This dissertation by Ruud Koopman examines coaching and mentoring of entrepreneurs. It investigates the historical development of these practices, analyzes how they are defined and used in research, explores the gap between intended and experienced support, and proposes a "Soft Support Model" to improve the education and training of entrepreneurs' hard and soft skills.

The study uses a newly developed scale to measure implemented and attained support, revealing discrepancies between coaches' perceptions and entrepreneurs' experiences, particularly concerning gender dynamics.

Finally, the dissertation suggests a method for improving support programs through iterative feedback loops.