Have You Found Your Mentor?
Ever since I got into business for myself I have come to know this one thing. The key to success is to find someone who is spectacular at business and then become their best friend.
That doesn’t mean that you want to become exactly like them, but it does mean that you want to see a similar form of success to what they have.
So why stick to them like glue? Because there is one thing that they have which you are likely still seeking – and that is… Vision.
Establishing a vision for your life and especially for your business is easier said than done! That is why getting to know people who have already achieved a measure of success will give you a much better chance at finding your own calling in the world today. Ultimately, they will make you successful.
Excellent candidates for this are Small Business Mentors. There are four different things to look for in a Small Business Mentor.
1) They need to show that they can achieve results.
Since a Small Business Mentor has the JOB of being your mentor they need to show that they can achieve some form of success on their own. I was made painfully aware of this fact when I put myself under the mentorship of a bad business husband/wife team who ultimately ended our relationship yelling at me on the phone because I had called them out for damaging my reputation to a third party for no reason at all.
Hey, that kind of stuff happens. But I have since recovered and have been made the wiser for it. So you’ll need to be weary of a Small Business Mentor because they can really cause things to go downhill for your business.
So bottom line: do your homework before you approach any kind of Small Business Mentor and make sure that they have had similar results in their own business that you would like them to help you achieve in your own business.
2) They should be helping their clients establish a vision
As I said above, one of the major keys to success is vision. If your Small Business Mentor doesn’t have some kind of emphasis on helping you to set up a vision then you are going to have to think twice before becoming their protege.
3) They should freely give of their information to grow your business.
Part of working with a mentor is the ability for them to give freely to you information which will help you grow your business and make it successful. Unfortunately, there is a saying “you can’t know what you don’t know“, and this means you are only going to get the information you need if you ask the right questions – unless of course they freely give over their information.
4) Find a mentor who has been there and done that.
Good mentors have been through the mill, made mistakes, (and plenty of them) and are now willing to not only advise you what to do, but also what NOT to do.
They can offer you a shortcut to success, based on what they know works.
If you are looking to find a mentor, you don’t have to go and pay someone. Forums abound with people who are willing to impart their knowledge for the good of all. Of course, don;t take up their valuable time with questions which have already been answered. Search the forums for answers to your question first.
If you would like a mentor which is a bit more personalised, I recommend The Internet Entrepreneur Club run by Derek Gehl. This is a membership site where you can post any questions, include links to your site for feedback, and generally make good use of someone who knows what they are talking about.
I’ve included a banner link below for you to check out.
Until next time,
I’m the Silent Avatar… and I have spoken 
