As a global minority, women in business need to stick together. The saying goes that if men are from Mars, women are from Venus. We need mentors that understand our language, experiences, and world views. In an often male-dominant space, female entrepreneurs can learn so much from one another. Here are a few reasons why we think woman-to-woman mentorship is the business caching of the future of fempreneurship.
Bookmarking Your Strengths & Weaknesses
Having an external set of eyes on your business can go a long way in identifying blind spots before they become gaping holes in your business framework. Mentorship can also help you identify your personal strengths and weaknesses. This allows you to hire new members or outsource tasks that need more attention than running a business allows. Knowing your own limits, as well as the weaknesses of your company, can allow you to rectify any missteps while refining your radar for potential threats.
Making Yourself Accountable
You know those tasks that never quite get crossed off the running to-do list? It’s time to get cracking on them! Having a business mentor will make you accountable, a trait often neglected by business owners who sit at the top of their own hierarchy. Having someone tracking your progress and following up on tasks will help you to stick to them, allowing you to accomplish more in less time.
Making Things Work For Your
You may be wondering why you should invest in mentorship when there are loads of online self-help resources available for free. A mentor will be able to tailor action plans and routines to your specific likes, dislikes, schedule, goals and personality. This could be a solid morning routine that gets you ready for the day ahead, negotiating no-screen hours to spend time with your family, or prioritising tasks to ensure the most productive working environment.
Broadening Your Network
As with any connection made in the world of business, by seeking a mentor, you are inevitably opening yourself up to a whole new network of partners, clients, employees and collaborations. Finding a mentor is also about finding someone who has a track record that you admire, or would like to replicate. This often means that they have done a lot of groundwork that you can benefit from in your own business endeavours.
Being Open to Opportunity
Mentorship will often open your eyes to a range of opportunities that you perhaps never considered. This is especially helpful when breaking into a new market, refining your target audience, or testing out a new product or aspect of your services.
Learning From Mistakes
What’s the best part of having a mentor? Learning from their mistakes so you don’t have to make them yourself! A knowledgeable mentor naturally comes with a ton of experience and perspective. This allows them to guide you through tricky decisions, rough patches and new ventures with keen insight and forethought.
Mentoring Others
Got the experience and keen to share it with others? You may make a great mentor. The key is finding clients that you intuitively connect with and in whom you can see potential. One key misconception is that to be a mentor, you need to have all the answers. Rather, it’s about asking the right questions and guiding rather than instructing your clients. Becoming a mentor can be a life-long rewarding relationship that can help expand your own network, broaden your horizons and witness the growth of your clients.
Okay ladies, let’s get in formation! Whether you’re a business heavyweight or a first-time fempreneur, we all have something to learn from one another. While building a business relationship takes time, trust and commitment, it can often be the secret weapon between success and failure.
“A mentor is someone who allows you to see the hope inside yourself.” – Oprah Winfrey
