Are you looking to start an online business?
If the answer is “yes,” you probably already have many ideas about what you want to do. But do you know exactly how to do it, which mistakes to avoid, and the best way to get to success?
Unless you have previous business experience in the same industry, the answer to those questions is likely not definitive. The life of an entrepreneur is difficult, especially if you haven’t walked in those shoes before.
So what is it that you can do to ensure that you’ll get a good start? Our suggestion is to find a mentor. They can be of immense help when you’re trying to build your online business. Here’s why you need a mentor by your side:
They Can Help Drive Growth
The main reason why you will want a mentor by your side is the overall effect of their involvement: business growth. An online business can be challenging to sustain and get off the ground. In most cases, running a successful online business looks more natural than it is. To stay ahead of the competition, the faster you grow, the better.
According to MicroMentor survey, mentored businesses increased their revenue by 83%, as opposed to only a 13% increase that non-mentored business owners gained. While it is possible that you could take your business to the level where it needs to be on your own, having help is always preferable. Imagine being able to hit your growth goals in a few months instead of a few years. That is the real value of having a mentor.
They Provide Advice and Perspective
When you’re just starting your online business, you probably lack the experience you need to make the right decisions. What’s more, you’re often too close to your business to notice potential flaws, as you spend so much time and effort working on it. These problems might not end up pushing you into fatal mistakes that will ruin your business, but they are challenging to deal with nonetheless.
A mentor could help you out of those tight spots by offering sound, experience-based advice, as well as an unbiased perspective. It’s beneficial to find someone with a lot of experience in your industry, to help you navigate some of the challenges they already successfully overcame. A mentor’s fresh perspective and sound advice are genuinely invaluable when trying to grow an online business.
They’re a Good Source of New Connections
Networking is essential for any business, including online ventures. You’ll need good connections, the right introductions, and trustworthy contacts to rely on in some situations. Someone who has been in the business longer than you have will already know all those people.
Having a well-connected mentor is going to be extremely helpful for your business efforts, especially when you’re still building your network. Of course, the mentor will have to be willing to share their network with you. But, fortunately for you, most mentors will. And their help might not stop at introducing you to the right vendors and partners — they might also land you customers. When you’re choosing your mentor, keep that in mind. The people who already have experience and connections within your industry will be the most helpful.
They Keep You Accountable
Surrounding yourself with “yes people” is never a good option when building an online business, yet a lot of entrepreneurs end up doing it anyway. In most cases, that can happen even unconsciously. When you’ve worked hard on your idea, you don’t want to see it fail. That way, you end up surrounding yourself with the people who help you maintain your blind spots by agreeing with everything you say. If no one ever challenges your decisions or ideas, you won’t have to face the difficult questions, but you also might be missing an opportunity for business growth.
A good mentor won’t be a yes person. They will hold you accountable, they will ask you hard questions, and they will help you realize which goals are realistic and which ones aren’t.
They Have Something that You Lack
If you’re starting your first company, the most apparent thing you lack is the experience. Having someone by your side that has already gone through building a business will help you make up for that. But experience is not the only area where a mentor might be a good complementary addition.
There are so many things you can learn while being a mentee. A wise choice of mentor would be someone who possesses the traits or skills you lack but would be useful to learn. Not only does working with someone well-versed in different areas help you keep an open mind to possibilities, but it also expands your perspective. You will learn how their skills helped them get ahead in business, which will open your eyes to their value.
They Know How to Succeed and Want to Share It
If you choose your mentor well, you’ll have a powerful ally by your side — someone who’s already seen it all, and who knows what it takes to succeed in online business. What’s more, their desire to pay it forward and share their knowledge will ensure that they won’t hold back any trade secrets from you.
If you enlist an expert to help you, you can be sure that it’s a good investment for the future of your business. All you have to do is ensure that your chosen mentor is a good fit for your work ethic and mentality. As long as you can get along, you’ll be learning valuable information and getting the business know-how from a mentor who is eager to share their success secrets.
As you can see, having a mentor by your side will help you learn the business, avoid making costly mistakes, and most importantly, give you a valuable long-term business relationship to nurture.
At the same time, there are virtually no downsides to working with a mentor. It’s a win-win opportunity. In business, those opportunities exist to be taken.If you’re interested in building an online business in the wellness industry, we’d love the opportunity to be your mentors and help you build an unstoppable life you love! Click here to learn more!
