Unique Beautiful Fun

      17 February 2017 by Sarah-Jane Smith

Why you Want a Mentor

Even people who are pretty smart in business know one thing for sure - there's always more to learn!  One of the easiest, and fastest, ways to learn is from other business people. Where do you find these people?  There's numerous places - at your local chamber of commerce, a local business group or, in one of my favourite places - online.

Finding a mentor can be as easy as following one of your business idols.  I particularly love the late Anita Roddick - who set up The Body Shop.  Despite the fact that I never met her I find some of her business practices very inspiring.  She was one of the first people who became the face of her own business.  She had no qualms about injecting her personal beliefs into her brand until they became an integral part of it. She saw that sustainable business partnerships with local people could provide a win-win, with her company finding unique products at affordable prices and, the local populations establishing viable manufacturing to improve their own incomes.  She used her company advertising to campaign for change she wanted to see and she spoke out against business practices she didn't support such as animal testing of cosmetics.

These days you may find a mentor of a high profile company and you can easily follow them on social networks.  Don't be afraid to get involved - comment on posts and join conversations.  Think about how you can integrate some of their successful business practices into your own company.

You may prefer to find someone more local who you can share advice with about local business and trade.  You'll often find them in your local business organisations or, check your local paper.  

There's also nothing wrong with paying for a business coach, whether it's to help you to tackle something specific or for more general business guidance.  I've used paid coaches before and some of them have given me great business advice and tips.

If you have a business mentor who you're not paying for, you need to be mindful about how much of their time you take up.  If someone gives you some great advice make a point of publicly thanking them.  Give them a  mention in your blog (and let them know), write a brief thank you on their Facebook page or send a thank you via LinkedIn.  Giving them positive feedback is one way you can give back as it provides testimonial evidence for them as well as letting them know how much you've appreciated their help!  And when the time comes and someone asks for your advice - be generous. Paying good information forward makes us all better business people!

Till next time,

Sarah-Jane X