Sage Empowers Canadian Women Small Business Owners to #BelieveInYou Through Unique Mentorship Program

VANCOUVER, BC--(Marketwired - Oct 20, 2014) - Sage North America, leading provider of business management software and services to small and midsized businesses in Canada for more than 30 years, will announce today the launch of Mentor Her Biz: The Small Business Mentorship Program for Women at the Women in Biz Passion to Profit Conference. Sage is sponsoring and partnering with Women in Biz Network (WIBN) for two days of education, relationship building and a mini MBA in small business on October 19-20 at the Fairmont Waterfront Hotel in Vancouver.

As a supporter of Canadian small businesses, Sage has partnered with WIBN to develop a unique mentorship program designed specifically for women entrepreneurs. Nancy Harris, Sage senior vice president and general manager for Canada, will be providing her insights on the important role that mentorship can play for women small business owners and introducing the framework of the Mentor-Her-Biz program at the conclusion of her keynote today.

"Studies have shown that women have a greater propensity to succeed when they have a mentor to provide support and guidance and to serve as a sounding board for ideas. Developing a mentorship program for women business owners is a natural extension of our ongoing commitment to supporting small businesses," Harris said. "Sage wants women entrepreneurs to #BelieveInYou, and the Mentor Her Biz program is a great way for other successful women entrepreneurs and small business owners to not only help mentees believe in themselves, but to also give back to the community and pay it forward."

Conference attendees can expect to learn the following from the keynote delivered by Harris:

• How mentorship benefits both the mentor and the mentee
• Characteristics of an enduring mentorship relationship
• Suggested ground rules for the mentor/mentee relationship
• The key to a successful small business mentorship program

"The insight a mentee can gain from a mentor can be integral to the long-term success of a business owner, and that's why Mentor Her Biz is so very important," said Leigh Mitchell, Women in Biz Network founder and president. "Conversely, mentees end up enlightening their mentors on a variety of issues, helping to forge a relationship that could turn into a lifelong friendship."

The Mentor Her Biz program is open to all Canadian women entrepreneurs and small business owners. The commitment for mentors is one hour per month for a minimum of six months. However, the mentorship does not have to end there. Potential mentors can apply at: www.go.na.sage.com/mentor, while potential mentees can apply for the program at: http://www.womeninbiznetwork.com/mentorherbiz/

More information on the Mentor Her Biz: The Small Business Mentorship Program for Women can be found at: http://www.womeninbiznetwork.com/mentorherbiz/. More information on the Women in Biz Network Passion to Profit Conference, including registration, can be found at: http://www.womeninbiznetwork.com/conference2014/

About The Sage Group, plc
We provide small and medium sized organisations with a range of easy-to-use, secure and efficient business management software and services -- from accounting and payroll, to enterprise resource planning, customer relationship management and payments. Our customers receive continuous advice and support through our global network of local experts to help them solve their business problems, giving them the confidence to achieve their business ambitions. Formed in 1981, Sage was floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1989 and entered the FTSE 100 in 1999. Sage has millions of customers and more than 12,700 employees in 24 countries covering the UK & Ireland, mainland Europe, North America, South Africa, Australia, Asia and Brazil.

For more information about Sage in North America, please visit the company website at Sage.com. Follow Sage North America on Facebook, Facebook.com/Sage, and Twitter, Twitter.com/SageNAmerica.

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