Would you jump into the deep end of the pool without first having an experienced swimmer teach you the basics of survival in water? Would you head for the steep slopes of Aspen or Breckenridge without first asking a professional to recommend the best equipment for the skiing conditions you are likely to encounter? Of course not! Failure to seek and heed the advice of those who have been there, done that, and experienced these situations can be life saving or at the least prevent you from going under – literally as well as figuratively. The same is true for the business mentor.

Why would a newbie enter the world of business without seeking out the help, advice, and guidance of an experienced business mentor who has already tread where the newbie is seeking to tread, and failed where the newbie might be able to learn from the experience of another and thus be spared the failure? The answer is simple: a misguided understanding of personal business acumen and a failure to realize that a business mentor is easier to find than one might have imagined!

Granted, for the newbie is might appear to be a lot of extra work to go out and seek out that individual business person, but all things considered, this time and effort is an upfront investment in the health and wellness of the business! Yet even here there is still room for error! Too often the importance of the business is understood but the acting upon that understanding is flawed. Instead of looking for the business man or woman who is ahead of the person in the business and who is willing to take them under their wings and teach them everything they know about the business, the newbie might be looking for the casual acquaintance that might have an opinion or two on business.

Sure, these individuals have some great advice in store and can make a lot of difference in the start up of a new business, but ultimately they do not offering the business mentor relationship. Instead, they are called upon in a strict question and answer kind of relationship where the business newbie may approach them in times of need, while at other times she or he will be working on their own. The business mentor, on the other hand, anticipates needs and questions before they even occur and therefore it is not at all surprising to find that individual seeking out interaction with the business newbie throughout the week or month, even if there is no pressing business problem.

This underlines the difference in the relationship between the casual business advisor and the bona fide business mentors who will make it part of their business to see another business person succeed from the ground up. No new business owner can succeed without such a mentor and once you find yourself at the top of your game, remember how you go there and then offer up your services as a business mentor yourself!