What should I ask a startup mentor?
5 Questions to Ask a Business Mentor
- How can I best reach my goals?
- What could I be doing better?
- What mistakes should I avoid?
- What should I NOT be doing?
- What can I do to help you?
What do mentors do for startups?
The main purpose of a mentor is to help entrepreneurs with specific questions by sharing their knowledge and contacts harvested through their years of experience. Therefore, a mentor must not only fulfill their executive functions, but also understand the process and evolution of the project.
How do I find a mentor or advisor?
Where to start your search:
- Look to your own network first.
- Use meetup groups to grow your network.
- Go to any upcoming events in your field.
- Use your alumni network, internship connections, or professors.
- Join a professional association.
- Take a long shot with your dream mentor.
- Join an incubator or accelerator.
Why should every startup have a mentor?
Startup mentoring can open up networking opportunities for you as you may get to know more people, get specific information from them or new connections. Startup mentoring may help you find a new investor, team member, employee, or another mentor. A good mentor can teach you how to network and tell you where to search.
What are good questions to ask a business?
Here are the top 10 most critical questions that all small business owners should be able to answer.
- What problem does your business solve?
- How does your business generate income?
- Which parts of your business are not profitable?
- Is your cash flow positive each month?
- What is your pricing strategy and why?
How do you ask mentor for advice?
How to ask someone to mentor you
- Schedule an initial conversation.
- Clearly describe the guidance you’re seeking (The Ask).
- Confirm your willingness to do the necessary work and follow-through.
- Acknowledge and respect the individual’s time.
- Note: If you don’t hear from them, follow-up, but don’t hound him or her.
Do mentors charge a fee?
In our experience fees ranging from $50 to $3,000 have been charged, usually depending on the seniority of the cadre of mentors. We suggest that the sweet spot for most association-led programs would be $150-300 per mentee. As well as helping to fund the program, the fee also helps to qualify mentees.