Business mentor: Finding the professional to lend a helping hand

Q: How do I choose a mentor or business consultant for my business?

A: Jonathan Kirkpatrick* of Enventure, a business consultancy, replies:

Consultancy and mentoring are different activities but both have their place in helping businesses to grow.

Business in the Community provides a free Business Mentor Programme. It helps small and medium-sized enterprises with fewer than 25 staff, by finding business mentors - people who have hands-on experience of running their own business or executives with experience in a particular field, say marketing.

They walk alongside business-owners and use their own experience to help. They could be described as a friend in business; a sounding board.

Consultants are professional business specialists who focus carefully on business principles to help owners work on their business, not just in it.

Consultants are sometimes grouped by area of expertise or interest, such as financial, strategic planning, or human resource consultants.

Some consultants also focus on particular business fields, such as agriculture or information technology.

An advantage of industry-specific consultants is that they have a developed understanding of a particular industry, often gained from their own experience.

A disadvantage may be that someone who works in one specific area all the time can lose touch with what is happening in other areas of business.

They may fail to see the bigger picture that might help the business in need.

Similarly, a consultant who specialises in an area such as human resources or finance may be useful if the diagnosis of the business need is correct before the consultant is hired.

My experience suggests that often someone thinks that he or she has a financial problem when in fact the problem is planning (or the absence of it).

Or they think they have a problem with time management but the reality is that their relationship with their employees is particularly poor and there is little co-operation or team spirit.

A generalist consultant of good standing is often well placed to help with problem-finding and will be able to suggest specialist help should it be required.

So mentors and consultants both have their place in helping businesses.

No two people's experience are the same and experience alone without understanding is of little help.

Similarly, business theory is rendered much more useful and accessible if it is wielded by someone who has hands-on experience of running a business.

The principles of business are surprisingly simple.

It is their application to a specific business, working in a particular environment under set conditions, which often makes them seem complex.

A professional can help a business owner to cut through the fog of issues which can obscure their vision.

And, of course, all businesses require people to run them.

So when choosing a mentor or a consultant, look for someone with whom you can relate well and with whom you feel comfortable discussing these things.

* You can contact Jonathan Kirkpatrick on 09 571-8184 or email him at jrk@enventure.co.nz

* Send Mentor questions to: ellen_read@nzherald.co.nz

Answers will be provided by Business in the Community's Business Mentor Programme.