You know IT inside out and that is also your business. So, what new can anyone teach you anyway? Why would you need a mentor? Well, simply because running your own business involves wrestling with so many challenges that sometimes you need someone to look up to and seek advice from. You need to get a mentor because it helps to have someone guide you through the initial phase of setting up your own business. Having a mentor is always invaluable to a first-timer because you get to learn from your mentor’s experience even though you might not have any. Not just that, since your mentor is likely to be someone who has explored your line of business—someone ‘who’s been there…done that’, you could also benefit from simply being associated with her. Mentors often have a large network of connections that become available to their mentees.

But, having a mentor need not be limited to first-time entrepreneurs. You can gain from a mentor’s insight and coaching at any stage of business. Did you know that even seasoned CEOs and corporate executives are constantly on the lookout for a mentor—someone whom they can turn to during moments of crisis.

Getting a mentor becomes especially important for entrepreneurs like you as you have no access to the support systems that are generally available in the traditional corporate set up.

This blog will tell you how you can pick a mentor who is right for you.

WHO IS A MENTOR?

A mentor is a person who acts as a trusted advisor, counselor or guide. The term mentor refers to someone with a lot of experience and knowledge related to the field in which they mentor. Mentoring is not strictly limited to the corporate world. For example, people do have life-coaches or personal mentors—persons who guide them through life, in general. As a MSP, your mentor should be someone who has had previous experience in setting up and running the IT business successfully.

HOW TO CHOOSE A MENTOR?

There’s no right or wrong mentor. It’s all about choosing the mentor who is right for you. When looking for a mentor, you need to first decide what qualities you seek in them. Some common ones include:

LISTENING SKILLS: Your mentor should be someone with great listening skills. Someone who can absorb all that you say, be your sounding board and then come up with solutions for you, based on their experience and knowledge.

TRUSTWORTHY: This goes without saying. Your mentor should be trustworthy. This is essential because you will end up sharing the most confidential of information related to your business with your mentor.

WELL CONNECTED & SUCCESSFUL: There are definite perks of having a well-connected mentor. For starters, you get access to their network, and not to mention mentors who are well-connected and successful in their respective fields can actually make things happen for you when you need it the most.

ACCESSIBILITY: While it’s great to have a well-connected, successful mentor, it is also equally essential to ensure that the mentor is accessible. It is always better to have a mentor whom you can easily get in touch with, rather than having a super-successful mentor who has no time for you.

FIELD OF OPERATION: Did you know it is best to choose a competitor to be your mentor? Surprising isn’t it? But we are not talking about direct competition here. Pick someone who is in the same industry as yours but in a different sphere or line of business. For example, if you are a MSP, you could pick someone who is into the hi-tech or software industry to be your mentor. That way they would have the insight on your industry—IT, while they are not your direct competitors.

WHERE TO FIND A MENTOR?

You could find the right mentor anywhere. It could be a knowledgeable friend or family member in your domain of business—or it could be a complete stranger. Many a times, people choose to build mentor-mentee relationships with strangers, simply because it’s easier to do so. You might find it difficult to oppose the views of your mentor or to share the deepest of matters that trouble you if it’s a family member or a friend. You can look for mentors at tradeshows, conferences and other business events. It could be someone from your past or present place of work too.

The key is to find a mentor whom you can trust to guide you right, someone who will have your best interests in mind and keep your confidential matters that way..