How To Find A Small Business Mentor

Working with a mentor or advisor is crucial to your small business’ success.

But what difference could working with a mentor really make?

Mentoring doubles your business’chances of growing over the long-haul.

The SBA says half of non-mentored businesses fail in the first 5 years. But 70% of businesses with a mentor make it to 10 years.

Woah! Why is that?

Many small business owners like you started their company because they wanted to be their own boss and pursue their passions.

Then … you needed to start wearing all of the hats: CEO, marketing, product development, supply chain, and sales.

You might have even hit your first wall: success.

Running a business well is different than being good at a specific trade or profession – all the behind-the-scenes stuff is key to growth.

How do you find investors? Write a business plan? Develop a marketing strategy? Navigate city permitting?

And who has the time for all this?

Having an advisor means having the outside perspective of someone who’s navigated these waters before.

Yay mentors! But why should I look for one online?

Business development organizations in your area offer “technical assistance,” but this typically means one or two staff with limited expertise.

Or a retired business person who can offer general advice.

And some people hire costly consultants to advise them.

Enter online mentoring: a platform and volunteerism combined to provide business owners with high-quality mentoring.

We have hundreds of mentors who are active professionals from major banks, consulting firms, and Fortune 500 companies.

Since its online, geography’s no barrier. If you’re in Omaha and your best advisor is in Tampa, BusinessAdvising.org makes that match happen.

Companies working with our mentors grow revenues 20% on average, and create jobs at 11 times the national rate.

Neat! So how does it work?

Start by filling out a profile. Tell us about yourself, your business, and your challenges.

Then, we’ll find you a qualified advisor to work with.

And we’ll introduce you to your first advisor via email.

After that you’ll schedule time to connect with your advisor. It can be over the phone, email or Skype — whatever’s best for you.

And this is all free?

Yes! We’re a nonprofit that works with small businesses to create better jobs and keep more money in local communities.

We know you face challenges: harder access to capital, less favorable wholesale pricing, and online mega-retailers.

Wherever you are in America, we’ll find the best advisor to help your company grow.