You need a mentor, and this is why;

When you start-up a new business you spend all your time thinking about how you will go about doing it, where you’ll get the money from and who you’ll employ.  You think about banks, loans, meetings, money, target audiences, customer bases and everything else under the sun to do with your business…but how much thought do you give to the loneliness of running a business?

Most probably not a lot at all…there are tough, life changing decisions that need to be made that most of the time cannot be made without hearing someone else’s opinion and hearing someone else’s guidance - that’s where a mentor comes in.

A mentor is…

A mentor is a great chance to get an outsider’s opinion or at least another opinion that isn’t yours.  A mentor needs to be someone you can trust so that when they do actually give you their opinion you know you can trust it!  Furthermore your mentor needs to have some experience in the field, otherwise you might as well speak to Joe Bloggs in the street.

A mentor will provide you with support and advice and should be able to be in a position to help you make the difficult decisions that you wouldn’t be able to make on your own.  A mentor will act as a guide who you need to be able to trust will lead you to safety.

A mentor isn’t…

However, don’t fall into the trap of thinking that your mentor is your employee who is there to take some of your workload off your hands.  Furthermore they are not there to act as a business consultant, think of them more as a parent or a teacher.

Mentors are there to watch and guide you, not work with and for your business so don’t insult them by asking them to do your work for you.  They are there to direct your path not tell you what to do.

A mentor can provide…

When you introduce a mentor to your business you are bringing in a person who should have the relevant skills and experience in the field you are working in so that they are in a position to supply you with trustworthy guidance and expertise.

A mentor will also be able to extend your wealth of business contacts which will undoubtedly be a great benefit to your business.  Furthermore a mentor will do great things for your confidence, decision making and knowledge of the industry.

A mentor wants…

Despite what you might think a mentor won’t be helping you out for the money - in fact most mentors will refuse to accept money for their services.  Despite their precious time and effort being spent helping your business they will most probably feel that their own skills and experiences will benefit from the opportunity.

Mentor Time?

Are you thinking of asking someone close to you to mentor you?  Are you thinking of being a mentor for someone close to you?  Let us know…

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