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When analysing your budget for the year, how much do you put aside to train, develop and inspire yourself?

You are the hub of the organisation – it is your brain and your ideas that carry the day. You inspire other people to act, to achieve, but do you follow through on yourself?

Many of us find we are just too busy to sit down and review our actions, our business and our life. We have all heard the adage \"work on your business, not in the business\" The same approach applies to us.

Don’t just work, work on yourself. Review your choices regularly, take a break, sit and

Mentoring is a great way to grow yourself and your business. A good mentor stimulates, challenges but doesn’t threaten. A mentor wants you to do well in your business and in your life but doesn’t want to take over the business and doesn’t get personal about your behaviour or your performance. A mentor will tell you the hard truths but will also come up with some positive ways to overcome problems. A mentor can be fun, and if you establish a long-term relationship can grow with your business, be a centre of influence to assist indirectly with the best sort of marketing you can get, \"word of mouth\" recommendations, and be a mate.

Yes, you can get all of that from a business partner, a life partner, a friend or a relation. The added bonus of a mentor is that they come to you fresh, you have no history with them, they take you at face value and they have no hidden agenda. You may pour out your heart to a mentor and not be hit between the eyes with a backlash over breakfast in a month’s time! Do you follow me? A mentor is a professional friend who will listen, hear, question and suggest in an objective and non-judgemental way. They will help you grow and go on their way when you are satisfied with yourself and your direction. They can be called back at any time you need them. They will provide the professional stimulation missing when you work alone or from home or almost alone from home.

Mentoring programmes vary according to the contact you need and how you wish to set out your development. Sessions may be arranged outside work hours. Sessions may cover all manner of topics – how to get your helpers to be more efficient, time management, career development, marketing ideas, system improvement and just good old fun.

Try a session and discover how energised and positive you feel again.