When you’re troubled about your business, whom do you call to “pick their brain”?
My guess is that even if you don’t have a business consultant or coach, you’ve got some go-to people who help you out when you need it, whether it’s advice or just a sympathetic ear when you’re dealing with the client or employee from hell! Especially when you are a new business owner and short on cash, these been-there-done-that kind of people can save you from making disastrous mistakes. It’s what we at EnMast like to call community!
And when you think of how much the people in your community mean to you, you have to ask yourself:
What do I mean to other people?
For Gini Dietrich, founder and CEO of Arment Dietrich, a Chicago-based integrated marketing communication firm, the people in her community were invaluable to her success (and sanity), particularly in the early days of her business as she was trying to find her way. She often called on people she knew from Vistage for guidance and advice. “It was extremely helpful in thinking through business challenges, but also in learning the skills (financials, HR, leadership) I didn’t yet have,” she said.
Today, as a more “seasoned” business owner, Gini is paying it forward. She mentors several people, both from within her company and outside her company, in any way she can, from answering an email here or there, to sitting down and meeting with the person.
One of her mentees, for example, is a new business owner. “We talk about what it’s like to start and grow a business. We talk about the things people don’t tell you when you start a business. I help her with things such as cash flow projections and planning to hire.”
But as a busy business owner, how does Gini find the time? “I guess it sort of just happens. I don’t schedule it. I just help out when I can. If I could get them to get on the bike with me, they’d get more of my time!” On average, she estimates she spends four to five hours a month mentoring others.
If business mentoring is something you’ve haven’t done in the past, this article in Forbes talks about the different ways you can become a mentor, from official programs to informal mentoring. The author mentions a website he started called MyMentorAdvisor.com, which targets baby boomers and matches them up with young people looking for mentors.
What about you? What are you doing to help the next generation of business owners and business leaders?
