In the Light of Mentorship
Running In The Dark
Making the jump into entrepreneurship is like running in the dark, morning hours. The experience is rewarding as you propel yourself forward to reach a new goal of distance or speed. With no sunlight to illuminate your next steps, there is a calculated, blind trust between your feet and the strides you take. To make the journey even more complex, there are obstacles such as hills, unseen potholes, and cars that require additional focus to ensure you arrive safely to the finish. However, there is one critical item that can help you make the necessary course corrections to ensure a smoother journey along the path: a flashlight.
So maybe you are not one who enjoys running, but I bet that you can relate to the metaphor as an entrepreneur. Much like a runner, business owners set out to accomplish goals by traveling new territory in intentional steps. The challenge to the entrepreneur is the ability to navigate the path to success without the knowledge of what could be awaiting in the unknown. Enter the mentor.
Get a Flashlight
Mentors are to the entrepreneur as the flashlight is to the runner. Having trekked similar roads before, mentors offer valuable insight and direction, often curtailing the potential hardships of operating a business. In fact, research conducted by UPS found that entrepreneurs who enlisted the guidance of a mentor were among the 70% of businesses who survived over five years (Wertz, 2020). Considering half of new businesses fail within the first five years, mentors should be considered essential to budding, new companies.
Fortunately for the Amarillo business owner, the WT Enterprise Center has a wealth of mentoring resources. Our mentor roster includes former company executives, managers, and veteran entrepreneurs. Experienced in areas such as strategic planning, marketing, business growth, business law, manufacturing and distribution, and more. Perhaps the best part about our mentor collective is that they are here for YOU and your company; they genuinely desire to see your business scale and thrive in your specific industry.
How To Get Started With a Mentor
Getting started with a mentor at the WTEC is a simple and easy process. Through our 18-month Growth Academy, you will be paired with a mentor who can add the most value to your company. By attending monthly mentor sessions, you will follow a growth track specifically tailored to not only your company, but to your unique personality. Partnering with a compatible mentor, you will have the opportunity to glean from their catalogue of experiences, equipping you to make more educated and informed decisions in your own company.
As you continue your run of business ownership, be assured that the WT Enterprise Center wants to see you go the distance. Partnered with an array of skilled mentors, our programs have a plethora of entrepreneurial flashlights to help illuminate your journey. If you are in need of a mentor, reach out to us today to find out more about how you can get involved at the WT Enterprise Center.. Or if you are an experienced entrepreneur or seasoned business executive with a proven track record of scaling businesses, we’d love to hear from you on our Contact page!
