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The Good Karma of Being a Business Mentor

April is National Volunteer Month, a time to recognize the people who give their time and talents to benefit others. At SCORE, our volunteers are the lifeblood of our organization as they enable us to fulfill our mission of helping entrepreneurs start and grow their small businesses.

 

SCORE Maine’s volunteer business mentors have provided guidance and resources to more than 3,768  entrepreneurs in 2019. In 2019, SCORE Maine volunteers helped create 356 businesses and 923 jobs. Our clients aren’t the only people who reap the rewards from mentoring, though. Our volunteers also gain some valuable advantages through doing their good work.

 

If you have thought about volunteering as a business mentor but haven’t quite decided whether you want to get involved, consider the following ways mentoring enriches volunteers personally and professionally.

 

Instills a sense of personal accomplishment.

Being a mentor brings a sense of achievement as you help aspiring entrepreneurs and existing small business owners overcome uncertainty and obstacles. Whether you’re assisting someone to navigate the uncharted territory of launching a startup or offering guidance to help an established company market itself more effectively, you gain the satisfaction of knowing you’re making a positive difference in the lives of people within your community who are, in turn, improving the local economy.

Provides camaraderie.

As a SCORE mentor, you are part of a dedicated and accomplished team of more than 130 Maine volunteers who share your passion for seeing small businesses succeed. Mentors draw from each others’ strengths and proficiencies as they help entrepreneurs tackle their challenges. SCORE has 300+ chapters across the United States where mentors meet face to face or virtually, to collaborate, learn from each other and build lasting friendships.

Strengthens communications skills.

Mentoring can help you fine-tune your ability to communicate clearly with others. Through in-person mentoring sessions with clients, leading workshops, conducting roundtable groups or getting involved in other initiatives, you can become stronger and more confident when speaking and writing.

Enhances leadership skills.

As a business mentor, you have many opportunities for honing your ability to lead others. Not only can you develop your leadership skills by providing guidance and feedback to clients, but you can also participate in other roles (such as heading a committee) that allow you to engage and motivate other volunteers.

Expands connections within your community.

Mentoring opens the door to meeting a wide variety of individuals and organizations. From community leaders to chambers of commerce to economic development groups, you’ll diversify and expand your personal and professional network, which could lead to new opportunities.

Offers continued learning opportunities to enhance your own business acumen.

As you guide business owners, you also expand your own expertise. Every SCORE client brings unique questions and situations to the table. While mentoring, you will learn and continually stretch the boundaries of your entrepreneurial know-how through your work with clients and the educational resources available through SCORE, SBA and other organizations. SCORE’s webinars, local workshops and online business resources are marvelous professional development tools.

Provides a point of distinction on your professional resume.

If you aspire to advance in your career, serving as a SCORE business mentor will give you a credible and highly regarded community service talking point for your resume. Mentoring demonstrates an ability to lead, solve problems and collaborate productively with others—all traits employers value in prospective job candidates.

 

As you can see, mentoring generates some good karma. Not only is it a win for the entrepreneurs SCORE serves, but also for the volunteers who enhance their own knowledge, skills and connections through the experience.

Thinking about volunteering?

National Volunteer Month is a perfect time to find the best volunteer position for you. SCORE invites you to join our community of dedicated business mentors so you can enjoy the benefits that come from volunteering while helping small businesses succeed. Become a SCORE volunteer today.

SCORE Maine Resources for Small Business Owners

 

Since 1964, more than 10 million entrepreneurs across the United States have launched their companies and overcome challenges with the help of SCORE’s free guidance and resources. Yet everyday, we receive calls and emails asking what we do, how to access our services, and if our services are really free (yes, they are). Read on to learn how SCORE can help you achieve your small business goals.

 SCORE can help you with:

  • Determining the steps that need to be taken to launch a business
  • Developing a business plan
  • Creating a marketing plan
  • Making realistic financial projections
  • Understanding the basic elements of accounting and bookkeeping
  • Understanding the basics about different business entity types
  • Identifying funding options to start or grow a business
  • Conducting industry research
  • Analyzing the competition
  • Identifying a business’s target market
  • Developing product pricing
  • Navigating hiring and human resources challenges
  • Managing vendor relationships

SCORE Maine Services and Resources – How can we help you?

Mentoring

The cornerstone of SCORE’s services is our free business mentoring. SCORE volunteers have experience and expertise in all aspects of starting and running a business. No matter where you are in your entrepreneurial journey, what type of industry you’re in, or what obstacles you’re facing, we have mentors who have the knowledge and connections to assist you in moving forward.

Workshops

We regularly hold workshops on a variety of topics of interest to new and existing business owners. They serve as valuable, interactive opportunities to boost your business acumen and connect you with other entrepreneurs in your community.

Articles, eGuides, and More

Our library of blog posts, checklists, infographics, videos, podcasts, and other resources offer diverse ways for you to gain knowledge about business planning, marketing, sales, funding, accounting, operations, and the many other essential aspects involved in successfully launching and running a business.

Templates

We help you save time and effort by providing templates to help you as you tackle:

  • Developing a business plan
  • Forecasting revenue and expenses
  • Settting prices for your product and services
  • Writing operating agreements

Get Started. Get Growing.

Contact us for more information about how SCORE’s services and resources can help you make your entrepreneurial dreams a reality. Whether you’re just beginning to explore a business idea or have an existing company that you want to take to the next level, we’re here to offer insight and direction!

Your Year-End Checklist: Items to Review with Your SCORE Mentor

 

As 2017 winds down, it’s time to think about what’s ahead for your business in 2018. The best way to start is by reflecting on what went right—and not so right—for your company over the past year, and considering where opportunities lie in the new year.

Fortunately, you don’t have to go it alone. SCORE mentors are here to serve as sounding boards and advisors as you evaluate your business and plan for the future.

Here’s a checklist of essential items a SCORE mentor can help you assess:

  • Your business plan (road map)

It’s rare that a company writes a business plan that completely stays the same over time. With so many internal and external influences, your company’s procedures, goals, and objectives are bound to change. Now is the perfect time to revisit your business plan and update it, so it accurately reflects the roadmap you’re envisioning for your business in 2018.

  • Your budget

Take an objective look at your financials (including comparing your actual revenues and expenses to those that you budgeted in 2017). Use that information to identify discrepancies that need further analysis and to realistically forecast your budget for 2018.

 

  • Your marketing strategy and tactics

Consider how effective your efforts have been throughout the year. What campaigns and activities have provided the most ROI and what has fallen flat? Are you on the right social media channels to reach your target audience? Identify your successes and failures so that you can develop a solid marketing plan for the upcoming year.

 

  • Your products and services

Will it make sense to expand or enhance the portfolio of products and services that you offer? Consider what customers have been asking for and market trends. Also, identify any products and services that are failing to sell or that sell but aren’t profitable. You may want to consider removing them from your offerings.

 

  • Your market

Sometimes the difference between the success and failure of a product or service can lie in reaching the right prospects. Are you targeting the ideal market segments in your marketing and sales efforts? You may find you need to change your focus or extend your brand’s reach to obtain better revenue opportunities.

 

  • Your systems and processes

Your business’s profitability can depend upon how efficiently you run your company. Are you able to keep up with sales inquiries? Are you able to fulfill the demand for your products and services? If you’re having issues with these and other aspects of running your business, you may need to implement (or fix) processes and systems that enable you to operate your business more effectively. Or you might discover you need to outsource some tasks or hire employees.

 

Owning a business requires an open, objective mindset and a willingness to adapt if you want to put it on a trajectory of success. SCORE mentors can help you down that path by providing insight and guidance as you review your business’s past performance and goals for growth. Mentoring is free, so there’s no reason not to take advantage of SCORE volunteers’ expertise and experience in all aspects of starting and running a business. Contact us today.

 

Find Your Business Mentor

Whether you are starting or growing a business, it pays to have a mentor on your side. What is a real business mentor? Someone with more experience than you…someone who offers not only knowledge and support, but also perspective and insight. A mentor should be a savvy business veteran who can help you navigate business challenges. Mentors do plenty of cheerleading, but their real value is in the objective, unvarnished advice they provide…they often tell you what you need to hear about your business (not necessarily what you want to hear). Let’s be clear, mentors aren’t parents, friends or even supportive investors…they need to be much more objective than that.

The benefits of a mentoring relationship are compelling:   revelant perspective and advice, skill improvement, networking contacts and encouragement.     Here’s how to find the right mentor for you:

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Find Your Mentor

Do you  know that mentorship is the single most important external factor for business success?  Every small business would benefit from having a trusted mentor.  The role of a mentor is to offer knowledge, support, and perspective.  Rule of engagement: the mentor has a sincere desire to help,  and the mentee has a strong desire to learn.  The best relationships are based on mutual respect. The killer benefits of a mentoring relationship: relevant perspective and advice, skill improvement, networking contacts, and encouragement.  When your family and friends are tired of hearing about your business, it may be time to enlist a mentor.  Ready to take the first steps?

Begin by clarifying  your objectives for mentoring.  What guidance are you seeking?  Help with specific operational issues?  Hiring your first employee? Support and encouragement?  It is key to be clear what sort of help matters most to you.   Write down your issues and prioritize their importance to you.  This list becomes the starting point of your first discussion.

Gauge the fit of the person sitting across from you.  A mentor should be someone you can relate to.  If that feels like an obstacle at the first meeting, it probably will not improve over time.

Explore the skills and experience of the mentor.  Most mentors have a general business knowledge.  If you are seeking help with social marketing, it is critical that the mentor have the functional experience you are seeking.

Keep an open mind.  The mentor should offer perspective based on experience.  The analysis of the situation may result in advice that offers a different approach to solving the problem.  Be open to new ways of thinking.

Are you seeking a long term mentoring relationship?  If so, fear not and ask!  Review meeting frequency, and time allotted for the discussion. Jointly set expectations for each face to face conversation.

A final thought before you start.  You should never have to pay a mentor.  If someone is asking to paid, they are a business consultant, and that relationship is a commercial one.   A mentor’s motivation is an open and honest desire to help.  What are you waiting for?

A great place to start is SCORE,  and find a mentor for the life of your business!