Mentoring

What is the role of a mentor?

Put simply, mentoring relationships typically involve an expert who has been through the startup process, and been successful, passing on advice and guidance to business owners who are facing the same process. As a mentee, you can rely on the advice of a skilled mentor to help you traverse the tough parts of getting a business off the ground. They’ve been there, seen it and done it, and can offer invaluable advice.

What is in it for the mentor?

Naturally, the information that passes between mentor and mentee helps the latter more; the mentor has achieved success on their own terms and is now offering the chance to someone just starting out. However, the mentor can gain a lot from this process too. For one thing, it offers them the chance to develop leadership skills and ready themselves for a potential future role in that area. Additionally, it offers the mentee potential future contacts in the business world.

Can a mentor guarantee success to a startup business?

There is no such thing in business as a guaranteed success, but a mentor programme offers the best chance of goal attainment to a startup. This is because the mentor has knowledge and experience, has had to learn from their mistakes and has overcome the hurdles that exist for an entrepreneur who is just starting out.

If you, as a startup entrepreneur, can name a specific issue that your business is experiencing, your mentor has likely faced it and overcome it. They can use their skill and experience to offer you their perspective on how best to address any issues you are facing.

Experienced business will also benefit from our business consulting. This can be especially useful at times of change and growth.

What kind of assistance can a mentor offer?

Depending on the needs of the mentee, a mentor can offer a wide range of beneficial advice including;

• how to build a contact list of business people
• how to set and achieve goals
• develop a business plan
• offer a sounding board on how to run your business
• how to secure and allocate grants with Enterprise Ireland or Local Enterprise Office or others
• advice on training or courses to fill knowledge gaps
• and other business challenges

If a small business is seeking startup funding, a mentor can often direct them towards funding sources and help them apply for grants, as well as acting as a reference and vouching for the mentee depending on what stage the mentor/mentee relationship has reached.

What kind of motivation can a mentor offer?

We’ve all heard motivation and encouragement from loved ones telling us that they know we can achieve anything.

However, the motivation that comes from a mentor is another thing entirely. They have been through this and had the same doubts you are having. They’ve looked failure in the face and carried on and succeeded. When they tell you that they believe in you, you can be sure it means something – and that the motivation will be of a practical nature, backed by something solid.

You will have clear measurable business goals to achieve with your mentoring.

How can a mentor help me and my business?

Each business mentoring relationship is different, so the help you receive may be different from that which others get. The only way to find out is to ask directly – find a mentor with Smart Marketing who are highly experienced. Call today on (086) 8561827, or emailing us at info@smartmarketing.ie – we look forward to working with you.