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Mentorship guidance can help you achieve your business goals. For aspiring entrepreneurs and professionals looking to take the next step in their careers, finding a business mentor online is one way to get where you want.
A business mentor is someone with a wealth of knowledge who trains you (the mentee) to succeed. The relationship between a mentor and their mentee is symbiotic. So while you might think only the mentee benefits from the guidance, that’s not exactly true.
While a mentor does provide honest feedback, offers advice, and delivers the tools for success, what they get in return is a sense of satisfaction. After all, mentors want to help others achieve their potential. As a bonus, they can always rely on their mentees in the future, for whatever reason that might be.
But that begs the question, how do you do it? I will give you five tips to help you find a mentor online.
Search for Business Mentors on LinkedIn
LinkedIn is a social media platform for professionals. It has many of the capabilities of other platforms like Facebook and Twitter, but its sole focus is to connect professionals in the business world.
LinkedIn should be the first place to start looking for a business mentor. The platform has 830 million professionals and 58 million companies. That’s more than enough to connect with a business mentor. One of LinkedIn’s most powerful capabilities is searching for specific skills or experiences.
This should be one method of finding business mentors in your field of work. The platform also makes it easy to connect with these individuals. When you find a mentor, get in touch to establish a connection.
Scout Other Social Media Platforms
While LinkedIn is one of the best places to find a business mentor online, you shouldn’t limit yourself only to one platform. Business mentors willing to take on new mentees will naturally make themselves visible online.
And chances are, many mentors will use other social media platforms to increase online visibility. For that reason, make sure to get into a habit of scouting other platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
All three platforms offer unique ways to find business mentors. For example, make good use of Facebook groups that specialize in mentorships. You can also browse Instagram hashtags, and Twitter offers more than one way to identify potential business mentors.
The bottom line is to use these platforms daily, as you won’t likely find a mentor instantly. Then, once you identify several options, reach out if they’re willing to offer guidance.
Use Your Network
Every professional must have a network. Think of a network as a contact book. Every time you meet a new person in your field of work, you add it to your small book.
The benefits of having a network are numerous. Not only do you increase the number of business professionals in your sphere, but you can always turn to them for assistance. That’s precisely why your network can be of great help in finding a mentor online.
To best way to use your network to find a business mentor is to identify professionals who’ve already achieved what you’re hoping to achieve. Not everyone is interested in taking on someone to teach and guide, but someone in your network might recommend a mentor willing to take you on.
The problem with using your existing network is if you don’t have a network to use in the first place. That’s precisely why you should be in network mode 24/7. So don’t neglect to create a network, and start immediately.
Join Online Mentorship Networks
As services transition to the online world, it’s no secret that even mentors have a place to call home in the online world. Online mentorship networks are platforms that cater to both mentors and mentees.
Think of these platforms as freelance platforms. A mentee can sign up and look for business mentors online and even potentially meet in person. In addition, most of these platforms allow the option to find prospective business mentors in your line of work. So do your due diligence and start using an online mentorship network to connect with like-minded individuals.
Attend Online Events
Mentorship events are excellent for finding a business mentor. Like in the previous point, some events are transitioning to the online world, making them an excellent resource for finding business mentors online.
Online events take away the ability to hold a one-on-one conversation with potential mentors, but they’re more convenient to attend. All you need is a laptop and a solid internet connection.
More so, many of these events are free. So you’re losing nothing by giving them a try. But most importantly, online events connect you with potential mentors. You don’t even need to hold a live conversation; you can do it through email once the event is over.
Conclusion
We hope this article gave you an idea of how to find business mentors online. Regardless of how you go about it, the benefits of a professional relationship with a mentor will be well worth your time.
In many cases, a mentor is an instrumental tool for business success. So don’t neglect seeking professional help to take that next step in your career.
Author Bio
Erik Bergman co-founded Catena Media and helped grow it to over 300 employees and a $200 million valuation before stepping away to start Great.com, an iGaming organization that donates 100% of its profits to environmental charities. In addition to running a successful online affiliate business, Erik also hosts the Becoming Great podcast, shares entrepreneurship tips with his more than 1 million social media followers, and contributes to sites like Entrepreneuer.com, Business Insider, Foundr, and Forbes.
Photo by Vanessa Garcia