By Candice Bowles
When I'm teaching business building strategies one of my key points is that you can't grow your business if you aren't prepared to grow yourself! Having your own business will help you discover amazing things about yourself! You will even do things you never thought you could!
It can get a little rough
On the flip side, having your own business may mean that you have to face personal baggage you would otherwise have carried around for years! This could be an incredible opportunity for personal growth and freedom. But if we are brutally honest, most of us would not request a dose of 'character building' experiences if we didn't have to, would we?
Somewhere we find the courage
But, when growing is connected to our big dreams, we are much more motivated to get out of our comfort zones and grow where we need to! Somewhere along the line we realize that although it may not be easy, it will be worth it!
The downside of being passionate about making a big difference
The advancement of your business is very closely tied to who and what you are because it relies so heavily on your dreams, skills and confidence. The bigger your business, the bigger the responsibilities. For many, that's enough to shy away.
When you say "yes" to growth
So, how do you help yourself grow and take your business with you? First stop: find a mentor (or two). Mentors are the people in our lives who can offer us sage advice on life's challenges. Your mentors (business and personal) can help you take your life to new levels.
Amazing ways a mentor can help you grow
Mentors can help you find clarity where you have blind spots and help you figure out what your next step needs to be. You can benefit from their experiences so that you don't have to learn it all the hard way! They can help keep you accountable and remind you of the big picture when you are getting lost in the details.
Finding a mentor
When you're looking for a mentor, look for people who have experience, expertise and personal values and life skills that you trust and would like to emulate. Mentors can be as informal as your wise old grandmother or as formal as hiring a life coach or business mentor.
If they're not available or affordable
Not everyone we trust and would like to learn from is available or affordable to us. If that's the case turn to their books, or find out if they are speaking at any conferences. You may also be able to follow them online, courtesy of social network sites. Start listening to what they're saying and see how you can learn from them.
If it's not their profession
If you have someone in mind for whom mentoring is not a profession, ask them if they would be willing to meet with you, perhaps once a month or once every 3 months. (Meetings over the phone can work very well too. Don't be put off by geographic distance.)
Be intentional and turn the tide
The fact is, our Western culture focuses so much on independence that we've lost the culture of mentoring. Mentoring is intrinsic in cultures more focused on extended families and community. We need to be intentional about re-introducing this aspect to our lives and the lives of those around us.
One more thing!
As you find yourself a mentor or two, remember that you also have experience and value that others could benefit from and by mentoring others, we also continue to grow ourselves. Is there someone in your life you can make yourself available to, as a mentor?
Would you like to boost your income with a business designed around your strengths and passions? Are you looking for economical ways to grow or market your solo-entrepreneurial, service or home based business?
Whether you're just starting out or already in business, in under 5 minutes, this FREE Business Assessment Tool will give you valuable strategies to help your ideas succeed!
Get your copy at http://www.candicebowles.com. Once you have the tool you can run as many business concepts through it as you like - so you'll always have a way to weigh those new ideas!
Candice Bowles is passionate about helping solo entrepreneurs design great businesses so they can earn income doing what they love. Utilizing her clients' strengths, Candice helps them structure and quickly build dynamic businesses, with an online marketing focus.way to weigh those new ideas!
© 2009 Candice Bowles Consulting.
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