Entrepreneur in Residence
WOMEN IN BUSINESS, WORKING SMARTER THROUGH POSITIVE COLLABORATION
Entrepreneur in Residence is a programme ran by the Assist Women’s Network which will match a group of approximately 30 like-minded business owners with an experienced entrepreneur. The entrepreneur will have extensive knowledge of the SME community and support SME owners via 5 meetings over a maximum of 4 months. The aim of the programme is to work collaboratively to develop concepts, resolve challenges, or find ways in which to work together for mutual benefit.
The EiR programme structure:
- Each cohort is dedicated to a specific sector
- Each meeting the EiR will pose a question to the group to discuss and work on together to offer a solution
- Opportunity to share knowledge from previous experiences
- Sharing and analyse data relevant to your sector
- Identifying best practice, and/or solutions
In working in this way each cohort is created to be a safe and trusting space, where all participants are given the confidence to speak. Ultimately, they will be places where participants can benefit from mutual learning with the opportunity to take forward activities, either within their own businesses, or collaboratively with others within the group.
Beyond the EiR programme, we hope that the SME owners who have built relationships during this delivery will continue to meet, and to work collaboratively for mutual benefit, forming independent peer to peer clusters.
The EiR will demonstrate the following qualities & experience:
- Committed to the core values and key strategies of Assist and uphold the Assist Code of Conduct.
- Be an entrepreneur
- Experience of working in the Tees Valley
- Knowledgeable in the sector they are representing, and able to lead discussions on topics that are relevant to that sector
- Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to engage a group of up to 30 women
- Have the time available to commit to delivering the whole programme (meeting dates would be agreed in advance)
- Recruit women via a personal invitation to join the group
- Be prepared to summarise the activities, results and outcomes of the programme
- Agree to being interviewed about their role, to contribute the ‘EiR Reflections & Summary’, and to contribute to Assist promotional content
Assist will appoint a dedicated volunteer EiR in a pre-determined sector or thematic area to lead each cohort of the programme.