There is no shortage of information in the business world. You can read books or the news, listen to podcasts, check out blogs- there are a thousand different ways to learn about business. But when it comes to natural wisdom, you need a business mentor. After all, you’re not the first entrepreneur to run a business. Many did it before you, and they can offer you advice and encouragement you can’t get from the internet. Here are some reasons why having a business mentor is important.
Learn from their experience
Experience is the best teacher there is, and you don’t get experience from reading a book. When you’re just starting in the world of business, you don’t have much experience and will likely make many mistakes. But a business mentor does have experience and can help guide you down the right path. You will still have to learn some things yourself, but a mentor can help you out of trouble when you inevitably run into it.
Get a new perspective
Another way that business mentors can help you is by providing a new perspective on things. There’s often more than one solution when faced with a problem, but it can take more than one person to see them all. Business mentors have experience and can see multiple solutions on their own. They can also help you look at your business through the eyes of a customer, investor, or government official- all people you have to deal with as a business owner.
Gain access to their network
Networking is essential in the business world, and having a mentor gives you access to an established network of business professionals. This can be as simple as recommending an electrician to wire your new store or as complex as finding investors to help scale up your business when it’s time. Building a professional network takes time, and having a mentor can help you skip a lot of the work that goes into it.
Having a mentor in business may not be essential, but it makes things much more manageable. You get to learn from the experience of an established entrepreneur, get new perspectives on problems and how to run your business, and gain access to an established network of business professionals. And when you become a successful business person yourself, you may want to consider mentoring the next generation of entrepreneurs.
