3 Reasons to Have a Business Mentor 

You may have heard of a business mentor, and you may even know other business owners who use one. What you might not know is just how useful and potentially life changing a business mentor really could be. If you are starting a business, or your established business needs a push, then a mentor could be exactly the right direction to look in, as they will be able to steer you onto the right path. Read on to find out why a business mentor could be the best thing for your business. 

Answer Questions 

If you have chosen an experienced business mentor, they will have already been in many of the situations you find yourself in now. They will have had to navigate through the difficult questions, possibly working things out for themselves. The great news is that they are here for you now so that you don’t have to go through that hardship – they are willing to impart their knowledge and expertise to ensure that you don’t make the wrong choices wherever possible. 

So, if you have a question regarding your business and what you should do, ask your mentor. Even if they haven’t been in your situation before, they will have enough experience to know what the best thing you can do is. Of course, the final decision rests with you, but getting advice is so important. 

Their Experience 

As mentioned above, experience is something that mentors will have – that’s one of the reasons to choose yours in particular. A mentor without experience might mean well, but will they really be able to help very much? It’s unlikely. So, it is experience that really counts if you need someone on hand to guide you in business. 

By having a mentor with plenty of first-hand experience, you can avoid many of the pitfalls and mistakes that you would otherwise potentially fall into. Not only will this mean your business will grow, but it means it will grow much faster too. 

When it comes to experience, what should you be looking out for? Someone who has run a business for a number of years and made it successful is one thing. Another is someone who has run a number of businesses, perhaps selling each one for a profit and starting a new one, each time doing better. Also, look out for qualifications, as this will help too. An MBA from https://online.redlands.edu/programs/online-mba will show you that your mentor is serious about what they do. 

Networking

If you run a business, you cannot do it in isolation, even if you work entirely on your own. You will still need a strong network around you to help you when you need it. This network might be full of people you can use in your business (and who can use you in return). For example, if you are a real estate agent, then it will be useful to know contractors, mortgage advisors, and brokers. 

Networking is also about meeting people who can help to boost your business through word of mouth referrals. 

Having a mentor can enable you to network more easily, as they will already have made these useful connections and can introduce you to the people who will be most helpful in boosting your business to the next level.