business coaching and business mentoring background

During our time working in various businesses, we discovered other interesting facts which lead to our research and development of other business models; people and processes make businesses. This dynamic and balance reminds us of our own work\life balance. We now assist business, once they invite us, to create a process\people balance - naturally to achieve their strategy and objectives. Mentors' philosophy works to empower management teams to be self sufficient. Our methodology has improved companies' "sales top lines" by between 20-30%.

↑ Back to the Top

Why we are business enablers and mentors

Business enabling focuses on promoting required behaviours and discouraging non-required behaviours. So our aim is to help you focus on what is important to you, your team and your business. We help you to discover these through our business enabling process, and we coach you and your team in the behaviours and thinking styles required to grow the business. The enabling process achieves the following:

•  Works systematically through our five enabling processes
•  Identifies the current state of the business
•  Works with the business' strategy plan to achieve the objectives
•  Helps to more clearly define and implement the business objectives
•  Works to achieve them through process design and redesign and people orientation
•  Assesses people and their competencies for better use in the business
•  Sets business tactical targets and goals
•  Guides key personnel towards results
•  Ensures that deadlines are met
•  Encourages individual and team performance
•  Makes sure that each unit stays on track
•  Assesses performance thereafter
•  Ensures accountability

↑ Back to the Top

Our business enabling credentials

We work in a complex environment - one that requires us to use many different methods to enable and rejuvenate businesses. Over time, we've enabled over 100 companies using our own methods as well as those developed by relevant business theorists - combining our flexible approach with systematic processes. Both Elana and Neale have Masters degrees in Business Administration and Entrepreneurship.

Using our own leadership and management assessment tools, we've worked with clients with turnovers ranging from R2 million to R300 million. By combining analysis, coaching, mentorship and consulting we've developed a successful business enabling process that helps companies to reach and sustain their full potential.

In our monthly discussion breaks, we cover new trends and business theories and how they've been applied - assessing each based on its success. We don't stick to any specific approach, favouring an adaptable methodology that finds the best fit for each situation. Mentors believes that research is a vital part of our industry.

↑ Back to the Top

Our philosophy and approach to business enabling

Mentors helps businesses to strengthen successful processes within the organisation and to identify potential areas for improvement. Our main objective is to enhance business performance by building a culture of accountability and growing a proactive workforce; however, our approach varies depending on what outcomes are required.

We're passionate about our field and will work with companies of any size. We enjoy balancing risk with caution and are excited by each new challenge we face - whether it's in our own business or in a client's. Mentors looks forward to discussing business opportunities with clients and treats clients' plans and dreams as our own.

↑ Back to the Top

Our business enabling and coaching style

Mentors identifies the unique qualities of each individual, team and organisation so that the guidance we provide suits the environment. We start with individual assessments to identify each person's strengths and preferred style of working. Then, we look into team dynamics to understand the group's overall interaction. Our business enabling and coaching approach is goal-driven, business-oriented and measurable. Along the way, each phase of the project is evaluated and discussed to ensure that reliable, sustainable growth happens from one phase to the next.

↑ Back to the Top

How we continually reinvent and update ourselves

This is really a multifaceted answer due to the nature our business enabling and business rejuvenation. Business enabling and business rejuvenation require that we are 'on top' of some of the latest concepts and processes in business. By applying what is pertinent to each unique business and without being hip change artists we assist owners and manages to change toward the best. Added to this each business has a unique blend of processes and people dynamics. So our renewal process needs to be on at least two levels; business and personal.

From a business perspective our competencies are renewed by robust in house discussions, monthly breaks where we discuss new trends or applications of business theories and their prior successes. Our approach is tempered by reserving dogmatic acceptance to any specific approach and rather favouring the best fit for the situation. Business enabling and rejuvenation is a dynamic field\arena where there are unique circumstances requiring unique solutions. Research is therefore important ; both academically and practically.

From personal perspectives we subscribe to lifestyle programs which require that we regularly exercise and maintain healthy lifestyles in order to lock in our wellbeing. Stress is part of all of our daily lives and our focus is on staying mindful of the stresses we are subjected to, how we choose to respond to these, and how our social skill and intuition are maintained when interacting with our clients. Achieving a work\life balanced is important and sometimes elusive - we regularly discuss this.

↑ Back to the Top

Our personal business experience

Both Elana and Neale are business owners. They jointly own Mentors and have both been involved in their own businesses for the past 20 years. They have been enabling, coaching, rejuvenating and developing businesses for business owners since 1998. They are focussed on getting people and systems working together to achieve business results. They initially felt that their business experience needed boosting so they both embarked on upskilling themselves by doing Masters degrees in Business Administration with the emphasis on Entrepreneurship. Since 1998 they have been refining these academic skills, knowledge and competencies for their clients business enabling process.

↑ Back to the Top

What kind of businesses we rejuvenate and enable

We work mostly with small to medium-sized businesses who have annual turnovers of R2 million to R 300 million per year and who are either:

•  In a development phase,
•  In a stage of progression, or
•  In danger of stagnating.

The companies we work with have systems, structures, strategies and staff in place but are looking to get more from their business. We work with the individuals who drive the organisation and with the management team that runs it. Our process ensures that all parties know the plans for the future and see that their path is clear.

↑ Back to the Top

How we are different from other consultants, coaches and business coaches

Our individual backgrounds and skills are what make Mentors different from other consultants, coaches and business coaches. The integration of our skills, combined with our diverse approach to business growth and our use of multifaceted methodologies, makes our style unique. We're also results-driven - we define the path a business needs to take to meet its objectives and constantly measure and evaluate to ensure that results are achieved by an empowered, accountable team.

As a part of the process we:

•  Conduct company needs and objectives analyses
•  Rejuvenate and grow already existing businesses
•  Develop customised assessments for a company
•  Create business and managerial scorecards
•  Assess and develop interpersonal communication
•  Improve business and individual capabilities
•  Promote objective readiness within the business
•  Develop and share knowledge within the company
•  Collaborate to direct and support change in the business.
•  Manage conflict in the business channels of a company
•  Design strategies to achieve objectives in set time periods
•  Assess and streamline business processes and systems

Business rejuvenation accepts that a business has systems, structures, strategies and staff in place. They might be providing the required outputs but they still need to grow to perform at improved levels. Individuals get used to doing things in certain ways and when these become habitual they may no longer add value to the company. In our coaching sessions, we help to identify and interrogate such habits.

↑ Back to the Top

Membership of professional bodies

Mentors belongs to the following professional bodies:

•  COMENSA
•  The Business Woman's Association
•  The Society for Industrial and Organisational Psychologists
•  Financial Planning Institute of South Africa

↑ Back to the Top

How you can work with us

Mentors works with clients on a weekly, monthly or ad hoc basis, communicating in face-to-face meetings, via Skype and/or via email.

↑ Back to the Top

Why you should work with business enablers, business rejuvenators and business coaches

Business enabling considers that the business is a critical part of the owners or managers life. It means we understand that your future revolves around how successfully you manage and engage with the business. Being sensitive to your needs we use our enabling process to guide you through a number of areas of your business. Experience has shown that that this enabling process is life changing for owners and managers as they get to see their business in a different light and can make their own changes in a safe and considered way.

•  Conduct needs analyses
•  Rejuvenate businesses and business growth
•  Develop, complete and interpret assessments
•  Collaborate to develop business and managerial scorecards
•  Assess and develop interpersonal competencies
•  Improve and enhance the organizations capabilities
•  Develop the business' readiness to achieve its objectives
•  Develop competencies, skills and knowledge in the organization
•  Collaborate with the business to plan, organise, lead, co-ordinate, support and direct business change
•  Manage conflict in business channels
•  Co-develop strategies and prioritize goals in order to achieve objectives within set time periods
•  Assess and streamline business processes and systems
•  Assist, co-develop and collaborate business and execute development plans
•  Improve teamwork and where necessary morale
•  Arrange and provide feedback

Business rejuvenation accepts that the business or you, the business owner or manager, have systems, structures, strategies and staff in place. The mix of these 4 S's seems to be providing the required outputs yet they may well need a service or something to get them going again - performing - at improved levels. This is a common business situation as businesses are made up of people who get used to doing things in certain ways, its called habituation - things become habit. Now that is fine if they are good habits yet not so fine if the habits and behaviours are no longer adding value to the company. How do you know this - you probably don't and that is why business rejuvenation sessions with us are so important and, at the same time, such fun.

Business Coaching

We help to get you focused on what is important to you, your team and your business. Businesses are complex environments which have many integrated aspects and we believe each business is unique therefore a one size fits all approach will not work. Business coaching focuses on required behaviours and discourages the non required behaviours. The required behaviours we help you find through our business enabling process. During the analysis and discover we coach you and your team in the behaviours and thinking styles required of by the business. It is at times difficult to change but we make it interesting, motivating and fun.

•  Helps to define business objectives
•  Works to achieve business objectives
•  Set specific business targets and objectives
•  Guides key personnel to achieve results
•  Ensures that deadlines, milestones and targets are met
•  Encourages performance
•  Ensures each department stays on track
•  Assesses performance against prescribed criteria

↑ Back to the Top

How our business enabling and business rejuvenating process works

Business Enabling relationships are custom designed to match individual goals and objectives. The 5 stages of our business enabling process are as follows:

Stage 1	Stage 2	Stage 3	Stage 4	Stage 5
Meet and discuss your business needs Conclude with clear ideas	Acceptance of proposals or the amended proposal Complete and approve enabling agreement	Begin the enabling process as laid out in the enabling agreement Implement solutions Regular feedback on each session	Review the process Feedback to all parties Define future states Measure process success	Conclude the business enabling process Define the future state Path forward

↑ Back to the Top

How much does a business enabler cost?

As a strategic business partner, an enabler charges rates that are similar to those of other business service providers like accountants, IT specialists and attorneys.

↑ Back to the Top