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Factors like the advancement of the internet and online business, Covid-19 related changes to how we do business, and increased redundancies during the pandemic, mean that more people are starting businesses than ever before.
Often, we start a business in an industry we have previously worked in, or have other experience in, but sometimes we follow our passions and hobbies instead, to launch a new business that we love.
Starting a business in an area that you have experience in can give you a great head start. You might even already have plenty of connections and lots of fantastic ideas. But many new entrepreneurs find that running a business is very different to working as an employee.
When we’re looking to learn more about running a business many of us first turn to books on the subject. Nowadays, you might also try to consume free, informative content on YouTube, as well as podcasts and blog posts. These can be exceptionally useful, and there’s more easy-to-access information out there than there has ever been before. But none of these sources of information can beat the real-life experience of a mentor.
Finding a mentor can be a turning point for your business. Here is a look at some of the many benefits of finding a fantastic mentor.
The Benefits of Finding a Business Mentor
1. You’ll Have Someone to Ask for Advice
While books, videos and podcasts are fantastic sources of information, you can’t ask them for advice or get quick answers to questions that come up. Having a mentor means that there’s someone that you can talk to and get support from when you need it.
2. Your Mentor Will Have Made Mistakes
Learning from your mistakes is crucial if you want your business to grow and improve. Having a mentor means that you don’t even have to make the mistakes in the first place. You can learn from their mistakes, and gain advice on things that they’d have done differently.
3. Fresh Eyes and Ears
It’s easy to become blind to the details of our businesses. For example, if you have a website, you spend every day working on that website. To you, it looks great and it’s easy to use. A mentor, with fresh eyes, might spot accessibility and usability issues that you’ve stopped noticing.
4. A Mentor Will Help You to Improve Core Skills
A mentor isn’t the same as a consultant. A consultant focuses purely on your business. A mentor can also help you to develop your core skills, i.e., things like communication skills, organisation, and management skills, which are key to running a business.
Finding a mentor from an online mentoring platform can be much better than hiring a consultant. PushFar is one such mentoring and career connectivity platform. PushFar can help you to find the perfect mentor, help you to push your business forward, and avoid many of the mistakes that many other small business owners are struggling with.
5. A Chance to Vent
Starting a business is tough. There are bound to be days when you feel frustrated and even upset. It can be easy to take this home, and it can start to affect your mental health and relationships. Having a mentor that you trust means that you’ve got someone that you can vent your frustrations with, and someone to help you to work through problems.
6. Increased Networking Opportunities
An experienced mentor will have a lot of connections in business. They’ll have friends, colleagues, people that have worked with or for them, and other connections they’ve made through networking events throughout their careers.
As your mentor, they’ll be able to introduce or mention you to important people. They’ll make the first move and help you to form your own connections with people who could help your career, prospective clients and customers, and people you can collaborate with.
New business owners often struggle with networking, and this can be a big boost.
7. Increased Confidence
As a new business owner, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed, lost, and unsure of yourself. Many entrepreneurs suffer from imposter syndrome and face serious confidence issues which can hold them back. A mentor can give you a boost when you need it, reassure you, and give you the confidence that you need to put yourself out there.
8. A Long-Lasting Relationship
The right mentor can be someone who sticks with you for years or even decades. They can become a friend, and someone to share your success with.
9. A Nudge When You Need it
Most of us are guilty of holding back or spending time worrying about all of the things that could go wrong. This can stop us from taking risks and mean that our business growth stagnates. A mentor will give you a nudge to take the next step when you need it.
Finding a mentor can be tricky, and a lot of the time, your mentor isn’t the person you’ve always admired or someone you’d expect to be a great teacher. But the benefits make it well-worth putting the effort in to find the person that you can build a trusting and long-lasting relationship with.
