It’s a concept that seems to be foreign and yet it can be the key to launching a successful business. In fact, reports show “75% of executives point to mentoring as playing key roles in their careers”.
Before we tell you how to find a virtual mentor in 2022, let’s take a closer look at what they are and how entrepreneurs and startups could benefit from having one.
According to Wikipedia, “A Mentor is someone who teaches or gives help and advice to a less experienced and often younger person. In an organizational setting, a mentor influences the personal and professional growth of a mentee. What matters is that mentors have experience that others can learn from. “
In simpler words, a mentor is a person with experience and knowledge on many aspects of running a successful business. The mentorship relationship between a mentor and entrepreneur is all about growth and development.
Because a mentor is experienced, they have a firm grasp of better approaches you can take and what you need to have in place to achieve your goal. They have a sound understanding of the documents you need to start a business, how to expand your workforce and still remain profitable as well as structuring your teams and building a strong culture from the onset.
A mentor can help map out your SMART goals. These are objectives that you would like your business achieve within a set time. SMART goals setting stands for:
You can set out your SMART goals and your mentor will hold you accountable for every milestone. For more details around setting SMART goals, see Velly Bosega’s article on setting and smashing your goals in 2022.
Sometimes a fresh perspective is all you need to overcome any hurdle you are facing. Most mentors have vast experience in their field of expertise and can give great insights into the current industry, trends and market places. Not only can they help in hard times, but they can also bring a set of creative ideas to the table.
Don’t underestimate the power of a strong network. It help’s present new business opportunities, referrals for your business, a new avenue to find suppliers and a gateway to talk about your brand.
Did you know: Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook) was mentored by Steve Jobs. Jobs was mentored by Mike Markkula (early investor and executive at Apple).
Book a quick briefing session with South Africa’s first virtual business consulting platform. It has been designed specifically for the local market and has over 300 business coaches and mentors across a range of fields and industries to help entrepreneurs and startups get off the ground.
You can easily find and chat to any expert of your choice. Their consulting hours and rates are clearly displayed and all payments are handled through the platform.
Startwise has done all the work for you. They have recruited the top industry leading professionals and you no longer have to risk being turned down.
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