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A good mentor is one who helps you avoid the snare of self-doubt while unleashing your full business potential. Typically, the mentor has more experience in a given area than the mentee and can offer insights from their experiences. Here are some reasons why you might consider when choosing a business mentor.

Learn from an expert

You can buy a lot of assets as an entrepreneur, but hands-on experience isn’t one of them. Imagine what someone with 20 years’ experience in your industry knows. If you face a challenge, you can be almost certain someone with that much experience would have great advice on what to do.

Make industry connections

Mentors are a great networking resource. As someone who’s already established themselves within a commercial environment, a mentor can put you in touch directly with individuals and companies that might be of help to your business.

Gain confidence in your decisions

Your mentor should have your best interests at heart and give you the confidence you need to take that extra step and go outside your comfort zone. You can run new ideas by your mentor as a sounding board, and flesh out concepts until you feel ready to share them with others.

Identify your growth areas

When someone knows you well, and they have a lot of experience, they can tell you what is easy and a stretch for you. They may suggest exploring other personal or business growth areas to ensure you have a solid foundation of experience for the future.

Pitch to perfection

If you go up for funding or put forward an innovation to an investor, you can run your pitch by your mentor and ensure you’re on the money. They can give you constructive feedback on how you can improve your communication skills, body language and presentation content.

A mentor will help you develop stronger EQ.

Does maturity bring about a higher EQ in entrepreneurs? Emotional intelligence is crucial to entrepreneurial success. When a young entrepreneur has a more mature and successful mentor who advises them, they are likely to have greater control over their emotions.