A mentor: building great businesses from great relationships.

• Author: Montomery, Tameka
• Position: GUEST column

A BUSINESS MENTOR CAN BE INVALUABLE TO both new and established business owners. Tapping into the insights of a seasoned business owner who has "been there and done that" can help you avoid costly mistakes.

As an objective outsider, a mentor offers strategic insights from a 20,000-foot view. Additionally, mentors can help you expand your network by giving you access to key decision-makers.

A key factor for building a successful mentoring relationship is trust. Your mentor becomes a de facto member of your team, and her ability to offer relevant advice depends on your openness about your business. A mentoring relationship works both ways; the mentor must also demonstrate her commitment and desire to see you succeed. Both the mentor and orienteer benefit from the relationship.

While most people" agree that having a mentor can be beneficial, the challenge is knowing how to find a mentor and build the relationship. If you have always wanted a mentor, but were unsure of how to go about initiating and following through on such a relationship, here are a few tips to help you:

1) Assess your strengths and weaknesses. Determine those areas where you could use fresh insight. If you know the areas where you need help, you are better able to define how your mentor can help you grow-as a business owner.

2) Be proactive. Often, mentoring relationships do not happen spontaneously. I have found that people who have an expertise are willing to share that knowledge, but the first step is asking. Be intentional about your approach to find a mentor. Take an inventory of all of the people in your network, set up coffee or lunch meetings and update them on your business and your vision. Ask directly if they would be walling to share their expertise and mentor you in a particular aspect of your business.

3) Act on the advice given. Everyone's time is valuable. Your mentor invests time in you because she wants to sec you succeed. The worst thing you can do is ignore the advice and insight a mentor provides; no one wants to feel that they have wasted their time.

4) Stay connected. A mentoring relationship is just that a relationship. Check in regularly with your mentor; let him know how his advice has helped you and/or your business.

Dawn Abbott and her husband, Tim, have grown Aurora-based Fun Productions Inc...