Business Coach vs Business Mentor

Intro:

Running your own startup or small Business can be hugely challenging. You’re regularly well out of your comfort zone, and everyday is a school day. That’s where Business

Coaches and Mentors can really 1) add value, 2) relieve stress and 3) give you the confidence to reach your Goals !!!

Same?

You may even think a Business coach and a Mentor are the same thing. Anyone? We thought so. And it’s not surprising as a lot of people throw the two terms around interchangeably. But there are some very real and important differences between a Business coach and a Mentor.

In this article, we look at what the two can offer, how they differ, and when you might want (or need) to work with either one.

What is a Business COACH?

A Business coach is typically someone who is brought in to help you achieve a specific objective, or overcome a certain challenge within your Business. They typically help you to come up with solutions by asking pertinent questions and supporting you in exploring your own ideas.

The focus of a Business coach will always be on your Business and achieving a pre-determined outcome. They’ll assist you in reviewing how your Business is running and what you need to change to get the desired results.

A Business Coach isn’t necessarily someone with a long track record of their own successful Business ventures, but they (the good Business Coaches) often have a solid history of Coaching successes.

What is a Business MENTOR?

A Business Mentor is usually an accomplished Business professional who is able to offer guidance, advice & support from their own personal experience. They generally have a strong knowledge of all (or most) aspects of Business and act as a trusted adviser for you and your Business.

The work of a Business Mentor will involve both your business and you as a person. They tend to explore the various elements of your Business, as well as your own personality traits, ambitions and behaviour.

Mentors can develop a holistic relationship with you that encompasses more than just your Business

What’s the Difference?

If you’re going to get the right support for your Business, listen up. Here’s a rundown of the main differences between Business coaches and Business Mentors.

Purpose of each

Business Coaches are strictly focused on Business. They’re working with you for a particular purpose and will focus on that.

Coaches provide clear, regular feedback on specific topics or performance indicators

Mentors, on the other hand, can develop a more holistic relationship with you that encompasses more personal aspects of your life than just your Business. They’ll work with you on your Biz, but they’ll often look beyond work and your career to see how you can run your Life better.

Format of Each

BusinessCoaches – with a focus on business – will be very direct and provide clear, regular feedback on specific topics or performance indicators. A Business coach will use coaching sessions to provide support and input, always encouraging self-guided solutions (rather than telling you what to do).

Business Mentor: the input can be much more informal and driven by the mentee’s needs and requests for support & direction. Mentors will offer advice and in some Mentorships will directly teach their mentee about a certain topic to help them develop.

Outcome of Each

Business Coach: the evaluation and outcome of the relationship is very clear. A goal is clearly defined at the beginning, closely monitored steps throughout the coaching process and specific deadlines to meet. This makes evaluating success of the coaching very easy. Did you get the results we expected?

Business Mentor: the outcome and measuring of success can be a little harder to define. A Mentoring relationship is more fluid than that with a Coach, goals can change or be less black and white to start with. That’s not to say you can’t set clear goals with a Mentor, it’s just not guaranteed. It needs to be the right place and the right time

Which one is Right for me?

That depends on you and your Business. And also, at what stage you’re at. Business Coaches and Business Mentors can offer brilliant support It just needs to be the right place and the right time. But don’t jump in too quickly, either – it can be an expensive business and that money might be better spent elsewhere!

Analogy that describes Business coaching vs Mentoring is that of a car in need of repair. If you have a puncture in your tire you’d head straight to the tire shop down the street. If your car was making some funny noises but you don’t know what’s wrong, you’d call up your local all-round mechanic.

Coaching is a Tire shop. Mentoring is the Mech.

a Business Coach can be a powerful resource for addressing a specific need in your Business. They’re focused and goal-driven to get the job done.

a Business Mentor comes into their own when you need more general support and maybe need help finding out where the exact issues are that need addressing.

Here’s a summary that might help you understand whether you need a Business Coach or Business Mentor:

Comparison

A Business Coach can help if you…	A Business Mentor can help if you…
Need help with a specific issue in your Business	Want general support and advice for your Business
Have a Business with a track record to analyze	Have a new Business with little or no track record
Are willing to commit to goals and deadlines	Want an informal type of Business support that may change over time
Like to work one area of your Business at a time	Like to work on various areas of your Business at one time
Want to solely focus on your Business	You’re happy to evaluate your personal life, as well as your Business.

Comments: Do you have anything to add to this?

from GoFunder.com 3/24 enhanced by Peter, Mr Wiz4.biz

For similar Info, click on Business Planning.