A Word From The Wise
Like some rowdy and embarrassing behaviour at a Christmas party several years past, for many of us 2020 was a year best forgotten. However, in business we must and do find ways to look forward and a new year provides added psychological impetus. Whether it’s seeking out new opportunities or reshaping the businesses we have, meeting existential perils with ingenuity and information is par for the course.
Dorset Business Mentors (formerly known as Dormen) have been helping local businesses meet their challenges and plan for the future for more than 15 years so we wanted to start the year by sharing some of our mentors’ wisdom with a view to inspiring you, or simply planting the seed that a mentor might be the very thing to make sure 2021 is a more auspicious and memorable year for positive reasons. Before we do, a few words about business mentoring generally and who we are.
What is Business Mentoring?
Business mentoring is nationally recognised as a major contributor to the success of small and medium size businesses. It goes beyond formulas, templates and business models to a collaborative 1:1 relationship where motivations, goals, strategy and skills development are the focus of attention.
Growing businesses need to evolve, change and sometimes renew, often in ways that are outside the experience of the founder. A good mentor has been there already and can help develop strategy, challenge and inspire confidence. Furthermore, business mentoring is a cost-effective way to import experience and insight into your business. A mentor will not write your marketing plan, but they will work with you so that you can get it done, and help ensure it delivers what you need.
FSB (Federation of Small Businesses) analysis found 70% of businesses who are mentored are twice as likely to succeed and thrive beyond five years as those who are not.
Dorset Business Mentors
The Dorset Business Mentors programme was set-up by the Dorset Councils to improve the survivability and growth of micro, small and medium business across the county. At the heart of the service is a syndicate of highly experienced, skilled and knowledgeable volunteers, all successful business-people who share an impulse to help others. Furthermore, accessibility is key to the programme, which means you can get access to insights and experience that might be unaffordable or unavailable from other sources*.
‘You mentioned something about wisdom….?’
We have around 130 mentors currently offering their services to local businesses, which crudely translates into around 4-5,000 years of business experience! So there is very good reason to feel positive that the support you need is within reach.
- Very little is new in business ‘…recessions, technology change, clients not paying, staff problems, setting up for the first time and a myriad of other challenges have all happened before. So, lessons can be learnt, experience of the mentor can be applied to help in decisions. Not to direct but to support and not to advise but to help discover and discuss options.’ David Barker – Mentor and Chairman, Miad Healthcare
- Know thyself It might be world domination or a fulfilling work/life balance, but having clear goals and knowing why you’re in business is crucial to feeling rewarded. ‘It is essential to get to the know the business owner/s personally; their purpose, why are they doing this/ the ambition, relevant context that may affect how they approach decision making. The best I’ve had so far is ‘to make enough money to buy an Aston Martin’, that I understood!’ David French – Mentor and ex-Director, Hall and Woodhouse
- It’s ok to say ‘I don’t know’ ‘As a business owner you are expected to have all the answers all of the time, and so I think our greatest strength is to be a non-judgemental source of confidence. Often it is just allowing time for my mentees to reach their own conclusions, but my relationship with them means they reach it quicker and more decisively to allow them to move onto the next thing.’ Sally Pritchard – Mentor and Proposition Consultant
Reach Out
Whether you are interested in working with a mentor, or are interested in helping business succeed, we’d love to hear from you.
Visit us at www.dorsetbusinessmentors.uk/contact-us or call us for an informal chat on 01305 221 268
*Prices start at £200+vat for the year