There comes a time in every start-up business owner’s development when:
- relying on your own skills and knowledge is not enough
- bouncing ideas off your loyal friends and family has its limits,
- you crave the input of an expert and fresh pair of eyes for your now superseded business plan, and
- you know that with the injection of someone else’s intellectual capital, your business would get the boost it needs to the next level of operation.
This is one of the times in business growth when it is valuable to seek a mentor. I’m proud of the progress so far with growing my online business and I still have energy, ideas and plans. But I am ready to grow again so I want to find a mentor with the right mix of skills and interests to support and guide me through the next stage of business growth. It was the Australian Businesswomen’s Network’s Mentornet program that actually gave me the framework I needed to plan and launch the happychild website, so I have first-hand experience of the value of mentoring. I’ve been fortunate to have a colleague introduce me (via email) to a prospective mentor and I am now waiting with anticipation to meet him. Most business owners would benefit from the input of mentor or two, and as it’s on my mind, I thought I would share some tips about finding a mentor. What Kind of Mentor Do I Need?
- Successful in having run, started up, sold and/or grown a business; it’s ideal if this was done in an industry with some similarities or connection to yours.
- Sufficient time available for the level of contact you may require.
- Skills, knowledge and experience different to yours in order to be a complementary support to your business growth.
- An interest in developing and mentoring others and possibly also growing businesses via seed-funders and investors.
- High level verbal and written communication skills and a high level of emotional intelligence.
How Do I Find a Mentor?
- Ask people in your business and social network for their ideas and suggestions.
- Read industry and business media online and offline to identify people who have succeeded in growing a business with similarities to yours, for example: online, retail, wholesale, media.
- Read blogs by business people and blogs and websites that cover entrepreneurialism, an example in Australia is Smart Company and the relatively new Startup Smart . Find people who have spoken about their interest in mentoring or growing businesses.
- Enrol in a formal mentoring program for a taste of the benefits.
For another interesting article on mentoring, take a look at this article on mentoring and role-modelling by BRW’s Jeanne-Vida Douglas in which the ABN’s Mentornet program is mentioned.
