As an entrepreneur, you are always learning new things and (hopefully) moving forward, but sometimes it might feel like you’re not progressing fast enough! And when your energy, time and funds are limited resources, sometimes you need to achieve your small business goals sooner rather than later.
Having the sound advice of a business coach or mentor is beneficial so you can navigate some of the pitfalls and hardships that inevitably come with entrepreneurship. Finding success as a small business owner will likely come easier with a qualified business mentor or advisor to guide you through the rough patches.
Whether your business mentor is a friend or someone you have hired, here are a few key qualities you should look for in a mentor:
Practical experience
It’s a given that your business coach should have some type of formal training, but ideally they’ve also built several businesses on their own. Anyone who has run a small business knows that formal training alone does not make you an entrepreneur. The business world can be a jungle and there are times when you have to be a beast. A mentor should be able to advise you through fear of failure, personality conflicts, chasing after deviant accounts, work-life balance etc. and no business degree covers these all-to-real challenges.
Not personally invested in you
While having a family-member or close friend mentor you can be pleasant, there is a true benefit to hiring a business coach who is not personally invested in you. This doesn’t mean that your business mentor should be unapproachable or cold, but it means that the calculated risks you take in business are not in any way going to affect your coach, even on a subconscious level. Even the most well-meaning, caring role models are at risk of letting their personal fears and anxieties affect how they advise you. To avoid this, make sure you engage a business coach who puts the success of your business before their personal feelings towards you.
Can connect you
Presumably, a business advisor should run in social and business circles that can help you and your business. Can your business coach connect you to a network of suppliers, peers and potential clients? If it turns out that your small business needs help that should be outsourced, can your advisor recommend someone who is a good fit? Who you know is as important as what you know in business, and your coach should be a walking, talking example of that!
Need a hand with your business’ brand? Call Kim Speed at Purple Moon Creative today!
