Definition: Educational and/or professional development support provided by
experienced colleagues
Mentors can be valuable sources of information at any stage of
your company's growth. Mentors can often give you a fresh
perspective on problems or challenges because they're not
personally involved with your business like other advisors,
including attorneys, accountants and friends. For this reason, it's
important to find not only a mentor who has experience and
knowledge, but also someone you can trust and feel at ease
with.
To get matched with a mentor, your first step might be to
contact your local SCORE chapter. If there's not a chapter near you, no
problem. SCORE offers free e-mail counseling provided by 1,200
volunteers with a 48-hour or less turnaround time for quick
questions.
Another mentor resource is offered by the Office of Women's
Business Ownership. Its Women's Network for Entrepreneurial
Training Mentoring Program matches protégés with experienced women
mentors. For more information, contact the Office of Women's Business Ownership.