{"id":6738,"date":"2022-06-11T15:12:43","date_gmt":"2022-06-11T15:12:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/intch.org\/blog\/?p=6738"},"modified":"2025-03-24T08:16:13","modified_gmt":"2025-03-24T08:16:13","slug":"how-to-find-a-business-mentor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/intch.org\/blog\/how-to-find-a-business-mentor\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Find a Business Mentor?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Everyone who starts their first business lacks experience. To get the much needed knowledge, one can either take the trial and error route \u2013 or make a shortcut and find a mentor. But how to find the person who will help you grow your business? Dive in to find out.<\/span><\/em><\/h2>\n

\"Mentor\"<\/p>\n

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What is a business mentor and what do they do?\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

A business mentor is an experienced professional, who has already created a successful business (often more than one), and who is willing to pass on their knowledge to the next person. A business mentor is there to share specific knowledge, give their insights based on their experience, ask the difficult questions and help their mentees find the right answers. A mentor isn\u2019t someone who does the work for the mentee \u2013 a mentor helps their mentees grow and become the strongest versions of themselves through active listening and coaching.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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It\u2019s important to know that a business mentor isn\u2019t a consultant \u2013 their goal is not only to share their expertise. A mentor is someone who commonly becomes a valuable friend or an acquaintance, someone who becomes involved in your project as if it was their own. The goal of a mentor is to pass on their wisdom and knowledge, give back to the community, and, potentially, help their mentees save some time and trouble by sharing their insights and thoughts. Mentors are also extremely helpful in stressful situations \u2013 a good example of that is the case of Intch CEO Yakov, who seeked help after moving overseas. His investors acted as mentors and helped to solve the most critical issues with their network. You can read more on that <\/span>here<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Qualities of a good mentor<\/span><\/h2>\n

\"Mentor<\/p>\n

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So, by now we know that a mentor is a valuable person for many beginner entrepreneurs. But how to find a great mentor who will help you grow? Of course, when finding a mentor, one should always listen to their gut and find the person that they are comfortable around. However, there are several basic characteristics to look for while searching for the right person:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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  1. They have a proven track of record. By default, a mentor is an experienced professional, and they should have proof of that. It shouldn\u2019t scare you off if they have a failed company in their portfolio \u2013 after all, failures are our best teachers. However, they should have successful cases in their resume.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. They have developed critical thinking. A good mentor is someone who has been through a lot \u2013 it allows them to see the bigger picture and share it with their mentees.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. They are good listeners. Entrepreneurship comes with a great amount of stress and even greater amount of uncertainty. Therefore, having someone who will hear you out without judgment is priceless while growing a business.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  4. They care about their mentees\u2019 personal and professional growth. A good mentor is a good teacher, who truly cares for their students\u2019 future. A great mentor has to be able to put their ego aside and let their mentees thrive.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  5. They share their skills, expertise and contacts. A great mentor is someone who is very generous when it comes to sharing knowledge and contacts. It is no secret that networking is crucial when building a company, so a mentor can act like a bridge to a pool of useful contacts. Additionally, mentors can help their mentees develop their networking skills (we wrote about them <\/span>here<\/span><\/a>).\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Why should you find a mentor?\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

    Finding a mentor can seem like quite a challenge (and it certainly can be), and many would argue that it is better to do everything on their own to become experienced. While this all can be true, here are some arguments in favor of finding a great mentor to help you grow your business:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n