Fredericton Chamber of Commerce launches third cohort of mentorship program - September 1, 2010

Liane Zabel, a recent immigrant from Germany by way of the Canary Islands, wanted help expanding her new Fredericton-based permanent make-up and hair dressing studio.

The Fredericton Chamber of Commerce held a kickoff event for the next group of participants in its mentorship program at city hall Tuesday. Above, from left, are: Hashmat Ali Shah, mentee; Liane Zabel, mentee; Nicole Picot, Department of Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour's assistant deputy minister; and Mike Toole, chamber president. Pierre Beaule, president of the local marketing and business development consulting firm Group Progecom, was looking for a way to encourage new immigrants to settle in the capital.

And that's how Beaule became Zabel's mentor in the Fredericton Chamber of Commerce business immigrant mentorship program.

"I am happy I can be in the mentorship program," Zabel said in an interview Tuesday.

"I needed help to understand the people here in New Brunswick."

The chamber kicked off the next phase of the program at a ceremony at city hall Tuesday.

Zabel said she has been running her business for one year but she wants it to grow.

"I have a very nice mentor on my side," she said.

"I need help with marketing and promotion and he is fantastic."

She said she's looking forward to writing a new business plan for her company, which she started in April.

The German native said she and her husband lived for the last 11 years on the Canary Islands but always wanted to come to Canada.

She found out about Fredericton two years ago through the New Brunswick immigrant nominee program.

This is Beaule's first time as a chamber immigrant entrepreneur mentor.

"I am really interested and really keen about the immigration issue for New Brunswick," said Beaule.

"I strongly believe that those people need a little push to be competitive in this market.

"That is why I am really enthusiastic about this experience, this adventure, I should say."

He said in the past two weeks he has learned as much as Zabel.

"I believe that so far it is like a perfect fit," said Beaule.

He laughed when told about Zabel saying he was forceful and that as a German she liked that.

"What can I say?" he said.

"Some people don't like that, by the way."

Beaule said the mentors and mentees had a training session last week and discovered how each other communicates.

German people seem to like to communicate directly and he has the same style, he said.

"It just happened like that," said Beaule.

"I just hope it is going to work well with her."

Mike Toole, president of the Fredericton Chamber of Commerce, said the immigrant mentorship program is an important way to settle newcomers in the city successfully.

"It is a very beneficial program," he said.

This is the chamber's third five-month cohort of mentors and mentees, he said. There were 22 mentors and mentees in the first two cohorts.

The pilot projected started here in 2009 and has spread to Saint John and Moncton.

The $65,000 funding for each cohort comes from the province's Population Growth Secretariat, said Toole.

He said the chamber members don't see the new immigrant entrepreneurs as competition for businesses.

"They say they get more benefit from this program than some of the mentees," said Toole.

The chamber president said the program has been so successful, the chamber is setting up a mentee alumni program.

The Fredericton Chamber of Commerce is the largest such business organization in Atlantic Canada with more than 850 members.

to view the article in the Daily Gleaner