Looking for a mentor

Looking for a mentor

Didn't find your answer?

As the practice expands it would be really helpful for me to have mentor. I need some external and independent input on a one to one basis.

I am looking for a  mentor who  is a more experienced and successful  (has expanded their practice from scratch to a substantail fee level) a person who acts as a role model, guide or leader. They have experience both in work and life world and who will share his/her experience provide advice and encouragment for my future plans.

I am looking for the following from a mentor:

  • someone who will listen, is open minded to new ideas. Not just rely on tried and tested.
  • someone who helps me explore opportunities
  • someone who will advise me how to deal with difficult situations
  • shares their experience and knowledge
  • help me to stay ontrack and reach my goals
  • stays independent – does not get to personal

What will a mentor gain from this?

  • incredible satisfaction in being able to contribute to someone to grow
  • a wonderful opportunity to improve their own learning

As a mentor you will have an opportunity to reflect on issues raised and perhaps address your own thinking and methods to make improvements. It can also stimulate a renewed focus on your own career development.

I doubt I will find someone, but I thought worth a try. I have nohing to lose.

Replies (20)

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Stewie
By Stewie Griffin
09th Nov 2010 11:33

there are mentors on the forum

What about contacting Finola McManus or Paul Shrimpling, both arte professional mentors.  Certainly Finola was involved in a very successful practice

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By andypartridge
09th Nov 2010 12:33

Honestly!

As you seem to be unwilling or unable to pay I'm not sure there is anything in this for the mentor. Why should a mentor invest their valuable time in you if you are not prepared to commit anything in return?

You would have to be very persuasive to convince any mentor with a charitable disposition that you are more deserving than a real charity.

-- Kind regards Andy

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By Bob Harper
09th Nov 2010 12:46

Interesting

@FirstTab - do you really have nothing to lose? What about time, money and energy? What about the opportunity to create the practice and life you want?

How do you know you need external input, maybe you don’t?

Do you really need a guide/role-model/leader…are you looking for someone to follow?

Why do you need encouragement for your future plans?

Good luck and I would suggest you will have more chance of finding your mentor if you include some money in the deal. 

Bob Harper

Portfolio Marketing for Accountants

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Teignmouth
By Paul Scholes
09th Nov 2010 21:00

Only a bit personal

Given that you've posted nearly 40 questions in the last month alone (and I don't think many are to do with technical stuff) my honest response is: what have we said to upset you?  You've got a great free resource from hundreds of experienced old hands (and a few old feet).

 

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FT
By FirstTab
09th Nov 2010 21:46

Nothing personal

In the main I find AW a great help. It is nothing personal.

If I am able to (unlikely) it would be great to have that face to face discussion with somone as well.

For technical stuff I use helplines. This is just my preference.

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By Bob Harper
10th Nov 2010 08:20

Take action

@FirstTab - if face-to-face is needed then the answer is simple...call all the accountants in your area that fit your criteria and ask one of them to help you.

Bob Harper

Portfolio Marketing

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By ShirleyM
10th Nov 2010 10:27

Local Accountant?

I doubt these will be that helpful to someone they may perceive to be a competitor.

I am part of an informal small network of accountants (from different areas) who use each other as sounding boards. If one of us discovers something 'new' or beneficial to our practice we pass the info on. We meet up maybe 2 or 3 times a year. This only works well if everyone is willing to contribute, and not just take the good ideas without giving something back.

Perhaps you could get accountants from other areas interested in something similar?

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Teignmouth
By Paul Scholes
10th Nov 2010 11:41

Stop running, sit down and take a breath

As Shirley mentions I too value the opportunity for a get together with a bunch of accountants 2-3 times a year and also keep in contact with accountants I've worked with to share & contrast ideas etc however Bob asked a key question, ie are you looking for someone to follow?

Over the months I've been impressed with the depth and variety of issues you've wanted to address, ie many new businesses just put their head down and do the work, only worrying about methods & marketing when something goes wrong (eg money runs out).  However the impression I get is that you are trying to run & rush at everything to try and build the "perfect" practice from scratch and that you are not giving yourself time to review & reflect.

Learning about what others do and what they have learned through decades of practice is only a small part of the process, it's the implementation of the ideas in your practice in a way that is right for you and your clients that is the hard part and it takes time.  You may pick up a system that sounds good on paper but will you or your clients have to change the way you want to operate just to fit in with it?

For example, my dumping of time sheets, quoting and billing for the whole year's work up front and then charging extra if information is in late was something I took in bits from others and from what I read and took me 2 years to test and put in place but I fine tuned the individual elements to cater for this practice, not one I read about.

So, unless (as Bob queries) you are looking for one person to follow and are prepared to take the risk that s/he may lead you up the wrong path, you are better off taking the best bits of advice (from here and elsewhere) that actually fit with who you are, tuning them one at a time into what you do over months (not days) then put the kettle on and have another think.

Hope I don't come across as patronising I just think you're at risk of going bang!

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By rajrajput
10th Nov 2010 15:20

Join Linked In

If you are not already join Linked In and then groups where you can ask questions galore and get connected for free, then you may discover new found wisdom. I don't mind guding to the light if  as we will both benefit.

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By Sarah Offord
10th Nov 2010 22:46

No shortcuts here

Hi First Tab,

I agree with some of the previous posters. You seem to be looking for the short cut to the perfect practice. I don't believe it exists or that anyone who has a achieved it would have the time to impart the knowledge that makes a perfect practice much less give it away for free.

The best way to learn is by doing. You will make mistakes, but I personally think the best lessons that you learn in business will be the ones you learn the hard way. But in the years to come you will sit down and look at what you have learnt over the past x years in practice and I think you will agree with me. I think. I've been known to get it wrong.

Sir Digby

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By justsotax
11th Nov 2010 09:09

All I would add

is that that getting a mentor who is not in the accountancy sector may open your eyes to different opportunites and ways of thinking....the idea of a mentor/coach should also be that it provokes you to think of ideas/solutions to the problems you currently have and also achieving your long term goals (and indeed whether those goals are yours or simply what you perceive as success).

I am note sure where you are based but there are a few programs run via local development agency's where mentoring is essentially free of charge...the North West Development agency has such a program but not sure about the rest of the country.

Best of luck

 

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Teignmouth
By Paul Scholes
11th Nov 2010 09:38

Supervision

Justsotax makes an excellent point.  I have many contacts within the voluntary/charity sector and in there it is common practice for leaders & managers to employ outside supervisors to help with personal development.  From my experience this (and much else that goes on in the voluntary sector) is sorely lacking in "our world".

 

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FT
By FirstTab
11th Nov 2010 15:13

Perfect practice?

Thanks for the response.

I have been misunderstood, I am not aiming for a perfect practice. I am aiming for a substantail fee level. Age is not on my side, I should have done this 10 years ago.

Paul makes a valid point about me on rushing and not taking a breather and thinking. This continues to be one of my weakness. The reason for this I always feel I am old (even when I was 20!) and age is not on my side.

There are so many ideas going in my head (like any start up business), it helps to put them down on AW at least I get a response for me to reflect further and maintain a record of these ideas I can refer to.

As regards to naysayers on I will not find anyone willing to share there ideas or without paying. It is good to have their views but my view despite what they say always try you never know. Listen to them but still try. They will alway be more than a few naysayers.

A really helpful person has approached me willing to mentor. I am thinking about this. If there is anyone else who would like to help, please PM me.

Thanks

 

 

 

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By andypartridge
11th Nov 2010 15:25

Stop thinking, start doing

Don't think about it, bite their hand off.

-- Kind regards Andy

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By jasonholden
11th Nov 2010 16:30

.

FirstTab,

I doubt you will get anyone to do it for £FREE and a warm fuzzy feeling. SWAT launched a mentoring program in 2008 it may be worth a look:

http://www.swat.co.uk/NewsViews/SWATNews/tabid/148/articleType/ArticleVi...

Another group which I joined in the early days and stayed with for a few years until I had got everything I needed from them and their approach is:

http://www.the2020group.com/site/home/

2020 Group - It may be worth going on some of their conferences that way you can talk to a mix of practitioners, always helpful.

Good luck.

Jason

Holden Associates

Small Business Blog

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FT
By FirstTab
11th Nov 2010 17:16

not warm fuzzt feeling

Jason

It is not for warm fuzzy feeling as you put it. Please read the OP to see what the person would get out of it. If this is not good enough for anyone fair enough.

 

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By jasonholden
11th Nov 2010 18:27

.

I did read the OP and have offered 2 suggestions FirstTab.

Jason

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By cymraeg_draig
11th Nov 2010 18:41

Perfect practice

I agree with some of the previous posters. You seem to be looking for the short cut to the perfect practice. I don't believe it exists or that anyone who has a achieved it would have the time to impart the knowledge that makes a perfect practice much less give it away for free.

Sir Digby

Posted by Sir Digby Chick... on Wed, 10/11/2010 - 22:46

 

 

Agreed there is no shortcut but I DO believe the perfect practrice exists. Indeed I think there are numerous "perfect practices". The thing is they are all very different because "the perfect practice" is something personal to you.

For me, my practice is "perfect" because it gives me the kind of life I want, it means I can work in beautiful surroundings,  and it provides a good living for everyone.  Now someone else may hate it - they may think I should keep more money for myself and not waste money on charity work, higher salaries, etc.  Someone else might find being based in the countryside boring and "lonely".  Some people are only happy in a bustling, busy office, but others love working alone from home.

The "perfect practice" is what YOU want.  It has nothing to do with profitability, location, size, or anything else.  It is simply what YOU want.  And I say "what you want" as opposed to what you THINK you SHOULD want. No one can tell you what the perfect practice is, only you, and you need to think really long and hard and be brutally honest with yourself about exactly what you really want.

This is why I object when salesmen try to tell you what you SHOULD do and try to sell you their "vision". They dont know what you want, and the odds are you dont actually know yourself.

 

 

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By [email protected]
19th Nov 2010 13:09

reply to andy partridge

I see your number one subject came up again ' loadsamoney', do you always put yourself first?

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By andypartridge
19th Nov 2010 16:01

Do I always put myself first?

No

-- Kind regards Andy

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