MarketLinked - Mentoring

Step Six, Workshop Three, is the last step in the MarketLinked programme, which formally terminates at that point. However this does not mean a complete withdrawal of support to companies, which must now cope alone with the unfamiliar challenges of developing a new export market. Where appropriate, participants will move into the Traidlinks’ mentoring structure for ongoing in depth assistance and guidance.

The mentoring support will address the specific challenges to market entry and development that were highlighted by participation in MarketLinked and the sales mission in particular. It will focus specifically on resolving barriers to export sales.

Following Workshop Three, each company for which real sales prospects have been proven will be evaluated and if appropriate, a mentoring programme will be agreed. This will identify areas of assistance to the enterprise and specify particular inputs. The agreement will initially be time limited, but provision will exist for extension where appropriate and justified. Targets, both quantitative and qualitative, will be set for each company mentoring programme.

The mentoring arrangement will be dynamic and flexible. Changes can be made to the agreement to reflect the evolution of market opportunities.

Performance requirements by the export company will also be specified and failure to meet these can be grounds for terminating the agreement and withdrawing mentoring support.

In-depth mentoring is the unique core of the Traidlinks approach to private sector development. MarketLinked gives this a focus on specific and sustainable sales generation. The mentoring programme will be implemented by Traidlinks’ Export Development Programme Manager.