By QVM Trader Connect Program Manager, Katya Ellis
With
all the buzz about business mentoring in the media and on televisionin shows
like The Mentor and Shark Tank, one could be forgiven for thinking that having
a business mentor on your team is the latest “trend” in business.
Truth
is, as long as business has existed, the most successful owners have made sure
they had enough people “in-the-know” in their network and/or respected confidants
to help them set goals, strategies and actions to guide the business to success.
With
small business (i.e. the 85% businesses with turnovers under $2million) being
the major contributor to the Australian economy, it is easy to understand why organisations
like the Small Business Mentoring Service (SBMS) were formed to find and match
business owners with people who have hands-on business experience and who are willing
to share their experience, successes and failures with business owners savvy
enough to take advantage of the intelligence of others.
Here’s
our TOP 5 reasons why a business mentor could help improve YOUR business.
1.You don’t know what you
don’t know
“Mentoring
is a brain to pick, an ear to listen, and a push in the right direction.” — John Crosby
No
matter how long you have been in business, assuming you know everything there
is to know is… well… not wise. There is no denying that someone with solid
business acumen can provide value for any business, at the very least by:
·
Providing a bouncing board for ideas and
strategies
·
Validating your ideas
·
Broaden your perspective for ideas and
opportunities you may have not considered
·
Being an accountability partner that’s helps
you focus on working ON your business and less IN your business.
2. All successful people have
mentors
“Show
me a successful individual and I’ll show you someone who had real positive
influences in his or her life. I don’t care what you do for a living—if you do
it well I’m sure there was someone cheering you on or showing the way.
A mentor.” — Denzel Washington
Countless
successful people have stated that one of the keys to their success was having
a good mentor. Part of the challenge is finding the right person with the right
experience willing to help you. This is where SBMS can help. With over 170
mentors and 30 years in operation, finding the right mentor(s) is made easy.
3. Big business thinking
“Start small, think big.
Don’t worry about too many things at once. Take a handful of simple things to
begin with, and then progress to more complex ones. Think about not just
tomorrow, but the future. Put a ding in the universe.” – Steve Jobs
Large
organisations engage experts and consultants to help them make wise strategic
business decisions. Sadly, the vast majority of small business owners feel they
have to battle it out on their own, possibly with the input of a spouse, or
occasional visit to an accountant. SBMS
mentors are here to inspire all market traders
to
think like “big” businesses, and get the right people on their team.
4. It’s all about you
“What
I think the mentor gets is the great satisfaction of helping somebody along,
helping somebody take advantage of an opportunity that maybe he or she did not
have.” — Clint Eastwood
Business
mentors LOVE helping business owners, and there is no denying the value of
one-on-one consultation with an experienced person who wants to help you with
exactly what you need, even if you don’t know what that is yet. Courses are
great to up-skill yourself and fill in any knowledge gaps but engaging a mentor
for a one-on-one session is worth its weight in gold.
5. Light at the end of the
tunnel
“A
mentor is someone who sees more talent and ability within you, than you see in
yourself, and helps bring it out of you.” — Bob Proctor
Business
is TOUGH! The to-do list is endless. The
should-do list is even longer.
Financial challenges can be crippling, and even if finances are not an issue
for you, every business has hurdles that can be overwhelming! Business mentors
can help separate the urgent from the important, get you focused and keep you
accountable. Nothing is more satisfying to a mentor than seeing a client walk
(or fly) away from the meeting elevated, motivated, and inspired.
Business
mentors don’t have the silver bullet to fix all the problems in your business,
but they sure can help you define the strategies to help your business be the
best it can be.
Points
to remember:
-You
can see one, or multiple mentors with different specialities.
-Totally
confidential and independent (think doctor/patient type relationship)
-Help
with ANYTHING in your business – marketing, finance, digital, merchandising,
business strategies, branding, growth, succession planning, accounting, time
management, human resources, staff training, pricing, inventory management, the
list goes on.
-We
are not here to tell you how to run your business, just help you work through
whatever is on your mind
For
Queen Victoria Market Traders booking an SBMS mentor is FREE!
That’s
right FREE! Each booking is valued at $400, but it’s FREE for you!
How
to book:
And
if you are a little tech savvy and want to review the short-list of QVM ready
mentors and book in your free sessions, proceed as follows:
1:
Visit www.sbms.org.au
2:
Click on "I want to book with a voucher"
3:
Enter voucher code "QVM" and click "Book with this voucher"
4:
View mentor profiles and click "Book with Me"
5.
Create a new account by completing the form.
6.
Your mentor will contact you to arrange a suitable time