Are you feeling stuck in your business? Do you have someone to go to help you out? If you answered “no”, then we have some good advice on how to find a mentor who will help you to achieve the business goals you have set for yourself.
Firstly, what is a mentor? This is someone who has more experience in an area where you are still a fledging. They have made mistakes and are willing to share their knowledge with you. They are fans of people who are curious and want to grow in their careers.
Now, let’s see how to find a best-fit business mentor.
1. Decide what you want from your career or business: You don’t have to have your whole career mapped out but think short term and where you would like to see yourself. Write this out as a clear goal.
2. Look in your personal and professional circle: You may have someone in your friends or family who could mentor you towards your goal. This may be the easiest way to find someone to mentor you but be careful as they may not have the heart to tell you the hard things of business.
3. Network: Find business events like the NSBC Breakfast Connect to build your network and meet people who could potentially be your mentor. You could also go to expos and events held by your industry leaders and meet potential mentors.
4. Join an incubator: Through incubators, you will give your mentor a part of your business for their knowledge and mentorship to grow your business.
5. Find a mentorship programme: There may be specific mentorship programmes in your industry, or you can join a general site and look for a mentor who meets your requirements.
6. Search LinkedIn or X (Twitter): Use the hashtag #mentor or #Mentorship to find people who are willing to mentor inexperienced people in their industry.
When you have found a person who you would like to be your mentor, it may take a bit of time to build a relationship with them. It is important to build rapport with the person before you ask them if they would be able to mentor you.
It is crucial when you find someone to respect their time and be polite. The mentor is making time to share their knowledge with you about your business and you won’t necessarily find this knowledge in books or online. They are also looking at your situation and giving you the best advice to grow your business. For the relationship to be symbiotic then you need to respect the mentor and offer to pay for the coffee or meal if you meet at a restaurant for a face-to-face meeting.
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