Mentors are not always as easy to find as you may think even though they come in many shapes and sizes, with different backgrounds and experiences. Identifying a mentor is the first step in finding someone to help you build your business. Different mentors offer specific benefits or resources that will benefit you. First of all, having multiple mentors can be an effective way to continue learning and growing as a business owner. You can gain specific knowledge from each one, such as finding investors, if they have already done this successfully in their business journey. So, you must be clear on what type would work best for you and your goals.

Attributes of a Good Mentor

Finding a mentor can be challenging. That is why you need to understand what makes up the perfect mentorship match before you start. A good mentor should:

• Be passionate about their industry and willing to give back by offering guidance.
• Offer resources they have learned throughout their business journey.
• Be ready to provide advice and guidance based on personal experience, not just theory or opinion.

Where to Find Mentors

• You can ask individuals you know professionally to mentor you. Arrange to meet for coffee locally or virtually if you do not live close to each other. Let the relationship grow organically and offer to pay for the coffee every time.
• You can ask for a formal introduction from a mutual acquaintance if you do not already have a personal relationship with your desired mentor.
• LinkedIn and Meetup groups for entrepreneurs in your area are great places to start searching for a mentor. Reach out directly if you do not have a mutual friend and draw on common ground, such as the same alumni or industry. Provide background information about yourself and the type of work you do

Make Things Easy

Understanding that your mentors lead busy lives, you must be succinct when explaining your vulnerabilities and expectations for the mentorship. Be specific about areas you want to address. For example, you could say, “I would appreciate 15 minutes of your time to talk about…….(any topic of your choice). I am looking at getting better in the following areas…..”

Never leave it to the mentor to arrange the logistics of your appointment. Be proactive about suggesting both the place and time of the meeting. Then, make it a point a send your questions before the meetup. Thus, allowing adequate time for them to ponder your questions and give you the best value.

Types of Mentors

Mentors can come in many forms. When choosing a mentor, you may want to ask yourself, what type of advice and guidance do I need? 

• Traditional Entrepreneur Mentor

Helpful if you have an established business. A mentor who has been in the industry for years may be able to help you learn from their mistakes and give advice as you grow your own company. They can guide you as you navigate different situations that come up during your entrepreneurial journey. In addition, they are passionate about their industry and want to give back by helping others learn from their mistakes. They will offer resources they have learned throughout their business journey and advice and guidance based on personal experience rather than theory or opinion. 

• Peer Mentor 

This mentor is at a similar stage of growth as yourself. So, they can offer guidance on challenges they’ve faced along with solutions that may work for you. A peer mentor can often provide the most helpful advice because they are at similar stages of growth as yourself. Even though their background may not mirror yours completely, their entrepreneurial journey may have come across similar challenges that you will face along the way. A peer or subject matter expert mentor may be the right fit for you if you are new to the business and have many questions about the process but not necessarily an idea yet on how to proceed with your own company. 

• Subject Matter Expert Mentor 

This mentor has extensive knowledge in a particular business area, such as marketing or finance. They will be able to offer advice on how to grow your brand’s presence in that specific industry and what steps they would take if they were trying to do the same thing with their own company. A subject matter mentor might help you get better in your area of expertise.

• Coach or Consultant Mentor 

This type of mentor may not necessarily have the same background as a traditional entrepreneur. Still, they can offer advice on how to build your business based on their expertise. For example, if you are in the fitness industry and need guidance on growing your training clients through social media marketing, an expert who has successfully developed their own social media following can help guide you.

• Sponsor Mentor 

This type of guide may have the resources to either give you access or provide funding for your business. However, they are not in a place where they get involved on a day-to-day basis. They offer their advice and guidance as needed, often based on what has worked well for them in their own experiences. A sponsor mentor will often provide financial support, such as allowing access to resources or funds that will help build your business. However, but they may not be able to guide you with hands-on advice. They are passionate about your industry and want you to succeed in building a successful business for years to come. 

Finding a mentor is an essential step in the process of creating your own business. A mentor will help you navigate the difficulties of building a business by giving advice based on personal experience and offering resources unavailable to them when they started their own company. Once you have identified a perfect match, it is time to allow them to become involved in helping build your business!