People who have “been there and done that” offer one of the most understated resources entrepreneurs can benefit from: mentorship.
A good business mentor can help you avoid common mistakes early on, solve troublesome problems, connect with the right people, secure funding, and realize your full potential.
Ahead, discover how to find a business mentor, learn why every entrepreneur can benefit from having one, and how to find the right mentor for you.
What is a business mentor?
A business mentor is an experienced professional who provides guidance, advice, and support to help business owners develop and grow their businesses. They share valuable insights based on their own experiences, enabling mentees to learn from both successes and mistakes. Mentors establish a trusted professional relationship with entrepreneurs, assisting them in addressing a variety of challenges and fostering business growth.
10 ways to find a business mentor
- 1. Start by looking into your professional network
- 2. Use cold outreach
- 3. Get to know experienced entrepreneurs at meetups
- 4. Hop on a Clarity call
- 5. Look in forums and online communities
- 6. Connect with potential mentors on LinkedIn
- 7. Find mentors on X
- 8. Form a mastermind group
- 9. Find a volunteer mentor on SCORE
- 10. Explore your local Small Business Development Center (SBDC)
Use these steps as a starting point to find your own business mentor:
1. Start by looking into your professional network
Begin your search by reaching out to the people you’re already connected with. They’ve seen your work and have a better idea of ways you could improve.
Ask former coworkers if they know of anyone who might be a good fit to mentor you or seek advice from former managers. See if they can set you up with anyone for an informational interview, and if that goes well, you can grow the initial contact into a productive relationship.
2. Use cold outreach
Cold emailing or messaging is a good way to network, create business partnerships, and develop your business. But it’s also a good way to seek out advice from experienced strangers.
Here’s a template you can adapt that’s based on cold emails that have worked for those looking for career advice:
Hi [first name]!
I stumbled across your profile on [where you found them] while I was doing some research into [what you want to do]. I really liked [cool work they did].
I’m looking to [your goals and what you’re doing now to achieve them] and would love to learn more about how you [what they’ve done].
If you have some time this week, even if it’s for 15 minutes over a Zoom or phone call, I’d love to meet you.
Have a great week!
Keep in mind that these people likely have an inbox full of others asking them for things. So try to be as accommodating as possible.
Here are some tips for entering into your initial conversation with a potential mentor:
- Prepare a list of specific questions about both their story and your business.
- Start by telling them about yourself so they have context around your pursuits and your problems.
- Be conscious of their time and express your gratitude toward them (if you’re meeting them offline, offer to pay for the coffee, drinks, or food).
- Toward the end of the conversation, ask them if it would be OK if you stayed in touch or if you could shoot them questions if you ever have any.
But above all, get a sense of how much you can be yourself around your potential mentor. A good, lasting mentorship is built on a solid foundation of friendship and openness, and a mutual interest in a particular field.
3. Get to know experienced entrepreneurs at meetups
The internet draws together passionate people from around the world to share ideas both online and offline. To create relationships in the real world, consider checking out professional networking events in your city.
You can find these events on sites like Meetup or Eventbrite and sign up for the ones that are relevant to you. Be sure to check out these networking tips and learn how to make business cards before you attend.
4. Hop on a Clarity call
While Clarity isn’t a mentorship platform (you have to pay to speak with these mentors), it offers on-demand consultant calls with experienced professionals and entrepreneurs. It breaks experts out into specific business areas (business development or pitching to investors) for focused phone calls that cost anywhere from $1 to $10 a minute.
There’s also a place where you can post your questions and get answers from knowledgeable entrepreneurs, similar to Quora.
5. Look in forums and online communities
There are also plenty of online communities for experienced and new entrepreneurs to talk about their businesses. These forums are a good place to seek out mentors directly, as long as your post communicates your promise as an entrepreneur and you put yourself out there in the right places.
Reddit is home to all manner of subreddits where you can look for mentors, including r/entrepreneur or r/smallbusiness. Do a search for “mentor” in these subreddits for examples of how others have asked about mentorship opportunities in the past.
If you’re a Shopify store owner, there are also plenty of Facebook groups you can join to ask for feedback or casual mentorship, including:
That said, be wary of offers you find through online forums. Sometimes they’re consultants who only want to offer you paid services, and others offering mentorship may not be as experienced as they appear.
6. Connect with potential mentors on LinkedIn
With more than one billion members in more than 200 countries and territories, you’re bound to find a potential business mentor on LinkedIn.
LinkedIn profiles let you search for specific business skills or experience that you’d want in a mentor. If you find someone you like, you can reach out to them directly with a connection request, even if you don’t have their email.
Start your mentor search through hashtags like:
- #OfferHelp
- #Careeradvice
- #Mentorship
These hashtags will keep you informed about mentorship opportunities. You can even follow the hashtag to stay updated on the latest posts and motivational quotes from groups and people.
7. Find mentors on X
Similar to LinkedIn, you can find potential mentors on X. X has 388 million active monthly users and is a great place to start conversations with industry leaders.
If you have an X profile already, look first at the people you follow. Who is your role model? Who do you want to learn from? Send them a direct message and ask if they’d be interested in mentoring you.
If you don’t have a profile just yet, browse hashtags like #MentoringMonday, #Mentors, or #MentorshipMatters to find mentorship opportunities.
8. Form a mastermind group
Entrepreneurship can be a lonely adventure of lifelong learning, but it doesn’t have to be with a mastermind group.
A mastermind group is a form of peer mentorship. It’s an ongoing support group of like-minded people working on their own projects while helping each other out. They share real-world experience and talent, and keep each other on track toward achieving their goals with regular meetings.
9. Find a volunteer mentor on SCORE
SCORE matches you with an experienced small business mentor to receive free advice in person or online. Many SCORE mentors are successful entrepreneurs themselves, openly sharing their real-world business experiences and knowledge to help you grow.
10. Explore your local Small Business Development Center (SBDC)
More than 1,000 Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) operate across the US. Congress funds these centers through partnerships with the US Small Business Administration (SBA) in public and private institutions.
SBDC programs provide free business consulting and training to entrepreneurs. This can be a great place to meet other entrepreneurs and connect with a business mentor. They also offer proven business tools to support your startup or expand your business.
You can get help with:
- Building a business plan
- Getting business funding
- Understanding finances
- Marketing and sales support
- Sparking motivation and innovation
- Public speaking tips and skills
Find your local SBDC by entering your business ZIP code.
Free: Business Plan Template
Business planning is often used to secure funding, but plenty of business owners find writing a plan valuable, even if they never work with an investor. That’s why we put together a free business plan template to help you get started.
Why every entrepreneur needs a business mentor
A mentor doesn’t just have a good grasp of the specific knowledge you need to succeed, like how to create better Facebook ads or how to bring a product to market.
They also possess an intuition developed over many years doing what you hope to do. Their knowledge can help you confirm, abandon, or shape some of your own business instincts.
In the world of business, you’d be hard-pressed to find a success story that didn’t involve a trusted adviser along the way. For example:
- Warren Buffett credits Benjamin Graham with helping to shape him into a savvy investor.
- Richard Branson says his uncle Jim taught him how to harness his eccentricity into entrepreneurial endeavors.
- Oprah Winfrey recognizes the influence that poet Maya Angelou had on her, not just through her writing, but as a friend and mentor.
In fact, according to a survey conducted by UPS of more than 180 business owners, 70% of the entrepreneurs that underwent mentoring had businesses that survived for five or more years. That’s double the rate of businesses that didn’t have the advantage of a mentor.
Perhaps most important to note is that a mentor isn’t a consultant. A true mentor won’t charge you a fee for their advice. Nor will they do the work for you. A mentor, in an ideal situation, becomes a valuable friend. They see you as a good investment of their time because they value you as a person, and vice versa.
What to look for in a mentor
When you’re looking for the perfect mentor for your startup or to reach specific career goals, there are a few traits you’ll want to consider:
Good at listening
A trusted adviser should be a good listener. It would be hard to guide you without listening to your entrepreneurial challenges. Good mentors know the balance between listening and giving the right advice during a mentoring session.
Willing to share skills and expertise
A good mentorship relationship should be honest and transparent. Look for a mentor who treats the engagement as a two-way street, with both of you sharing knowledge, experiences, and complementary entrepreneurial skill sets.
Interested in your professional and personal development
A good mentor doesn’t need to know everything about your personal life, but they should help you set goals in life and tie them into your profession.
“Everyone needs a mentor in their career, just like you want friends that inspire and support you in your everyday life,” says Trilce Jiron, an ecommerce entrepreneur. “Most people think you should follow a mentor in their footsteps, and that’s just not true. Your method is your own.
“Find a mentor who is constant in your life and can give you advice on things you’re not good at,” she adds. “I’m horrible with business administration and finances, so I found a mentor who guides me through those weekly topics.”
Tips for finding the right mentor
Use these tips to make your mission to find a mentor more productive:
Understand why you want a mentor
Create a list of goals you have for your mentor relationship to help you understand who might be the best fit.
A few things to consider are:
- What you’re hoping to learn
- What tasks you’ve been told you could improve in
- What projects you might need help with
Once you have specifics on what your goals are and what types of professional tasks or development you’re looking for help with, you’ll have a better idea of who may be a good fit for your mentor.
Put together a list of potential mentors
Once you know what professional areas you’d like mentoring in, put together a list of people you’d love to partner with. Include some dream mentors and realistic ones with whom you’re already connected.
Sort this list by most and least likely to work with you. From there, pull some names from the top of the list that you can start reaching out to.
Maintain the relationship with your mentor
One of the common misconceptions about mentorship is that the structure of a mentor and mentee relationship is like that of master and student (think Yoda and Luke Skywalker or Batman and Robin). But that puts the responsibility on the teacher’s shoulders.
Instead, look for mentorship opportunities where friendship, honesty, and mutual respect can co-exist. Treat your mentor like a friend and offer them a sympathetic ear in exchange for the wisdom they offer you. The more trust you can build, the more heartfelt advice you can glean.
What to ask your mentor
Starting the conversation with a mentor can seem like a daunting task. Here’s a shortlist of questions to ask:
Key questions to start the conversation
In your first meeting with a new mentor, you’ll need to explain who you are, why you’d love their help, and explain any roadblocks you’re running into. But be thoughtful of the fact they’re giving up their time to help you.
Here are some starting points to kick off your chat:
- How did you arrive at this point in your career?
- What was a turning point in your business that contributed to its success?
- What are the most valuable lessons you’ve learned in your entrepreneurship journey?
Inquiries about industry insights
Business consultants have walked the walk. They likely have years of experience in a particular industry. Use this to your advantage by asking questions about the state of your niche—not just right now, but how they expect it to evolve over the coming years.
For example, an entrepreneur that’s starting a health and wellness brand might ask their mentor:
- How has the industry changed since you started?
- What trends do you see happening in the health and wellness trend over the next year?
- What’s something that new entrepreneurs tend to get wrong when they start a business in this niche?
- What marketing tactics are no longer relevant in this industry, and what would you replace them with?
Discuss personal experiences and lessons learned
Entrepreneurship is a series of trial and error. You’ll rarely find a successful business person who hasn’t made mistakes. A mentor can act as a safety net—they can share their mistakes with you so that you can avoid them altogether, while still learning the lesson.
Ask the following questions to extract this insight from your business mentor:
- What was your biggest challenge when you first started your business?
- What was the most important lesson you learned?
- What advice would you give to someone just starting out in business?
Seek guidance on specific challenges
There are several reasons why businesses struggle—from cash flow issues to mounting pressure from competitors.
Some challenges are unique to your business that you might need guidance on. Perhaps you’re struggling to maintain product quality as you scale, or you’re weighing up your options to outsource fulfillment. Either way, a mentor can offer business advice on how to solve these issues.
Here are some questions to get you started:
- What are the most effective strategies you’ve used to solve this problem?
- Can you share any resources or connections that might help me with this issue?
- What techniques have you used to work around this challenge?
How to build a relationship with your business mentor
The best mentoring relationships are built over time. Here are five ways to build a stronger bond and get more out of your business mentor-mentee relationship:
Establish clear communication channels
Slack, email, Zoom, text—there are countless ways to check in with your mentor. But before you get started, set clear expectations on how often you’ll meet and where those conversations will take place. This will avoid any awkwardness, especially if you’re working on your business at unsociable hours. Email is a better option than text if you have a burning question at midnight.
Ideally, you’ll want to get some face time with a potential mentor—whether it’s in person or over Zoom—so you can establish a better connection with them and show them that you’re serious about success.
It can be hard to gauge how much commitment you’ll get out of a potential mentor. Some will offer you a more structured relationship where you regularly meet to check in on how you’re both doing. Others will offer the occasional advice when you ask for it or help you out over Slack when you get stuck.
Whatever the case, the relationship should be founded on friendship and a common passion. Don’t ask for too much from your mentor, but if you’d like a bit more structure, ask in a considerate manner that respects their time: “I get a lot of value out of these conversations. What do you think about making this a regular thing—maybe once a month?”
Set mutual goals and expectations
Get clear on what “success” looks like from either perspective. Your goal might be to launch a new product in the next 90 days or explore a new business opportunity. Your mentor should be working toward the same goal.
Don’t expect your mentor to do anything for you or even show you how to do something (there’s Google for that). Instead, rely on your mentor to check your own gut, validate your work, and learn how to think about your problems.
Be open to feedback and advice
Successful entrepreneurs know they’re not always right. When working with a business mentor, swallow your pride and be open to being wrong. You’re there to ask for their advice—so take it. Get comfortable with the idea of leaving your comfort zone.
Show appreciation and respect
The opportunity to watch you grow and develop and realize your ambitions is the main reason a business mentor will give you their time. But you should also try to offer them something in return—whether it’s to contribute one of your skills to their project or just to spread the word about their latest venture. Even a thank-you card or email is a nice token of appreciation.
Maintain regular check-ins and updates
While you might have biannual catch-ups with friends where it might seem like time has flown by, the relationship with your business mentor isn’t the same. Entrepreneurship is fast paced. Leaving a six-month gap in your check-in likely means you’ve surpassed your original challenge and are now working toward a different goal.
Schedule regular check-ins to maintain the relationship with your mentor. In-person meetings once a month are ideal, but you could also opt for more regular check-ins—such as a Slack chat at the end of each week—to keep the momentum going.
Mentorship: a cycle of learning and giving back
There is no cutting corners when it comes to becoming an entrepreneur. You need to throw yourself into your problems and figure things out as you go. Finding a friend in a mentor can accelerate your growth.
You don’t need to rely on a single mentor either. As long as you’re curious and put yourself out there, you can learn from people with different experiences that you don’t have yet.
Those who benefit from mentorship also tend to be compelled to give back. This is especially true within the Shopify community, where today’s entrepreneurs help tomorrow’s see their own version of success.
Illustration by Mikyung Lee
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Business mentor FAQ
What does a business mentor offer?
Mentors offer guidance and support for small business owners and entrepreneurs. A business mentor can teach you anything from budgeting tactics to daily operations, whether you’re in the early stages or building a nonprofit.
What are the four types of mentors?
- Career mentor
- Life mentor
- Peer mentor
- Reverse mentor
What should mentors not do?
Mentors should not place unrealistic expectations on mentees. From the beginning, both parties should define the commitment and set goals. Business mentors should also provide constructive (not critical) feedback and listen to mentees to genuinely understand their problems and share valuable solutions.
What is the difference between a mentor and a coach?
Mentors share their knowledge, skills, and experiences with others to help them grow. Coaches help clients achieve their goals and help them reach their full potential by providing guidance.
Do you have to pay for a business mentor?
While some business mentors charge for their time and access to their expertise, others are willing to help out for free.
How often should I meet with my mentor?
Once per month is the ideal frequency to meet with a business mentor. This gives you enough time to implement their advice and brainstorm solutions before you meet again.
