8 Ways to Find Mentors and Advisors for Entrepreneurs

The success or failure of your business is dependent on finding the right mentor or advisor. A good mentor will help you in brainstorming ideas, solving complex problems, ensuring that you're held accountable for your commitments and encourage you when things get tough.

Everyone needs a mentor in their life, especially entrepreneurs who are launching their businesses. Why? The majority of such entrepreneurs are usually inexperienced. And one of the best ways to overcome this issue is by working with a mentor.

If you are a humble and insightful leader, you'll quickly recognize that you can't do everything alone. You'll need help and feedback from an honest and open individual.

So how do you find a mentor? What are the characteristics of a good mentor? Here are eight proven ways to find mentors.

1. Networking events
The aim of networking events is to put people together so that they can communicate and contact each other. This makes it one of the best ways to expand your professional circle.

As Dissertation Today recommends, when you attend a networking event, talk to as many people as you can. Don't be too direct with what you are hoping to get out of the conversation. Instead, wait for it to flow and soon everything will be clear to you.

2. Social media platforms
The rapid advancement of technology has made most aspects of life easier, including connecting with professionals in your field. The leading social media platforms in the professional world are LinkedIn and Twitter.

These platforms will help you find the best candidates based on your geographical area or industry. All you need to do to find a good mentor is to introduce yourself casually before asking for any important engagement.

3. SCORE
SCORE is an organization that operates to help entrepreneurs start, manage and grow their businesses. At the moment, there are more than 11,000 volunteers enrolled in the program with about 320 chapters across the country.

You can visit their site to check if there is a chapter near you. One of the advantages of using SCORE is that you can hold a meeting with a mentor for free. And this can lead to a great partnership.

4. Small Business Development Centers
Small Business Development Centers are organizations that operate independently to provide expertise, resources, and advice to upcoming entrepreneurs in major cities all over the country. These organizations use federal, state and local government funds to operate. Therefore, you should get a free consultation at any center near you.

5. Industry Centers
Are there any upcoming expos, conferences or events about your industry in your area? If the answer is yes, this is one of the best opportunities to find someone with more experience to learn more about your industry and business.

6. Volunteering
According to dissertation help service, volunteering is a great way to create new important connections. While volunteering, you'll get the opportunity to meet different kinds of people, from retirees to college students, all of whom can help you learn something new not only about business but also life in general. Additionally, you'll be giving back to society while improving the reputation of your organization.

7. Indirect competitors
Your direct competitors will hesitate to give you advice on how to succeed in your industry because they are after what you want. Instead of struggling with this lot, you can seek help or advice from your indirect competitors.

Indirect competitors are organizations in the same industry which are targeting a different market segment or organizations operating in a different country. If these organizations have been operating for years successfully, you'll get practical advice.

8. Family and friends
Do any of your friends or family run a successful organization? Do any of your family members or friends have a connection with someone who could help you run and grow your business?

If the answer to any of these questions is yes, then you should make use of them. As best paper writing service reports, such connections are usually the easiest to build. Don't be afraid to ask. Remember, everyone needs help to become successful.

Qualities of a good mentor

The truth is there is no secret to finding a great mentor. You'll have to look for one actively in the areas we've discussed. While conducting this process, it is important to exercise patience and be adaptable.

At the end of the day, you'll meet someone who'll help you run and grow your business effectively. So, what are the characteristics of a good mentor?

1. A good fit
If you are in the startup phase, you should look for a mentor with a broad range of essential business skills. Apart from this, you need to have chemistry with your mentor. Analyze the strengths and weaknesses, vision and goals of your organization. And then take your time to find the right individual.

Hold meetings with prospective advisers and talk not only about business but also other aspects of life. Remember, you don't have to settle for the first person you meet.

2. A good listener
According to professional writing services, it is not the duty of a mentor to solve your problems. He or she is there to help you think them through during both good and turbulent times and find answers on your own.

That's the only way to improve as an entrepreneur. When a mentor asks you the right questions, you'll quickly solve complex problems. Therefore, it's important to find someone who listens and communicates effectively.

3. A positive mindset
One of the major roles of a mentor is encouraging and building your confidence. Most entrepreneurs work with mentors solely for this reason. As an entrepreneur, you cannot succeed in the modern world with low self-esteem. Why? People with low self-esteem cannot encourage and support their teams effectively. As the saying goes, you can't give what you don't have.

Even if you have a positive mindset, you need a positive mentor. Working with negative people will also make you negative in the long run. Remember, it's easier to think negatively than positively.

4. Open-Minded
You should be on the lookout for mentors who are open-minded because every situation that you'll face is unique. You can't solve today's problems with yesterday's solutions.

The world is evolving at a rapid rate. Professional writing services reports that the only way to be open-minded is by developing and improving yourself daily. Therefore, you should look for a mentor who enjoys developing and improving his or her skills regularly.

5. Availability
You need a mentor who'll be there for you regularly. Depending on your industry and business, you'll need to hold conversations regularly. Your mentor has to be committed to the relationship. Otherwise, nothing will happen in the long run.

6. Equal and fair individual
You are not looking for someone who'll boss you around. Instead, you want someone who'll support and offer advice when needed. Some mentors tend to be bossy because they are used to managing employees in their organizations. If a mentor treats you like a subordinate, you might as well get your parents to mentor you.

Conclusion

Everyone needs help to succeed in different aspects of life. There are no born leaders or business managers. Everyone has to be trained and assisted to develop the essential skills to run and grow a business. Every successful person was once a failure.

A mentor will encourage, support and help you make the right decisions, especially during the startup phase. We've seen the best places to find mentors and the characteristics of good mentors. Now, you are ready to go!

Opinions expressed by the author are not necessarily those of WITI.