Acumen AcademyImpact-driven courses focused on social entrepreneurship and leadership.
Welcome
This space is exclusively for you – our All Good social entrepreneurs – as part of our ‘Muscle’ offering. We’ve scoured the web and curated a collection of free, top-quality resources; from online courses and templates, to tools and can’t-miss reads and listens - all handpicked and designed to help you grow your social enterprise with confidence.
How to use this hub
Explore this page at your own pace, in whatever order suits you. There’s no set schedule, and no expected reporting - just pick what fits your needs as they arise.
If you do enjoy something, feel free to share it with your mentor or in the WhatsApp group. You might just inspire someone else.
Ready? Let's get learning!
Free online courses
Courses can be a game-changer when you’re building something big. We’ve chosen free, self-paced courses from trusted providers -all chosen with early-stage social entrepreneurs in mind. Whether you’ve got a couple of hours or a few weeks, you’ll find something that fits your time and goals. Courses are grouped by topic, so it’s easy to dive into what matters most to you.*
Building a startup
Y Startup School – by Y Combinator
Get essential advice for building a startup, taught by Y Combinator partners and industry leaders.
Duration: Self paced. Approximately 7 weeks if you spend 1-2 hours per week | FREE
Social enterprise foundations
Social Entrepreneurship 101 – by Acumen Academy
Explore the fundamentals of launching and growing a social enterprise that creates real impact.
Duration: 5 weeks | FREEBusiness Models for Social Enterprise – by Acumen Academy
Design a sustainable business model that that drives financial sustainability and social impact.
Duration: 4 weeks | FREE
Marketing & social media
Fundamentals of Digital Marketing – by Google Skillshop
Master the essentials of SEO, email marketing, social media and more. Topics covered include video, mobile, search, social media, email, and pretty much anything a business can use to promote itself online.
Duration: 40 hours | FREESocial Media Marketing Certification – by HubSpot Academy
Build a social media strategy that works, from one of the best in the biz.
Duration: 5 hrs 19 mins | FREE
Finance & accounting
Financial Statements 101 – by Acumen Academy
Basic principles of accounting to understand your enterprise’s financial health.
Duration: 2.5 hours | FREE
Leadership & personal development
Adaptive Leadership – by Acumen Academy
Learn how to tackle leadership challenges in your life, team, or community.
Duration: 4 weeks | FREEEthical Leadership – by Alison
Explore traits of strong, ethical leaders — from courage to creative thinking.
Duration: 1.5–3 hours | FREE
Pitching & impact investing
Storytelling for Change – by Acumen Academy
Craft powerful stories that connect and inspire action.
Duration: 6 weeks | FREE
Social Impact
Social Impact Analysis – by Acumen Academy
Learn how to measure and communicate the change your enterprise is making.
Duration: 4 weeks | FREE
*Heads up: Some courses may ask you to sign up for a free account to get started.
Want to know what it takes to be a mentor with us? Find out in this ultimate guide. It outlines the role of our business mentors, discusses the commitment and qualifications required, highlights the support we offer, explains the benefits of becoming a mentor, and provides steps on how to get involved.
Have you read the Mentoring Info Doc and want to proceed as a mentor? Then it's time to complete this form. It gathers details about your professional background, skills, and expertise, all in one secure place. Once we have your details we can finalise your match and get you started as a mentor.
Getting started...
If you've been paired with a social enterprise and you’re about to start mentoring, it’s time to dig into these resources...
A bit of pre-reading
Before your first mentoring session, familiarise yourself with these three business strategy templates. Your social enterprise has been using them for the past eight weeks with our guidance to create their own One Page Strategic Plan (OPSP) and budget.
These are the guidelines your enterprise used to craft their unique OPSP. Review this to get valuable insights into their strategic planning process.
This is the OPSP template your social enterprise has now filled in, using the guidelines to the left. When confirmed as a mentor, we will provide your enterprise’s completed OPSP to help you understand their unique strategy and action plans.
This is the budget template your social enterprise has used for financial planning. When confirmed as a mentor, we will provide your enterprise’s initial budget so you can help them refine it, if necessary, and stay on track.
Get going on the right foot
How you structure your monthly mentoring meetings is up to you and your enterprise. However, it's crucial to discuss and define this together early-on so you're both on the same page. The first two documents below will help you do just that; remember to review them at your first meeting. The third doc? That's an extra bonus!
This agreement sets the stage for your mentorship. Review and sign it together with your social enterprise to define your partnership's parameters. Keep a copy for yourselves and send one to info@allgood.ventures.
While entirely optional, this editable agenda can bring structure to your meetings. Discuss it with your social enterprise at the outset of your relationship to decide if and how you'll use it going forward.
And the final document to help you start well? A set of practical tips and tricks. From building a strong initial connection to sharing your experiences to celebrating achievements, we hope these strategies leave you feeling well equipped for the mentoring journey ahead.
Another optional document, this is one you can pass onto your mentee. It's full of questions they can use as conversation starters for your monthly meetings. It's especially useful if they're unsure about what to discuss on any given month.
Monthly meeting reports
Please take a few moments to complete this report after every meeting with your social enterprise. Regular reporting helps us to track progress and provide the best support to both you and your social enterprise.
Resources to guide you
Continual learning is key to effective mentorship. Explore the materials below to keep refining your mentorship craft and stay at the top of your game...
Online articles
Title | Author | Description |
|---|---|---|
Harvard Business Review | Teaches that the best mentors help mentees become who | |
Harvard Business Review | Discusses the need to focus on mentoring the whole person | |
Inc. | Offers seven practical tips for being a successful mentor. | |
Forbes | 14 members of Forbes Coaches Council share advice for |
Books
Title | Author | Description |
|---|---|---|
Verne Harnish | Explores strategies for scaling businesses successfully. | |
Ben Freedman and Craig Carey | Provides insights into building and growing high-impact social enterprises. *This book has come recommended by one of our All Good Ventures’ mentors. | |
Julie Starr | A practical, step-by-step guide to effective mentoring for mentors in various fields. | |
Note: These book recommendations are based either on our own reading, or on 4+ star ratings on Goodreads.
Podcasts
Podcast Name | Host | Description |
|---|---|---|
Dave Stachowiak | Focuses on leadership and coaching, with frequent discussions on mentoring | |
Mentorloop | Explores life-changing mentoring stories from Mentorloop's community of over | |
Dr. Bill Dorfman™ | Showcases mentors in many fields and industries who share their experiences | |
Jay Dhillon | Shares experiences, ideas and happenings in the world of business. Hosted by | |
James Laughlin | Shares inspiring interviews from the most successful people on the planet - |
Blogs
Blog name | Organsation | Description |
|---|---|---|
Mentoring Complete | Offers articles and resources on business mentoring, including tips for | |
LinkedIn Learning | LinkedIn Learning frequently publishes articles and resource on mentoring, | |
Chronus | Chronus is a mentoring software provider. Their blog covers topics related |
Free resources for your enterprise
Looking for tools, templates and resources for your enterprise? Our friends at SODA have got you covered! Explore their free resource library, covering business planning, financials, sales, marketing, exporting, funding, and more.
Need more support?
We're here to help you thrive as a mentor.
Please reach out if you have questions, concerns or feedback related to mentoring.
Email: rod@allgood.ventures
Phone: 021 527 032