How To Find A Mentor As A Small Business Owner?

70% of mentored small businesses survive more than five years. That is double the lifespan for non-mentored businesses. Besides, 43% of them report experiencing growth after only five interactions with a mentor!

The numbers are clear.

Mentored businesses are more successful than non-mentored businesses.

So, where can you find a mentor to provide guidance and help you take your business to the next level?

Here are some ideas for you.

Finding A Mentor For Your Business

Small Business Mentoring Service

If you have a budget to invest in a mentoring program, the Small Business Mentoring Service could be a great option for you.

The SBMS is designed to provide low-cost mentoring for small business owners. Some key areas the program will help you with include planning, managing your cash flow and finances, marketing your services, and hiring the right staff.

The SMBS mentors are either successful business owners who volunteer to help fellow entrepreneurs grow their business or individuals who have worked for companies with close links to small businesses.

With over 12 million professionals using LinkedIn in Australia, we’d argue that there are few better places to look for a mentor than on the platform. The best way to go about it is to connect with successful business owners, introduce yourself and ask whether they’d have time for a quick coffee or phone call for you to pick their brain. Now, business owners, as you know, are busy individuals. Therefore, ensure your message is long enough to make them want to help but short enough to keep their attention.

When connecting and conversing with potential mentors, it’s important to clearly state what kind of guidance you’re looking for and confirm you’re committed to doing the work and following their recommendations. After all, there’s nothing more frustrating than mentoring someone who doesn’t take advantage of your advice!

You can also use hashtags such as #OfferHelp, #Careeradvice, and #Mentorship to find mentors.

Networking

Whether it be attending conferences or events in your industry, meetups for small businesses in your city, or joining small business online communities, including Facebook groups, networking can help you find the right mentor to put you on the path to success. Besides, being an entrepreneur can feel lonely, and networking events will allow you to meet like-minded individuals and build a support network so critical to your company’s success.

Also, don’t forget to check out your local chamber of commerce’s events. These organisations often arrange networking events to help small business owners meet like-minded people and learn from each other. And these events happen to be the ideal place to find a mentor.

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