Prof. Baiba Rivza, Mg. oec. Laura Rivza Latvia Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences

 Mentoring in entrepreneurship means that somebody more experienced in business (Mentor) guides and helps the less experienced (Mentee) to succeed in his/her enterprise development

 Promote new entrants in entrepreneurial environment,  Encourage people to be entrepreneurs and set up their own business,  To ensure unified and effective support in setting up a business, increasing competitiveness of enterprise,  Let existing enterprises overcome difficulties, barriers and keep developing and also promoting substitute products based on innovative and knowledge based technologies

 2004 – 2007  Mentoring, networking, resource centres, microcredit groups, e-comerce  Partners: Baltic countries, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Poland.

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 2008 – 2009  Mentoring, rural development, enterpreneurship in rural areas  Zonta and Soroptimists

10 Latvia Zonta Club presidents in the Parliament

 August May 2010  Developing a Guideline for Setting up and Running Mentoring Programmes for Women  Austria, Estonia, Germany, UK, Latvia, Greece, Romania

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NORDPLUS project „The Cultural Heritage of Women and Entrepreneurship” Source:

Resource centers Information points Micro-credit groups Mentoring pairs and groups Local organizations of LRWA

 Source: association “Līdere” & “Latvijas Fakti” & publishing – house “Lietišķās informācijas dienests” (

 Possibility to be independent  Possibility to maintain her family  Possibility to do the work she likes  Self-realizing possibility Sourse:

 Trades  Service  Tourism  Health care/social welfare  Education/science  Agriculture /forestry  Industry  Others. Sourse:

 High taxes  Lack of qualified work force  Large number of controlling institutions  Lack of appropriate normative acts and support  High competition Sourse:

22 Number of farms and utilized agricultural land in farms of different size in 2010 Total 83,1 thsd.farms Source : Central statistical bureau

23 Farm income and income of population employed in agriculture Source : Economic accounts for agriculture (EAA)

Mentoring in Latvia Social factors: -Potential of young entrepreneurs; -Supportive local media Political/ Economical factors: - Administrative capacity  Potential of mentors in rural areas Social factors: - Interest of mentors as volunteers Social factors: - Emotional encouragement  Networking and cooperation  Sense of safety  Win-win principle  Guidance that allows mentee come to solution by him/herself Strengths Opportunities Threats Weaknesses Political/Economical factors: - Support and possibilities to enchain state, municipality and EU financing;  Possibility to introduce mentoring in educational system Social factors: -Lack of information and reconcilability -Lack of time for cooperation  Different levels of knowledge Technological factors: -Geographical distance -Limited access to Internet, Economical factors: - Unified and effective support in setting up business  Increase the number of new enterprises  increasing competitiveness of enterprise

Academic sector NGO Public sector Private sector Media 25

 Networks have become the basic units of modern society.  These units still are individuals, groups, organizations and communities, though they may increasingly be linked by networks. 

Citation of the Holberg Prize Academic Committee: "Manuel Castells is the leading sociologist of the city and new information and media technologies. His ideas and writings have shaped our understanding of the political dynamics of urban and global economies in the network society. Holberg International Memorial Prize 2012 is awarded to Manuel Castells.

 It is not purely the technology that defines modern societies, but also cultural, economic and political factors that make up the network society.  Influences such as religion, cultural upbringing, political organizations, and social status all shape the network society.  Societies are shaped by these factors in many ways. 

 Networks play a multifaceted role for women entrepreneurs and business owners, helping them to gain advice, form partnerships, secure financing, access qualified management and employees, and build value chain relationships.   Entrepreneurs and business owners tended to seek advice most often from those with whom they had personal relationships—their private environment.

 The mentoring and microcredit movement should be widely used since they proved to be relevant form of economic activity for Latvia regions conditions which do not require large investments but extensive training network.  Our countries have experience in mentoring and networking.  Social networks have become the basic units of modern society and also in mentoring.

 Helix model can help in mentoring and social networking.  Using of the cultural heritage in rural tourism is important and additional financial source. We need strong mentoring support in it.

Thank You for Your attention!