To be successful as a starter, you must learn from other entrepreneurs who have already attained their goals. As an entrepreneur, you will gain the most from reading stories about what entrepreneurs have accomplished, their setbacks and how they overcame them, locations they have visited, and what they are recognized for. An entrepreneur mentor has more entrepreneurial business experience than you and acts as a trusted confidante for you over a long period, usually for free. When asked about their professional paths, most successful entrepreneurs attribute their success to a mentor.
“With so many of the world’s most notable business tycoons going on record to acknowledge a mentor for part of their success, the bond between a mentor and a mentee can be the most influential relationship in business.”
Top Entrepreneur Mentors to Follow
Several factors contribute to a business’s success, including the quality of the idea, the placement of the company, and the combined force of your team. They are all competitors for the “most significant” aspect of a business’s success. The most important factor, however, is your industry and entrepreneurial experience and the team’s combined experience.
When you start a business, you are all inexperienced. However, there is only one way to quickly address this lack of expertise: by participating in a mentorship or advisor program, which allows you to draw on the knowledge of others.
While most young, aspiring entrepreneurs recognize the value of this notion, they frequently struggle to find a business mentor. In many respects, our digital world has brought us closer than ever before, but it has also made connecting more complicated than it was for previous generations. Besides that, you must pick a mentor who is a good fit for you and your business. Someone who has the experience you don’t have, the skills you need, and the same vision you have. Someone who will push and support you when you need it the most. However, it’s not a requirement to work in the same industry. Here are top business entrepreneur mentors to follow and what you can learn from them:
1. Richard Branson
Richard Branson is well recognized globally as the founder of the Virgin Group. He is one of the most well-known billionaires globally, with a business empire that includes more than 400 companies, including airlines, record stores, publishing houses, and even commercial space travel. He’s also the author of over a dozen business books, including his most recent autobiography, Finding My Virginity, which takes readers behind the scenes of Branson’s more than a fifty-year career as an entrepreneur. One of his business advice for prospective entrepreneurs who wish to establish their own company is this:
“The most successful businesses are formed from people’s negative personal experiences. If you keep your eyes open, you’ll come across something that bothers you, and then you’ll think to yourself, ‘yeah, I could probably do it better than it’s being done,’ and voila, you’ve got yourself a business.”
He said in one of his interviews:
“You have a business if you can make a difference in people’s lives. People believe that “everything has been thought of,” but there are always gaps in the market here and gaps in the market there.”
2. Elon Musk
Elon Musk is the world’s most prosperous entrepreneur and an all-around entrepreneur. He is the founder, CEO, and project lead of SpaceX, co-founder, CEO, product designer of Tesla, and the owner of The Boring Company. He was also a co-founder of the well-known online payment system PayPal. Here’s a famous quote from Elon Musk:
“If something is important to you, you can achieve it even if the odds are stacked against you.”
Elon Musk is indeed known for taking calculated risks. What would you do if you received $200 million from the sale of a business? Most of us imagine that we’ve arrived in life; we can purchase a large mansion with luxury cars, tour the world, and
sit back and relax for the rest of our lives.
This is what distinguishes Elon Musk from others. “My proceeds from the PayPal transaction were about $180 million,” Elon remarked in a quote summarizing everything. In addition, SpaceX received $100 million, Tesla received $70 million, and Solar City received $10 million.
Take this from Musk: you don’t have to be frightened to take chances. If the system is rigged against you, if something is worth doing, pursue it instead of worrying about potential failures. Here’s one piece of entrepreneurship advice from Elon Musk:
“It’s good to consider entrepreneurship knowledge as a semantic tree: make sure you understand the essential concepts – the trunk and main branches – before diving into the leaves/details, or there won’t be much to comprehend.”
3. Jeff Bezos
Jeff Bezos is an American businessman, the 2nd world’s most prosperous entrepreneur, and a philanthropist. If there’s anything you can take from Amazon’s creator, Jeff Bezos, it’s this: start small and grow big. First, he began selling books on Amazon.com (which was only available for US audiences). Within 30 days of its launch, Amazon generated $20,000 in weekly sales. Then he sold CDs, toys, electronics, clothing, and other items.
In a flash, it went from a “bookstore” to an “everything shop.” If you’re just getting started, focus on one thing instead of trying to do everything at once. Begin small, stay consistent, and expand. Here’s some startup advice from Jeff Bezos:
“If you choose to do only what works for you, you’ll miss out on many opportunities.” Entrepreneurs are never criticized for failing to attempt new things. They are, however, frequently criticized for things they tried and failed at.”
It can be life-changing and beneficial to your self-growth and business if you have an experienced mentor. Mentorship may empower you and dramatically boost the chances of your business thriving, regardless of whether your relationship is for a year or the rest of your career.