5 Tips for Finding the Right Mentor for Your Business
Making the same mistakes that other small business owners have made in the past can be avoided quite easily. A mentor who specializes in small businesses can be of great help in avoiding those mistakes made by others. A good mentor can assist your business in steering clear of the dangers that you will come across while building and growing. You need a mentor that understands the difficulties of running a small business and finding one can be hard. The following are five great tips that can help any business owner in finding the right mentor to help them navigate the sometimes difficult roads.
1. Your Mentor Should Reflect You
To find the right mentor you need to take a good long hard look at yourself and how you conduct business. There are three important questions to ask yourself when looking for a mentor. Why do you need a mentor? What do you hope that mentor can do for your business, and what type of mentor will motivate you? By answering these three questions you should be on the right track to finding the right mentor for you and your business.
2. Is a Mentor Important to Me?
Many business owners may need to look hard at why they think they need a mentor. Many times you will find that you have run into a problem that does not need a mentor, but a consultant instead. Sometimes owners find that their business is not growing and expanding as they had hoped. In that is the case you might need a professional coach rather than a mentor.
3. Mentors are Everywhere
When looking for a mentor, remember to start small. You would be surprised how just by small talking with people you end up finding a mentor. Many times, a mentor will be found this way. Don't expect them to introduce themselves, it just will happen. A great way to start the conversation is to ask them about what they are currently doing and how they got where they are now. If you find the conversation easy and engaging, you might see that as a person who you may want as a business mentor.
4. How to Approach a Mentor
A sure way to get someone to run away scared is to come out and ask them to be your mentor. A better approach is to let them know that you would thoroughly enjoy learning more about what they do. Ask them if it would be alright to use them as a resource for your business. Meeting once a month over coffee and talking about business issues with a mentor is a great way to begin your relationship.
5. Keep Trying to Engage Your Mentor
Many are asked and yet few will say yes. Asking a person to assist you in mentoring comes with the possibility that they may say no. It could be time commitments or other responsibilities that keep them from saying yes. It is important that their saying no doesn't discourage you from finding a mentor. Continue your search and eventually you will find someone to mentor you.
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