If you’re serious about succeeding with your business, you have probably considered finding a good mentor. This is a good plan, whether your company has been around for a while or you’re a brand-new entrepreneur. If you doubt the wisdom of this advice, please keep reading. We make the case in this post for why you need a mentor.
Why Do I Need a Mentor?
Entrepreneurs are notorious for thinking they don’t need anyone’s help. After all, entrepreneurs are, generally speaking, adventurous, risk-taking types. They’re self-sufficient go-getters, and most have a clear vision of what they’re aiming for.
However, even the brightest and most visionary among them won’t be able to see everything.
For example, if you have never tested a prototype and worked to develop it as a product and bring it to market, you might need some guidance about how to do that. After all, why should you waste your precious time trying to reinvent the wheel when someone else already knows the answers to your questions?
And wouldn’t you want that product you’re testing to become a success? Then set your ego aside long enough to have an in-depth conversation with someone who’s been there and done that.
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How Will a Mentor Benefit Me?
One big benefit you’ll receive from working with a good mentor is that you’ll gain access to that person’s network over time. The invaluable connections you’ll make in this fashion can lead you toward success you never before dreamed possible.
Kieran Perry, an independent business advisor and sales expert, mentors business owners in the UK. He teaches clients how to increase their sales and boost their profits.
Importantly, as their mentor, he guides them toward achieving the success they themselves have envisioned for their businesses. “I help my clients to think differently, identify and tackle barriers, prioritize tasks, and focus on the right strategies,” he says.
Perry’s clients say that having him mentor them has been a game-changer for their businesses. By following his advice, they have improved their business processes. As a result, their sales have snowballed and their businesses are thriving.
What Qualities Should I Look for in a Mentor?
Once you’re convinced that you do, indeed, need a mentor, make sure you connect with someone who has a broader and wider range of experience than you have.
Using Kieran Perry as an example once more, it’s clear he has a wide breadth of sales, management, and marketing experience. What’s more, he has worked with top brands, including Waterford Crystal, Wedgewood, Lifetime Brands, Pierre Cardin, and others.
Moreover, you want a mentor who can help you to see the long game. When you’re working on your business day after day, you’re likely to get caught up in the details and fail to see the bigger picture. But a good mentor will help you to broaden your view so that you’re working on your business more often that you’re working in your business.
After all, you can hire others to help you with the everyday workings of your company. Only you can hold the perfect vision for your business as you want it to be. And a good mentor can help you to make that vision a reality.
How Can I Find a Mentor?
Start looking for a mentor in your own professional circles. Who do you admire among your colleagues for their accomplishments in their field? Is there anyone among those people whom you aspire to be like?
If no one comes to mind, then you need to broaden your circles. For example, join a professional organization for entrepreneurs or a social club such as Rotary, the Lions Club, or Kiwanis.
There, you’re bound to meet someone you feel you can trust, someone who can help you out with wise advice from time to time when you run up against thorny problems you just can’t seem to get past on your own.
About the Author
Carrol Strain is a Top Rated copywriter on Upwork. She is also editor and on-call writer for the Business Opportunities blog.
