I just finished reading Burn the business plan, Everything we believe that works for startups, does not work. Business planning, enterprise support, ecosystems, mentoring, etc.

Wikipedia

Mentoring has been on my mind. Decided to look up what mentoring means. According to Wikipedia, mentorship refers to a personal developmental relationship in which a more experienced or more knowledgeable person helps a less experienced or less knowledgeable person. Apparently, it stemmed from ancient Greek and was inspired by the character of Mentor in Homer’s Odyssey.

Issues

I have some issues with mentoring. It might have to do with my own experiences with mentors, mentor schemes and business using mentors. Most mentors I know of are unemployed consultants or retired managers of big organisations. Most wouldn’t know much about entrepreneurship or small business and as a result, cannot add much value.

Smallbusinesscan

Which was one of the reasons we created www.smallbusinesscan.com, (now www.business-achievers.com) so businesses can interact with other companies and get help from people who have been there and bought the T-shirt?

Also read: 5 lessons “Shark Tank” viewers can apply to business

KPMG

It is what KPMG is now doing with the CEO and SME roundtables. Good old eyeball-to-eyeball conversations amongst owner-managers, CEOs and entrepreneurs, sharing lessons, insight and learning. No social media allowed.

Mismatch

There appears to be a massive mismatch between the business that really need resolved and the capabilities of an assigned mentor. As a result, a huge amount of time is wasted. What can an ex-banker tell you about social media? How can a retired CFO help you with your sales?

Lucky

The truth is also that many entrepreneurs got lucky and would not be able to repeat their success. Luck is not transferable. Always look for the serial entrepreneur who got lucky a few times.

Hands-on

Would you prefer a sales mentor that talks about it or somebody that actually sells for you? Do you want somebody to talk about finance or do you want somebody that can pitch to banks and investors with you? Do you prefer a mentor or a team member?

Non-commital

Which brings me to my biggest issue with mentoring is the non-committal nature. It is too soft, too fluffy and with no accountability for the results. My preference is for an advisory board to which a CEO, founder or entrepreneurs reports on a regular basis. A board filled people that create the creative tension and grit (blood on the boardroom wall) necessary to move a business forward. Swimming with the sharks.

Create a mentor job spec

If you decide to go for a mentor make sure you know who and what you are looking for. Have a problem definition and be clear on the expectations. Write a job spec. Be prepared to say “no” to the mentors that are on offer. Be also prepared to fire the mentor once they have outlasted their usefulness.

Also Read: SEA tech founders playbook: A to Z of becoming a fundraising legend (Part 1)

Get a shark

What I am saying is that mentors could be useful if they are the right ones, can add real value. The wrong mentor will waste your time. Get a shark, not a bunny. Even better, get a shark tank full of piranhas or what the author of Burn the business plan calls a cold circle.

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