2025 SFA Mentorship Program, Cohort 4 - Mentee Questionnaire Survey

Question Title

* 1. What is your contact information?

Name

Company

City/Town

State/Province

ZIP/Postal Code

Country

Email Address

Phone Number

Question Title

* 2. How long have you worked in the specialty food industry?

Less than 1 year

1-5 years

5-10 years

Over 10 years

Question Title

* 3. How long have you been an SFA member?

Question Title

* 4. What category does your product belong to?

Baking Mixes, Ingredients, Flours

Beans, Grains, Rice (Dry) (shelf stable)

Bread and Baked Goods

Cheese and Plant-Based Cheese

Chips, Pretzels, Snacks

Chocolate and Other Confectionery

Coffee and Hot Cocoa (Non-RTD)

Condiments, Dressings, Marinades (shelf stable)

Cookies and Snack Bars

Creams and Creamers (refrigerated)

Desserts (frozen)

Entrees (Lunch, Dinner) (frozen)

Entrees (refrigerated)

Entrees and Mixes (shelf stable)

Juices (shelf stable)

Juices and Functional Beverages (refrigerated)

Meat, Poultry, Seafood (frozen, refrigerated)

Nuts, Trail Mix, Dried Fruit

Oils and Vinegars

Other Dairy and Plant-Based Items (refrigerated)

Pasta (refrigerated)

Pasta (shelf stable)

Pickles, Olives (shelf stable)

Plant-Based Meat Alternatives (frozen)

Plant-Based Meat Alternatives (refrigerated)

Plant-Based Milk (refrigerated)

Salsas and Dips (refrigerated)

Sauces (Pasta, Pizza) (shelf stable)

Seasonings

Soda and Carbonated Beverages

Soup

Sweeteners

Tea (Non-RTD)

Tea and Coffee, RTD (refrigerated)

Tea and Coffee, RTD (shelf stable)

Water

Yogurt and Plant-Based Yogurt

Question Title

* 5. What is your product, and how long have you been in business?

Question Title

* 6. What type of Mentor/Mentee relationship do you prefer?

More friendly and casual

More structured and formal

A little bit of both

Question Title

* 7. What is your experience with Mentor Programs (outside of SFA)?

I have been a Mentee before.

I have been a Mentor before.

I am currently involved as a Mentee in another program.

I am currently involved as a Mentor in another program.

This will be my first time!

Question Title

* 8. Please rank your preferred method of communication (1 being your top choice).

Question Title

* 9. Please specify your areas of interest.

Paths to Market

Working with Brokers & Distributors

Business Planning & Admin

Co-Packing & Production

Financing

E-Commerce

Sales & Marketing

Food Safety

Legislative & Regulatory

Public Relations

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 10. What would you like a Mentor to help you with?

Question Title

* 11. What qualities are most important to you in a good Mentor? Why?

Question Title

* 12. What are you hoping to get out of this experience?

Question Title

* 13. Are you open to pairing with a Mentor who could be viewed as a competitor?

Yes

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 14. Do you have at least one hour a month to devote to meeting with your Mentor?

Yes

Question Title

* 15. Can you commit to a one-hour training session in August and being part of a mentoring community for 6 months?

Yes