Need Business Help? Mentors are Available

We can’t do it alone; we all need help sometimes.  One of the most important factors in the success of any endeavor, including a small business, is the existence of a network of support people – people who have been there, done that and are willing to help you get there and do that too. Mentors are readily available to business people in the corporate world; they are usually just down the hall or in the next office.  But small business owners are isolated; they can’t just run down the hall and ask a question.

So where do small business owners find mentors? National Women’s Business Council, an SBA partner, has a list of mentoring programs, some for women, some in specific areas of the U.S.,  but most for everyone.  Many of these programs are for business owners who have already made their first $million, but here are some that might interest you if you are still working on that goal:

MicroMentor provides small business owners, both men and women, who employ five people or fewer, with mentors who can help them with expertise and industry-specific advice.

The National Association of Women Business Owners has a mentoring program (men are welcome) where proteges are matched with mentors for a year-long program.  You must be a member of NAWBO to apply.

SCORE (the Service Corps of Retired Executives) is one of the largest and oldest mentoring groups around. SCORE has offices in most medium to large cities and their counselors specialize in helping people who wnt to start businesses. But they can certainly help with other ongoing business issues too.  SCORE also has online mentors. To try out their online mentor page, I entered “start business” and “Nationwide” and received a list of 37 possible mentors, with information on how to contact any of them directly.

You may be able to find mentoring locally; check with your local chamber of commerce to see if there are groups or individuals who do mentoring.  Don’t be shy; jump in and ask for help.  If you don’t like the first mentor you find, look for others.  One can never have too many mentors.

Image: gabivali@sxc.hu