A business mentor isn’t something that everyone will be aware of, although if you run a business you may know more about the idea than someone who has only just started out.
Whether you are aware of what a business mentor is or not, the truth is that having one on your side can be truly life changing when it comes to the success of your business, especially if this is the first time you have ever run one.
No matter how long you have been working in and on your business, the addition of a business mentor could be exactly what you need to take it to the next level. Whether your plans include building up the business to sell it on, to work in it for as long as you can, or to pass it on to your family when you retire, it will need to be as profitable as possible. A business mentor can be the difference between a business that does okay and one that exceptionally well.
Read on to find out more about why you should consider a business mentor.
You’ll Get Answers
Being a business owner can be a lonely experience. You will have questions about which direction to go in and what to do next, or what decisions to make in general regarding your business. Having to make those decisions on your own can be difficult, even overwhelming. It’s part of being a business owner, but it can be the most difficult element.
What happens if you make the wrong decision? It’s a frightening thought.
Having an experienced business mentor to help you will aid you in making those decisions much easier, and you’ll get the answers you are looking for when you ask questions. Without a business mentor you might try to make all the decisions by yourself, which is always difficult, or you might ask friends and family for their opinion but however well intentioned the answers would be, they will be an outsider’s point of view.
A business mentor will be much better placed to answer those questions and give an opinion that includes experience of business and maybe even your sector and niche.
As ever, the final decision regarding any ideas and questions you might have about your business and which direction to take it, must always rest with you but having a mentor on board to help you will make those decisions much easier.
Add To Your Experience
In business, it is often someone’s experience that will help to build a business and make it grow. However, if you’ve never run a business before and you’re just starting out, it can be a struggle. Having a business mentor on your side who can add their experience to your own, however little that might be, can boost your business considerably. Therefore, when you are seeking out a business mentor, make sure that you contact those who have the experience you are lacking; find someone who has been in business for a long time, and research how well their businesses have done in the past. If they have failed at business in some way that doesn’t mean they will make poor mentors as their failures can help you to avoid making the same mistake.
Some of the things to look out for when searching for a mentor include:
- How much business experience they have?
- How many businesses have they run?
- What success and/or failure do they have?
- What qualifications do they have? MBA programs in California are a great example of what you should be looking for
- Why do they want to be a mentor?
- What are their future plans?
You’ll Meet New People
Meeting new people in business through networking is something that not all business owners are comfortable doing, but it is something that can help you to boost and built a business in many ways.
It’s hard to go out there and network when you are new to the scene and the business world, and this is where a business mentor can help you. They will have plenty of connections that might be able to help you, and if you go with them to a networking event, they should be able to introduce you to other people there. In a world where the saying ‘it’s not what you know, it’s who you know’ rings true, being able to meet new people and build your connections is vital if you want your business not only to survive, but to be something you can be proud of.