PPFA Member to Member mentoring

[Randy Parrish CPF]

Hi Guys, doing some more brainstorming here, this idea is Greg Norris's and he started thread in the Membership Committee forum, but I lost track of it, but the idea has been sifting around my mind for a while. I wanted to open it up to see what everyone thinks of the idea. When new people join the PPFA, I noticed that they are new to framing, new to business, new to the thrill of being an entrepreneur, I have personally reached out to new framers needing help and they have called or emailed seeking advice.

What if the PPFA created and promoted as new benefit a Mentoring program? Current members, I don't know how one would qualify for it or even if it is necessary, since we are a fairly small organization. If you have been in business a good number of years, you could volunteer to be a mentor and your name and contact info is put on a registry of mentors available. New members or anyone fairly new to framing/business could access the list of mentors and contact them, maybe its a question every once in a while, maybe it's more, it is what it is. There could even be a PPFA Vendor to Vendor Mentor Advantage mentoring program. There is a percentage of framers who do not go online much or use the forums and the Grumble is very helpful to newbies, they my feel better with this.

It would be no cost benefit to the PPFA, something we can add to our list of benefits. In reality it is a spin on the Framer's Corner, in another form. I am big fan of taking something old and repackaging it to something new. It would simply formalize something we already do and give it a name.

What do you think?


P.S. The name is just an idea, but I thought it sounded good. Member to Member Advantage, Member to Member Mentoring program, or just PPFA Member to Member, the next sentence describing the essence of the program.

 

[Kai Vanuffelen]

Good idea Greg and Randy. There are some framers registered on this Corner with questions, but are embarrassed to ask them for us 750 to see. I would prefer it, if they put these feelings aside and post their questions regardless. This way other newbies can benefit too by not having to ask this question themselves.

Since some members prefer to ask questions to a mentor instead of to a whole group, setting up this system can be benificial. The Guild in England has something similar. It is a 24 hour helpline for framers who have a problem with something. Like doctors on call, certain experienced framers volunteer for a month or so and after that month, another small group is available to answer calls. Or these volunteers are available permanently.

Which of us likes to volunteer? I think, just like the MCPF Exam, we can have a team of two volunteers, who can consult with each other, when a newbie with a problem contacts them. It is also similar to an apprenticeship, but then an apprenticeship at a distance instead of having a master on site in one's workshop.

 

[Cliff Wilson MCPF]

I have a standing offer that any framer can call me anytime and I'll do my best to help them.

Many in the New England area call, some frequently.

I think Greg's idea was a little more of a formal pairing. Each new member would be "assigned" an experienced member who would actually be more proactive and call the newbie to check on them and not wait for a frantic phone call.

 

[Ellen Collins MCPF]

Would you think that it would be better to stay within a chapter to encourage chapter growth, or better to stay outside, so no one would feel that the mentor is building up a competitor?

 

[Jim Miller MCPF GCF]

Some of us have been doing this personally for a long time, for framers who manage to find us with specific questions. We're not hiding and we are cooperative.

...you could volunteer to be a mentor and your name and contact info is put on a registry of mentors available.

Good idea. However, PPFA would have to be careful in promoting this benefit, and the mentoring would have to be initiated by the requests of those who want the mentoring. If a new member were to receive unsolicited calls or emails about the availability of mentoring, the recipient might misunderstand that as a attempt to tell him/her what to do. The "framing police" boogieman is alive and well.

New members or anyone fairly new to framing/business could access the list of mentors and contact them, maybe its a question every once in a while, maybe it's more, it is what it is.

For me, it's about three calls a week, on average, and about half of them are referrals from sponsor-manufacturers.

 

[Randy Parrish CPF]

Some of us have been doing this personally for a long time, for framers who manage to find us with specific questions. We're not hiding and we are cooperative.

Good idea. However, PPFA would have to be careful in promoting this benefit, and the mentoring would have to be initiated by the requests of those who want the mentoring. If a new member were to receive unsolicited calls or emails about the availability of mentoring, the recipient might misunderstand that as a attempt to tell him/her what to do. The "framing police" boogieman is alive and well.

For me, it's about three calls a week, on average, and about half of them are referrals from sponsor-manufacturers.

Exactly Jim, I am not proposing anything formal like meeting twice a month, besides promoting it as a benefit if desired and not solicited. It would be up to the individuality in need of advice and they could call anyone off of the list, if they wanted too.

I had spoken to one framer who wasn't sure how to handle a large order of 30 shiny black frames that needed to be shipped out of the country. Luckily I showed them all the post on the G about those scams.

We all do this to one degree or another already. I am not sure if it would work, if a person wont search on line for help I am not sure they would make a phone call to a stranger.

Then again, a chapter could do this on their own as a service to members.

 

[Kai Vanuffelen]

There are three framers in Britain who are mainly involved in this helpline. If anyone is interested to see how they are doing this service, what sort of framework it is and how successful the program is. They are nice men - the same as us, passionate about framing.

Mal Reynolds - Harlequin Frames www.harlequin-frames.co.uk
Pete Bingham in Yorkshire
Steve McGee - Dromore Picture Framing www.downschoolofpictureframing.co.uk

There are probably more, but these will give you some valuable information and maybe cooperation.