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In the companies of women
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October 12, 1998: 11:52 p.m. ET
Female entrepreneurs are likely both to give and receive mentoring aid
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NEW YORK (CNNfn) - Mentoring is on the rise among businesswomen, a survey conducted by Avon Products revealed, and women who benefit from a mentor's advice and career help are more likely to pass that guidance on to other women.
According to the Avon Mentoring Matters survey, more than half of all female entrepreneurs responding to the Internet poll report that they have had a career mentor at some point in their lives. An overwhelming 94 percent said the experience was "crucial/very helpful" to their success.
"Mentoring is as vital a training tool in the small business arena as it is in the corporate world," said Sheila Wellington, president of national women's organization Catalyst. "Established women business owners who share their knowledge and expertise with the next generation of women entrepreneurs are providing them with real-world experience that simply cannot be taught in the classroom or a textbook."
In proportion to their perceived minority role in the business world, women were more likely to offer mentoring assistance to other women, the survey indicated. Nearly half -- 48 percent -- of the women who said they had benefited from mentoring also said their primary mentors were female, while 55 percent of female respondents also said that the most important influence on their career was another woman.
On the other hand, 86 percent of the male respondents said that other men had been the most influence on their careers.
Female mentoring is also on the rise, the survey revealed. Two in three young women aged 18 to 29 said they have had a mentor, but only 56 percent of women 50 years old or older said the same.
Avon was inspired to conduct the survey because of the active role played by winners of its Women of Enterprise awards in grooming a new generation of female entrepreneurs, the company said. 
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