
We’ve all got to look further afield when offering support
After joining fellow entrepreneurs from the sales and marketing industry in London this month to share my own experiences as a business owner, I’ve been thinking about why all entrepreneurs have a responsibility to cast their support net as far as possible.
This year, I’ve been invited to speak at various events for aspiring entrepreneurs, offering up my own experiences as a business owner, and sharing how I have approached the trials and tribulations of entrepreneurship. I myself have built my career up from an entry-level role; working in numerous cities across the UK and with people from different backgrounds, ethnicities, religions and abilities. This experience has not only helped me develop as a mentor by teaching me how to connect with, and empower people as individuals but also ingrained in me that as entrepreneurs, we all have the responsibility to reach out and lift as many people up as possible.
Providing opportunities to others reflects the true spirit of entrepreneurship. All entrepreneurs share a desire to make people’s lives better; it’s one of the driving forces behind starting a business, so it makes sense to channel this desire towards supporting aspiring entrepreneurs.
Mentoring aspiring entrepreneurs gives you the opportunity to change lives. I’ve worked closely with mentees who despite not doing well in education, have thrived when given a chance to be hands-on in a business environment. I’ve also worked with individuals who have gone on to become the first business owners in their families — allowing them to set a precedent and create a legacy. As a mentor, you learn a lot from these individuals too, the experience goes both ways and helps you to gain new perspectives outside of your business network. Whatsmore, you’ll create a ‘pay it forward’ culture — your investment in them will stay with your mentees for life and will likely inspire them to become mentors themselves in the future.
I believe everyone deserves a chance to prove themselves, and the more mentors available to open these doors and inspire young people, the better the business world will become.
Recently, I was given a chance to run a conference call with aspiring sales and marketing entrepreneurs in South Africa on how I’ve grown my company Arete22, and the mentality that has allowed me to keep my head in the game. There really are no limits in the modern world to how far you can cast your net and have an impact on others.
If you would like to use your own experiences to mentor others, here are my top two tips:
- Be passionate about your cause. As a father to a young daughter, I want to help create a world in which she can be anything she wants to be. Therefore, I am a huge advocate for supporting women in business, and this passion keeps me 100 percent engaged with my role as a mentor.
- Start early. You don’t have to be an executive to have a positive influence on others. I regularly remind my workforce that we all have valuable information and experiences to share that could transform how others see the world.
