In celebration of the this year’s National Reconciliation Week, Australian small-business insurer CGU has launched the an initiative to support the growth and development of First Nations small businesses.
Indigenous small-business owners are being encouraged to take part in the pilot edition of the CGU Kayku Kumpa Mentoring Program , ten of which will be chosen to participate and be provided free access to a six-month mentoring program courtesy of CGU in partnership with McCarthy Mentoring. Through the program, business owners will be matched with a suitable mentor based on their business and needs.
“Our aim for this program is to provide that additional support so that First Nations businesses can continue to thrive,” CGU Insurance Executive Manager, Phil Lockyer, said.
“Over the last few months we’ve been speaking to many First Nations owned businesses about what they believe could help their business succeed, and mentoring was a recurring theme that came up in those conversations,” Lockyer said. “Running a small business requires a broad range of skills and having a mentor to bounce ideas off and speak to for advice can be really useful when you don’t have a bigger team or network to lean on.”
The CGU Kayku Kumpa Mentoring program derives its name from the local language of the Gringai people of the Wonnarua nation of the Hunter Valley NSW, which means “strong yesterday, stronger tomorrow”.
Applications for the mentoring program are open to all indigenous-owned small to medium enterprises through the CGU website. Applications will close on 17 June 2020.
