I thank my lucky stars that when I began my business 10 years ago, I had a fantastic mentor. I couldn’t even imagine starting my VA business without one. Mary-Lou was so giving and supportive, she was always there to provide me with great advice and to share with me what worked and didn’t work for her business. I learned a lot from her during our conversations and still do! Mary-Lou is still a fixture in my life and one of my best friends.

The definition of “Mentor” is “experienced and trusted adviser” (Concise Oxford Dictionary).

For me mentoring is about not having to re-invent the wheel, it’s about learning from someone who “has been there, done that.” Starting any business is a challenge and especially a business that solely depends on you, your skills and experience. It is invaluable to have someone to show you the way when you’re not quite sure which path to follow.

Today there are many organizations that provide a medium for sharing information, plenty of forums which were not available when I started my business. These forums are a great way to connect and interact with other VA’s and share information, however for me, not a substitute for a one-on-one mentoring relationship.

A mentoring relationship is something unlike any other relationship I’ve experienced. Mary-Lou gave me unconditional support that everyone needs in order to have a successful practice. She guided me when I lost my way and made me laugh when I felt like crying. Mary-Lou got me through the hard times and gave me the confidence to pick myself up. She was also there to slow me down when I was going Mach 3 straight towards burnout.

Now there are fee’s associated with mentoring. Mentoring fees can range from $100.00/mth to $500.00/mth. However quite a few organizations have mentoring programs that provide VA’s with discounted rates for mentoring. The Canadian Virtual Assistant Network (www.canadianva.net) is one organization that provides such program.

The Success Partner Program is a fantastic program and provides mentoring for CVAN members at a hugely discounted rate of $100.00/mth for the first 3 mths. A great benefit of membership, so if you aren’t a member of CVAN yet, you should be. This is one program you do not want to miss out on.

And keep in mind mentoring is not just for new VA’s. Any VA regardless of where they are in their business can benefit from having a mentor.

So why not give mentoring a try, it will be the best investment you make for your business!