So you want to be a business mentor ?

A recent call for business mentors for SMEs by a company I work with resulted in an unexpected flood of applications. Hundreds of CVs poured in, the phones rang constantly and the company’s email channels were buzzing. There was even an application from Nigeria… clearly, there are a lot of people who want to be business mentors out there. When the dust had settled and we began to review applications, it became clear that the applicants could be grouped into several categories: Very Strong Candidates, Pretty Strong Candidates, Ones for the Future and What Were They Thinking? The latter category was quite concerning, because it highlighted just how little most of us know about what it is a business mentor does, needs to do, and needs to know to be effective and impactful in the role. By way of example, someone who has just finished a two-year Diploma in Business Management, but never worked in a business before, let alone run their own one, is probably not qualified to advise people…