Successful women entrepreneurs understand the importance of having a mentor.  In fact, developing a portfolio of mentors to meet different aspects of your life, both personally and professionally, is paramount! 

Choosing a mentor is one of the most important decisions you can make as a professional.  Mentors should be those whose work you admire; poses strong leadership abilities; an inspiration to you and others; offer solutions when you are faced with obstacles and invaluable insight.  Mentors are experts within a particular field and offer a wealth of experience.  They cheer you to the finish line!  

Do you need a mentor?  Yes You Do!  Here are 5 Important Reason’s Every Successful Woman Needs a Mentor. 

Important Reason 1:
A mentor will hold you accountable.  Often, business owners neglect important aspects of their businesses such as marketing, financial obligations or operations.  A mentor will hold you accountable for your actions, help you set realistic goals and assist you in finding ways to balance your time. 

Important Reason 2:
A mentor will help you define and reach short and long term goals. Setting realistic goals for your business is important.  Your mentor will help you explore achievable goals, ask clarifying questions to help you define them while developing strategies to keep you focused from day-to-day pressures of business and family.

Important Reason 3:
A mentor is ‘on the outside looking in.’ As you grow in your business, it is easy to reach a plateau.  A good mentor will bring a new prospective along with a fresh set of eyes.  This will help you work more efficiently with a clearer view of your company’s future growth.

Important Reason 4:
A mentor is like a trusted colleague to discuss problems and find solutions.  When you hire a mentor, you gain a confidant; someone to brainstorm with - a great sounding board!  .

Important Reason 5:
A mentor is worldly with a wealth of business experience to help you grow your business.  Is your marketing strategy stale?  Out of ideas for marketing to your clients?  Well, a mentor comes from a school of ‘hard knocks,’ a veteran in his/her own right and can give you sound advice from years of experience. 

In closing, it is important to establish a clear understanding of your relationship with your mentor.  Ultimately, your mentor is there to help you focus on taking your business to the next level. 

Sylvia Browder is CEO of Browder Consulting Group, a virtual small business consulting and coaching firm.  She is currently employed as a Project Director, business coach and consultant for the Women’s Business Center, Inc., a non-profit economic development organization with a mission of empowering women to start and grow successful businesses. She also serves as a volunteer SCORE counselor, an organization dedicated to educating entrepreneurs and the formation, growth and success of small business nationwide. She is also a Technical Assistant Provider for SBA’s Community Express Loan Program.  For FREE weekly articles go to Sylvia Browder’s Blog for Women Entrepreneur’s, www.sylviabrowder.com.  She can be contacted at info@browderconsultinggroup.com..

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