Why have a mentor
You're passionate about your business and you love what you do, but the day-to-day running of a business is hard. It can also be a solitary job, with the stress of payroll, clients and decisions about next steps all on you.
One of the best ways to help yourself, and your business, is to get a business mentor, someone who has been there and done that to be your support.
A mentor is someone who can help guide you during your entrepreneurship journey. Mentors can help you in a host of ways, including by:
- Providing perspective
- Offering practical solutions
- Encouraging you to keep going
- Providing key connections
Not enough? Small business owners report higher revenue and increased growth after working with a mentor.
Where can I find an advisor?
- Your personal network or friends, family and community
- SCORE, a national network of volunteer, expert business mentors
- Business Advising, a program that matches small business owners with expert advisors
- MicroMentor, is another program that matches small business owners with expert advisors
- Business accelerators and incubators often have a mentor network.
Other things to keep in mind:
- You can have more than one mentor.
- Consider an Advisory Board, an informal group you pick to advise you on business topics that does not have any corporate authority.
- Your area may have owner-to-owner networking groups.