Business Peer Mentoring Group Facilitator – Expression of Interest
Community Futures Cowichan is a non-profit community business financing organization created to support small and medium-sized enterprises throughout rural BC, paving the way for diversified local economies and job creation. Through local community economic development initiatives, Community Futures sustains and improves communities and their economies by creating long-term, sustainable businesses. We have a wide variety of services and tools available to help entrepreneurs and small business owners achieve their goals, including business support services, business planning advice and loans. The Community Futures Program is part of a national economic development program that has been supporting small business and community economic development since 1986. There are 269 Community Futures offices in rural communities across the country, with 34 of those in BC. Eight offices serve Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast.
Community Futures Cowichan is in Duncan. The region we serve goes from the top of the Malahat to Ladysmith, the southern Gulf Islands and west to Lake Cowichan.
The Opportunity:
A Peer Mentoring Group is a group of businesspeople who get together to solve their own business issues. The group is comprised of owners of similar sized, non-competing businesses who help each other navigate challenges and build a great company through shared experiences versus advice.
We are seeking a Facilitator for our Small Business Peer Mentoring Group. This peer mentoring program is specifically for clients of Community Futures Cowichan. This program will take place over the course of 10-12 months, pending Christmas and Summer holidays (to be negotiated between Community Futures Cowichan and the Facilitator). Sessions are 1.5 hours, likely early mornings and held at the Community Futures Building.
The estimated start of the program will be the end of October or early November (to be determined between Community Futures Cowichan and the Facilitator) and run through to the end of September 2024. The group size will be between 8 – 10 participants, with attendance varying for each session.
About the Role and Responsibilities:
The facilitator will play a pivotal role in creating an action-oriented and milestone-driven environment that supports the professional development of our clients. Your responsibilities will include providing guidance, wisdom, and support to participants, helping them set clear goals, identify areas for improvement, accountability and develop their actionable plans for advancement.
Experience and Qualifications:
Knowledge
- Current business concepts, trends, small business challenges
- Knowledge in the handling of group dynamics
- The fundamentals of group facilitation
Skills
- Capacity for observation, analysis, and summarizing
- Careful listening
- Ability to engender trust amongst participants
- Enthusiasm about topics presented and hearing the participants’ perspectives
- Communicating effectively with simplicity
- Ability to analyze information quickly and understand when it is necessary to change topics or ask questions
- Capacity for involving all the participants in the discussion
- Ability to navigate participant emotions when appropriate
- Ability to navigate difficult conversations
Experience
- Proven experience in facilitating groups in business environments or similar circumstances
- Owned or managed a small or medium business
Application Process:
Interested candidates are invited to submit their Expression of Interest and cover letter to the General Manager, Cathy Robertson, at crobertson@cfcowichan.ca by September 20th, 2023. The successful applicant will be contacted the week of September 25 - 29, 2023.
Proposals must include:
- Professional Information (1 page maximum)
a. Summary of qualifications and relevant experience
b. List of at least three references for similar work.
- Approach to the Scope of Work (1 page maximum)
- Your definition of a productive meeting: What are the elements of success?
- Your approach to facilitating productive meetings.
- Examples of expected challenges that may occur and how you would address them.
- Optional: Describe any strategies, technological tools, or other innovations you use to
- Provide your proposed price for the above-referenced responsibilities, knowledge, skills and experience. All prices must be on hourly rate of preparation time, group facilitation time and a brief post-session summary.
Responses to this RFP will be evaluated based on experience, qualifications, price, and demonstrated understanding of the Scope of Work
