In our article “SkillsXcellerate- a guide for youth entrepreneurship” we mention the importance of having a role model who can offer advice when you as a young entrepreneur are about to start your own business. To read about the social support other young entrepreneurs have had in their entrepreneurship, you can read our “Best practices”. There you can, for an example, read about;

*Saber- who describes how the support from his brother and wife gave him the courage to venture into the unknown that entrepreneurship was for him.

*Artemis-who describes how the support from her husband and participation in seminars focused on female entrepreneurship helped her with the knowledge and self-confidence she needed to get her business started.

As a young entrepreneur, it can be more difficult to enter the market as the target group may be discriminated against due to their age and there may be more obstacles to overcome. For example, this may be due to a lack of savings, a lack of work experience or a lack of a role model to turn to. A mentorship can therefore be a key to give young people better opportunities to succeed in their entrepreneurship. In addition to giving young people a role model, they are also given a person who, by actively listening, guiding and providing various tools and models, can help them with personal development and new knowledge. The mentor also provides important social support.

There is a connection between choosing to become an entrepreneur and having parents who are or have been entrepreneurs (Chlosta et al., 2010). Novinski & Haddoud (2019) have shown that a lack of role models means that one has a lower entrepreneurial intention. At the same time, they believe that entrepreneurial intentions can be encouraged most effectively through an interplay of inspiring role models, attitudes towards entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial self-efficacy. Since we humans often compare ourselves to others, it can be an advantage that the young entrepreneur can identify with their role model/mentor. When the young entrepreneur can see themselves in the role model/mentor, it can promote belief in their own abilities and thus motivate continued commitment (Novinski & Haddoud, 2019).

According to Vygotsky's sociocultural theory, knowledge is socially constructed, and all learning takes place in social contexts of various kinds. The theory is also because in order for an individual to be able to develop their knowledge, social interaction needs to take place with someone who has more knowledge than them. The zone of proximal development can only be reached by the individual with the help of someone else. Vygotsky's theory can be applied when it comes to young entrepreneurs and mentors, as the mentor enables the young entrepreneur to reach their zone of proximal development. Within this zone of development, the young entrepreneur can, with the help of their mentor, gain new knowledge while developing existing skills.

Summary

As a young entrepreneur, you are more vulnerable than many others in the industry. You often lack savings or work experience, which can make it difficult when you decide to start your own business. A mentor who provides support, advice and various tools can increase the chances that a young entrepreneur will succeed with their business. The mentor becomes a tool for the young entrepreneur to be able to develop both in knowledge and a personal level.