Business mentor programme Business in the Community has appointed four new directors:
* Jeremy Bendall, a national partner at KPMG, specialising in corporate governance and risk advisory services.
* John Gilks, founder of Motor Trade Finances and now managing director of St Andrews Holdings.
* Hugh Perrett, previously managing director of Foodstuffs, Auckland.
*
Geoff Vazey, chief executive of Ports of Auckland.
"We are delighted with the addition of such business expertise to our board," said chairman Tom McClunie.
"As a national charitable organisation our aim is to have a board representative of the business community that supports us and with the geographic spread to assist our understanding of small-business needs throughout the country."
Sir James Fletcher, who has been involved in Business in the Community since he introduced the concept to New Zealand in 1991, has retired from the board, although he will remain involved as a founding trustee. Graeme Marsh has also retired from the board.
The mentor programme offers expertise and best-practice business solutions, free of charge. Small business owners are matched with mentors depending on the expertise sought, and meet to discuss their business needs.
The mentors can be a sounding board for a successful firm, provide specialist skills, provide motivation to assist a business move to the next stage of growth, or suggest another approach to problem solving.
The programme is available for small businesses that have been established for six months or more and employ fewer than 25 people.
Business in the Community chief executive Ray Schofield said the mentors had been welcomed by small businesses, to an extent that demand had risen dramatically.
Word-of-mouth about free expertise and a mentor-matching system through the scheme's website had contributed to the rise.
