Ever since I got into business for myself I have known one thing. The key to success is to find someone who is spectacular at business and then become their best friend. That doesn’t mean that you want to become exactly like them, but it does mean that you want to see a similar form of success to what they have.
So why stick to them like glue? Because there is one thing that they have which you are likely still seeking. Vision. Establishing a vision for your life and especially for your business is easier said than done! That is why getting to know people who have already achieved a measure of success will give you a much better chance at finding your own calling in the world today. Ultimately, they will make you successful.
Excellent candidates for this are Small Business Mentors. There are four different things to look for in a Small Business Mentor.
1.) They need to show that they can achieve results.
Since a Small Business Mentor has the JOB of being your mentor they need to show that they can achieve some form of success on their own. I was made painfully aware of this fact when I put myself under the mentorship of a bad business husband/wife team who ultimately ended our relationship yelling at me on the phone because I had called them out for damaging my reputation to a third party for no reason at all.
Hey, that kind of stuff happens. But I have since recovered and have been made the wiser for it. So you’ll need to be weary of a Small Business Mentor because they can really cause things to go downhill for your business. So bottom line: do your homework before you approach any kind of Small Business Mentor and make sure that they have had similar results in their own business that you would like them to help you achieve in your own business.
2.) They should be helping their clients set up a vision
As I said above, one of the major keys to success is vision. If your Small Business Mentor doesn’t have some kind of emphasis on helping you to set up a vision then you are going to have to think twice before becoming their protégé. Why is vision so important? Well, I remember hearing a great comedian give a story about how he got a gym membership and then went to go exercise. He got into this equipment at the gym and “just started moving stuff.” The punch line of the whole thing was that he ended up finding out that he was just tangling himself up in the painting scaffolding because they were repainting the gym. Without a vision, he was unable to get the stuff done at the gym that he wanted to. And similarly without someone to help you set up a vision you will find yourself doing things that are just simply silly when compared to successful business owners!
3.) They should be clear about who they are and what they believe
If you think that faith is not an important part of selecting a Small Business Mentor then think twice. Religion defines the underlying beliefs about several important parts of life which include things like: how money should be handled, how relationships should be handled, how government should deal with the people, in what ways is it ethical to achieve power in business, and also what defines the word “ethical” and how important being “ethical” is to business.
It is not something to be ignored and I would highly recommend that you strongly consider getting a successful Small Business Mentor who is clear about what they believe and also who they are as a person. That way you will know what you are getting and you can decide for yourself if their beliefs are you beliefs. This doesn’t mean that you need to find a Small Business Mentor that has the exact same view on life the you do, but knowing what their view on life is will help you to figure out where you stand in comparison to them.
4.) The Small Business Advisor should take ownership of your success
I have never been more blessed by a person than when someone who I look up to took my success as their responsibility. That didn’t mean that I just handed the responsibility over to them. But it really warmed my soul to know that I was not the only one worried about my success.
It is important to note that when I say “take responsibility” that means that they should be doing one or more of the following:
-They should be working to help you create systems and measures in your business so you know when success comes.
-They should be giving you critical feedback on your activities within the business as well as the activities of your employees.
-They should be working to help you craft your own person vision for your business.
-They should be encouraging you to press on no matter how bad things get.
The reason I mention these things is because I want you to know that someone saying “I support you” is a lot different than actually taking the action to support you. They don’t have to give their life over to you to be a good Small Business Mentor but they do have to show that they are personally invested in your success.
Take a moment and check out one of my favorite Small Business Advisors. He has personally helped me to become great in my own field of business and I have written this article to help the rest of the world know that there are people out there who truly want you to succeed.