Guest Blog: The Business Mentor and You

Thank you to Lyndsey Phillips of Stimuli Evolve for this guest blog on the benefits of mentoring for you and your business.

The Business Mentor and You

Why entering into a Business Mentoring Relationship can be the best thing for you and your Business

As you rush from day to day in the busy world of running your own business, time to build your future strategy just doesn’t seem possible. The greatest gift you can gift to yourself and your business is the gift of time to be mentored. As little as an hour a month, in the company of an Industry expert can give a whole new outlook to your world.

“Mentors show your something about yourself that you didn’t realise” – Butch Rovan

What is Business Mentoring?

One of the biggest benefits of having a business mentor is having someone to whom you can ask questions and get advice, in a secure and confidential situation. Having someone’s view of your Organisation from a perspective outside of your Business can be invaluable. As a business owner, you no doubt receive advice from many different people which can be confusing. Your mentor can help you sort out your challenges whilst advising you on a vast array of Business issues , keeping boundaries in place and maintaining a professional point of view.

Features and Benefits of Mentoring

• Industry Advice from an expert in your field
• Support for you – running a business can be a lonely job
• Confidential, supportive environment
• Grow your business while you manage the day to day tasks
• Networking – your Mentor can introduce you to influential people who could help grow your Organisation

Benefits of being a Mentor

Don’t think that this working relationship is all one sided, the Mentor can gain as much from the mentoring role, as the Mentee. In fact, the best Mentoring relationships are totally synergistic. You may learn new skills, be inspired to new ideas for your own business and feel a sense of achievement by encouraging someone else to excel by sharing your knowledge.

My Experience

Over the years I have mentored and been mentored by different business people. In all of the relationships:

As a Mentee, I have:

• Grown my business by over 20% turnover
• Been supported and encouraged
• Been given sound advice in a confidential setting
• I wasn’t judged if I made a mistake
• Been inspired to follow my dreams
• Made a couple of lifelong friends

As a Mentor, I have:

• Supported others to achieve their dreams
• Listened at a time when someone just need someone to talk
• Felt a part of some amazing businesses
• Been inspired to develop my own business in new directions
• Made a couple of lifelong friends

In summary, if you have never given yourself the gift of being mentored, I would totally advise taking the plunge!

Every day we can learn something new, see things from a new perspective and take time to look outside of ourselves and our businesses, in the knowledge that seeing what we do well and what we could do better, will be of benefit to all in the future.

Lyndsey Phillips, Stimuli Evolve

Are you a local tourism/hospitality business? Find out more about how you can access the business mentoring scheme from Love Loch Lomond to become either a mentor or a mentee. Contact Joann Mooney by emailing admin@lovelochlomond.com