Starting A Business in 2024? Here’s How A Mentor Could Help
Looking for advice on starting a business? Want to make sure you’re forging ahead on the right path?
Starting your own business is a huge challenge and along with the excitement, it’s reasonable to feel more than a little nervous. After all, the future is uncertain and while your plans may feel clear to you, there’s no telling how those plans will fare in practice.
Fortunately, there are some steps you can take to make sure you’re on firmer footing and that’s what we’re here to talk about today. We’ll be going over some simple, easy to follow advice that’s sure to set any startup on the right path.
Business Tips For Beginners
It’s worth saying that not all business tips for beginners are bad so long as you always appreciate the context from which that advice is coming. In fact, if there’s one rule you should universally apply when making decisions for your business it’s just that – always have an eye for context.
Do you need social media marketing? Probably but that depends on the type of business you’re running. Should you look for outside investment? Again that entirely depends on your current situation.
The key to making these decisions is to ask yourself what the pros and cons are. Outside investment is great for companies that are ready to expand and just need an influx of cash but giving away too much of your company early on could lead you to collapse before you’ve even got off the ground. Likewise, marketing your business on tiktok might be amazing if location isn’t an issue, but if you’re running a local supermarket, then you’ll find far more success on Facebook.
The bottom line is, when taking business advice, you should always ask “what does this mean for my company?”
Understanding Your Startup
Of course, understanding exactly how a decision will impact your company might be more difficult than it sounds. You’ll need to understand your startup – its appeal, its audience, and the strengths/weaknesses of your team. And those are just the start.
Brand identity might sound like a marketing buzzword but when putting together a company, it really is important to take the time to think about what you’re trying to achieve. If you can’t answer those kinds of fundamental questions about your startup then how can you progress from a place of knowledge?
Finding The Perfect Entrepreneurial Mentor
Finding good advice on starting a business isn’t always as easy as one might hope. The best business advice for startups usually comes from those with highly relevant experience of the market you’re trying to enter.
By the same token, taking advice from those with less relevant experience can be dangerous. For example, you won’t find the best tips for starting a small business if you’re only listening to FTSE 100 CEOs. Likewise, a social media startup will probably operate along very different lines to a brick and mortar store.
What it all comes down to is finding the right person to listen to and the right direction to follow. You need someone who can relate to your aims and who’s tackled similar problems in a similar space. What you need, in short, is an entrepreneurial mentor.
Now, it cannot be stressed enough that, as someone entering the startup space, there are plenty of people out there looking to give you advice. At best, these people are well-meaning entrepreneurs looking to share their experiences. At worst they’re scammers attempting to sell you on a dream they themselves know little about.
In all cases, it’s probably not worth taking advice from those who can’t show a proven track record. Furthermore, that proven track record should be a good fit for what you’re trying to achieve.
With so many potential pitfalls, many people choose to forgo having a mentor altogether and just leap in head-first. Unfortunately, while the idea of being a bold innovator may be appealing, in practice, plunging ahead blindly is a serious risk.
If you’re entirely new to the world of running a startup, then the best thing you can do is look for a guiding voice. An entrepreneurial mentor with experience in a relevant space will be able to give you excellent, first-hand advice on starting a business. Better yet they can tell you what worked and didn’t work for them, helping you to mirror their successes and avoid their pitfalls.
So how do you find this perfect mentor? With Career Navigator, you can explore mentors from all kinds of backgrounds with experience across countless industries. You can pick and choose a mentor who’s right for you and your business. You’ll be able to see their history and, even better, you’ll be able to work closely with them to ensure that your startup is on the right path.
Join Career Navig8r today and find the perfect mentor to steer your company to success!
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