How to Find the Right Mentor for Your Startup

Looking for a keen mentor can be challenging. Entrepreneur Liz Elam offers some tips for scoring an ideal match.

learn more about Liz Elam

By Liz Elam

Shutterstock

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Q: How do you go about finding a mentor when there aren't any available in your area?

-Karthic Gurnani
Chennai, India

A: I find it hard to believe that mentors aren't available in your area -- they are everywhere. There may not be a specific organization for mentor matching in your area, so you may need to do a little poking around.

Take a look at friends and family. My father ran a successful small business after a career in corporate America. When I decided to leave my job at Dell to be an entrepreneur, I started having a lot of business conversations with my dad. I also turned to friends and bounced ideas off of them on a regular basis. It was great to get their feedback, as they are successful in their own right, know me well and give great advice.

I also reached out to SCORE, a non-profit organization that offers free advice from retired professionals. SCORE set me up with an amazing mentor in a similar industry. We have been working together for the past four years, and I consider her a friend for life.

Related: A Good Mentor Will Tell It Like It Is

Another great place to find mentors is at networking or service organizations, like your local Rotary club. I have met some amazing business leaders in my community and as an added bonus, Rotary is all over the globe with more than 100 groups just in India.

Moreover, if you have access to the internet, you can still find mentors -- even if there are slim pickings locally. Social media, LinkedIn and online groups have made the world much smaller and much easier to connect.

Lastly, if you can't find the type of organization you want, form your own. Because I am an entrepreneur in the co-working space, I helped found an organization called The League of Extraordinary Coworking Spaces. It is a way for our members to find co-working spaces in the states as they travel. Besides being a benefit to members, the bi-weekly calls required of those who founded the group also provide an opportunity to brainstorm, and the constant encouragement has been priceless.

Related: Must-Have Mentors: How to Build Your Personal Board of Directors

When you do approach a potential mentor be respectful of their time. Make sure you are doing all the coordination and you're on time. Be prepared, and if they give you homework, do it. If you gel with your mentor be sure to make them feel appreciated. If you disagree with their advice or don't feel comfortable, send a handwritten thank-you note and find someone that encourages, inspires and pushes you to the next level.

Have a question for YE's experts? Submit your questions in the comments section below and those with the most likes from other readers will be answered. On Twitter, use the hashtag #YEask. Include your first and last name, your location (city and state) and the name of your business

Liz Elam

Founder of Link Coworking

Liz Elam is the founder of Link Coworking and Link Too, co-working spaces in Austin, Texas. She does interior design and space consulting through Powered by Link. Elam is the former president and founder of co-working network group the League of Extraordinary Coworking Spaces and founder of national coworking association Coshare. Previously, Elam served as a sales executive at Dell. 

Related Topics

Editor's Pick

The Dark Side of Pay Transparency — And What to Do If You Find Out You're Being Underpaid
Thinking of a Career Change? Here Are 4 Steps You Can Take to Get There.
A Founder Who Bootstrapped Her Jewelry Business With Just $1,000 Now Sees 7-Figure Revenue Because She Knew Something About Her Customers Nobody Else Did
Everything You Need to Know About Franchise Law
Business Plans

5 Things to Know and Do Before Writing Your Business Plan

If you need a business plan, there are certain things you need to know and do before you sit down to create it. In this article, you'll learn five things to complete before writing your plan to ensure you get the best results.

Marketing

Streaming TV Is the Future of Advertising — Without Breaking the Bank

Today's consumers expect personal, impactful ads. There's an advertising method that can get you there for half the price, making it the next frontier in digital advertising.

Growing a Business

Scaling Made Easy: How to Scale Your Business like a Fortune 500 Company

Once you have the night-vision skills of Fortune 500 restaurants, scaling becomes effortless. Here are 3 ways to scale, hidden in plain sight.

Business Ideas

55 Small Business Ideas To Start Right Now

To start one of these home-based businesses, you don't need a lot of funding -- just energy, passion and the drive to succeed.

Business News

A Mississippi News Anchor Is Under Fire for Quoting Snoop Dogg

WLBT's Barbara Bassett used the rapper's "fo shizzle" phrase during a live broadcast, causing the station to let her go.