Business Mentoring

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=3 height=120 BGCOLOR="#CC3333" TEXT="#080000" background="099b85a3.jpg"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Arial" ><B>Visiontheme</B></FONT><B>    </B><B> |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Visiontheme"><B>home</B></A></div> <div> <B>Business Mentoring</B>   |   <A HREF="training.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Training">Training</A>   |   <A HREF="id23.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Biography">Biography</A>   |   <A HREF="id18.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Writings">Writings</A>   |   <A HREF="id24.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Contact Us">Contact Us</A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=180 BGCOLOR="#CC3333" TEXT="#080000" background="09a0c0e3.jpg"> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=360 width="100%" BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <I>Business Mentoring</I></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B><IMG SRC="0af2b6d0.png" border=0 width="299" height="109" ALT="Microsoft Photo Editor 3.0 Photo" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <bR> <div> <B>What is a business mentor?</B></div> <bR> <div> Many business owners reach a 'glass ceiling' trying to reach their full potential. They often find themselves and their businesses underperforming, not quite sure what to do next. What's needed when this happens is a catalyst for further growth...a business mentor.</div> <bR> <div> <B>In essence, a mentor is:</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Someone to whom you are accountable.</B>  It is quite common for a business owner to neglect the marketing and management of his business by repeatedly postponing tasks. Developing and agreeing relevant goals and action plans with your mentor means that if you don't then do something to achieve them, he wants to know why.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Someone to help you put your ideas into practice.  </B>You probably already have some good ideas about how to improve your business and will be able to put a few into practice easily. Others, though, will be undeveloped and need refinement before they can be implemented. Your mentor has a wide, practical knowledge of business - what works and what doesn't - and can help you start the process of growth and improvement.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Someone that has some good ideas of their own to grow your business.</B>  Your mentor will always endeavour to make your time together educational, so that you learn and understand new practices and principles and how to apply them in your business.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Someone that has the contacts you need.  </B>When<B> </B>you need contacts for your business; equipment, investment advice, or maybe just growing your business library, your mentor has the contacts and knows where to find the information.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Someone independent and objective.  </B>As an owner, it's hard to keep observing your business with the same clarity that you started with.  It's like living next to a busy road; after a while you simply don't hear the traffic.  Your mentor is there to take a clear, independent look at you and your business and to provide honest feedback about what he sees.  </div> <bR> <div> Many business owners try to compete by `trial and error', utilising traditional thinking and lacking information.  A business mentor brings their own experience and learning, plus that of many other organisations, to improve the knowledge and skills of the client and his team.</div> <bR> <div> <B>How a business mentor can help you and your business</B></div> <bR> <div> The mentor's main purpose is to provide experienced, objective advice to the business' owners and managers.  Across the period of a mentoring relationship, he can provide:</div> <bR> <div> <U>Perspective</U> - fresh or different ways of looking at situations;</div> <div> <U>Validation</U> - of the client's efforts or thoughts;</div> <div> <U>Knowledge</U> - from experience and from personal learning;</div> <div> <U>Plans</U> - for taking action;</div> <div> <U>Structure</U> - for the business or for processes;</div> <div> <U>Options</U> - expanding the number the client thinks they have;</div> <div> <U>Resources</U> - referring the client to experts, books, tools, etc;</div> <div> <U>Advice</U> - recommendations and suggestions;</div> <div> <U>Strategy</U> - for the business and its people;</div> <div> <U>Feedback</U> - observations, insights, ideas and opinions;</div> <div> <U>Challenge</U> - to stretch the client or to stimulate change.</div> <bR> <div> In short, a 'sounding board' for the owner, encouraging and guiding him, whilst holding him accountable for doing the things in his business that will make a difference. </div> <bR> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" width=180 BGCOLOR="#CC3333" TEXT="#080000"> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>