Bouncing Back After a Period of Doubt: Does Mentorship Help Entrepreneurs Get a Second Wind?

St Jean, Etienne Jacquemin, Amélie [UCL]

This paper aims to understand better the phenomenon of entrepreneurial change that occurs when entrepreneurs face a period of doubt. During periods of doubt, entrepreneurs’ commitment becomes more uncertain as doubt leads them either to abandon their entrepreneurial activity or to see the venture in a new light (Valéau, 2007). It is often through this step that entrepreneurs rebuild the commitment needed to carry on (Valéau, 2006, 2007). However, it is not clear how various support services would help entrepreneurs overcome their doubts. We investigated this issue based upon a questionnaire administered to 362 entrepreneurs supported by mentors affiliated to the business mentorship network of the Fondation de l’entrepreneurship (Entrepreneurship Foundation) in Quebec. Our findings clearly show doubt reduction among novice entrepreneurs who benefited from mentors’ support.