By Denise O'Berry
Expert Author
Article Date: 2010-04-28
While mentoring is common in large corporations, most entrepreneurs don't have a source of advice to bounce ideas off of. Successful small business owners are often ones who have learned from those who have gone before them. SCORE "Counselors to America's Small Business" offers these steps for choosing a mentor who will best fit your business goals and give you helpful answers to your business questions.
>>> Think About Why You Seek Advice Establish the goals you expect to achieve by talking to a mentor. Pick the top 3-5 challenges or opportunities that your business faces. Prioritize them in order from the greatest to least impact on your business success.
>>> Make Time to Meet with a Business Mentor It's not always easy to find time to meet with a mentor while running your own business. In order to get help, though, you will need to commit some of your time and energy to meeting with your mentor. You'll be glad you did and feel energized after you meet with him or her.
>>> Find the Right Mentor for You Look for someone who has accomplished goals that might be similar to your own. Your mentor should be someone who can provide the time and energy to help you achieve your objectives. Peers can make terrific mentors too.
>>> Build Your Success Team Entrepreneurs in every stage of business development manage multiple tasks and issues to move their business forward. Be sure to seek guidance from multiple sources. Make sure you talk to the right person who can help you with your success strategies.
One of the (many!) really good things about the internet is that there are masterminds groups that have popped up all over the place. Now you no longer have to be in the same physical location to be part of a group. My favorite mastermind group is made up of small business owners from around the world. We share business advice in an online forum and have weekly conference calls to help move each other forward. It might be the right place for you too.
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