Want to hone your business skills? Get a mentor. [BT broadband office]

Want to hone your business skills? Get a mentor.

Posted 29 April 2008 at 11:41AM by Ian Betteridge in Doing business online

Companies should look to experienced mentors to hone their business skills, says businesswoman Angela Wright.

According to Angela Wright, managing director of Crealy Adventure Park, mentors have proved to be an invaluable source of knowledge since launching her company.

"I have always asked lots of questions and sought out the people with answers...it started with my parents. They have been in business a long time and have always offered me very wise counsel," she told The Times.

Ms Wright, currently working with Footdown Fifteen - a mentoring group of professionals who meet on a monthly basis, explains: "The group comes from different sectors, sizes of businesses as well as from the public sector. They have been really helpful. It's a bit like having a board of non-executive directors."

Wright also takes advantage of another businesswoman's expertise, helping her to improve productivity and increase her contact database.

If you're a young businessperson, The Princes Trust is just one mentoring scheme that offers entrepreneurs the opportunity for potential mentors to offer advice to those entrepreneurs in the early stages of building their business.

Tags: angela wright, bt, bt broadbandoffice, businesswoman, mentoring, the princes trust

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Comments

1. At April 30, 2008 8:01 AM, Stuart Lothian wrote:

Angela Wright's comments are 'spot on'. Smart business people (especially if they lack particular experience in what may for them become a crucial area) should identify sources of 'new perspective' in the ways she suggests. I set up a business to offer such support, 15 years ago, and enjoy working with emerging businesses with their success as the objective.

2. At April 30, 2008 10:52 AM, simon daley wrote:

Tell me something I don't know! An experienced mentor in my field of business would've been invaluable. Half of the time on Dragon's Den its not just the financial support its the mentoring that makes the deal work. I wish I could've had that voice of experience to turn to at every crucial moment but i'm afraid like most people I didn't have that luxury. It would have saved me learning by trial and error over the past 2 years but thats part and parcel of starting your own business. Its only because of people like me taking the risk and challange that there would be anyone to advise at all. I find a lot of the advice for small businesses is far too general and doesn't particularly tell me anything new or helpful.

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