Who is a mentor?
A mentor can be many things. A mentor is someone who already did everything that you are planning to do now. Therefore, it is not a mystery how they can help you get there in the easiest way possible. However, there are still a lot of young entrepreneurs who fail to value the real importance of this persona.
Find a good mentor and get started. We wouldn’t be anywhere as far as we are today without good mentorship. Myself, having undergone several mentorships such as Enterprise Ireland’s New Frontiers Entrepreneur Development Program, which have tremendously helped shaped my business strategies and entrepreneurial journey. So, today I will be sharing a few tips why you as a hustler, entrepreneur or a small business owner need a mentor to help you grow.
In this article, you will learn some of the advantages of having a great mentor and how it can help you grow your business as well as develop yourself as an entrepreneur.
“A mentor is someone who sees more talent and ability within you, than you see in yourself, and helps bring it out of you.”
Bob Proctor
If you are just now trying to consider this as a possibility, here are seven reasons why you should have a mentor for your business and entrepreneurial journey.
1. Out of the books
A mentor will be able to give you specific advice. The type of tips and tricks that you won’t find anywhere else. No matter how much you try to prepare yourself for every possible scenario, you will never know everything. Majority of the things that you learn come after you already started the business.
However, a mentor will be able to tell all you need to do before you even do it. This means you get business experience even though it is your first time. This advantage, of course, will be essential for your success.
2. Networking
As someone who is in the business for longer, your mentor most likely has a lot of people in their network. Now, guess who will be able to have access to these names despite being a newbie? Exactly. You will be able to enjoy all of the benefits of the mentor’s experience, including the connections that helped him get there.
Having this network will allow you to skip steps, which will then get you to your goals quicker.
3. Support system
Having someone by your side that fully understand what you are trying to achieve is an essential part of being an entrepreneur. Being so, a mentor can offer not only business advice, but they are also cheering you on. They know what your goals are, and they have been there before.
What you want in a mentor is someone who truly cares for you and who will look after your interests and not just their own. When you do come across the right person to mentor you, start by showing them that the time they spend with you is worthwhile.
Vivek Wadhwa
Therefore, they are able to provide you with the support you need to move forward. A good mentor understands your struggles and is willing to help you overcome them. This type of support isn’t something that you can receive from friends who are clueless about your work. Being so, this will give you a great system to work with.
4. Avoiding Mistakes
Your mentor probably already made a bunch of mistakes that you can’t even imagine. Being so, they can tell you exactly what you should NOT do. This might save you a lot of time and money. Knowing what not to do can actually keep your business alive for longer. Especially when you are starting a business, cash is scarce. You might lose even more when you fail.
By avoiding these bumps along the way, you will have the perfect base to keep pushing your business — all without having to deal with these problems yourself since you already know how to avoid them.
This video by Dan Lok explains in detail the power of having a great mentor.
5. Unbiased advice
You might have the support of your family and staff. However, they can often be biased. Once your families might not understand your business and what it takes. Second, they will positively support you since they are emotionally attached to you.
Your staff and subordinates might also be scared to tell you the hard truth. Because of the natural hierarchy going on in the company, they might feel like it is not their place to say to you when things are going wrong.
However, a mentor doesn’t have this problem. They will be able to tell you precisely what you are doing wrong. There will be no sugar coating, which will actually help you grow the most. They have often had years of experience in a particular area and can save you months of fiddling around.
6. They will push you forward
When you are starting something by yourself, you have nobody but yourself to take care of. However, when you have a mentor, there is always that one person that you have to keep in mind. Since your mentor will be pushing you, you will feel inclined to keep showing results. This will stop you from getting lazy with the work.
Getting advice from an experienced Entrepreneur is worth its weight in gold…
Having someone to kind of respond too will give you a more significant sense of responsibility. Of course, the mentor is not your boss. However, there will always be there by your side. Being so, you will feel the need always to keep moving.
Read also: 3 Simple Yet Effective Ways to Stay Motivated as an Entrepreneur
7. They improve your EI
EI stands for Emotional Intelligence, which is a crucial factor for entrepreneurs. When you are starting something new, you can be quite naive. This might lead to “bad” decisions in the heat of the moment. However, a good mentor will be able to guide you out of this place. Since they have much more experience than you, they already learned how to deal with things in an objective way.
Being so, they will help you develop this skill yourself. But how vital is EI for your business? Very much important. It is proved that having good EI is a common trait of successful people. Despite being a newbie, your mentor will help you get here much faster, which will help you and the business.
One who refuses to seek the advice of others will eventually be led to a path of ruin. A mentor helps you to perceive your own weaknesses and confront them with courage. The bond between mentor and protege enables us to stay true to our chosen path until the very end.
Anonymous
Key Take Away
Maybe you never considered the idea of having a mentor. However, after reading this article, you might consider reaching out to one in order to get their help. A good mentor can put you many steps ahead of your competition. Not only that, they can help you save money and time. All of this, while providing vital support for you and your business.
Try to get a mentor who worked in the exact same niche as you as trying to enter. They will then be able to give you personalized advice and help you achieve all of your business goals.
Wrapping Up!
What part of this article resonated most with you and why? How have you benefited from having a mentor? Share your ideas, tips, thoughts, and experience below in the comments.
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