Loading...
Answers
MenuHow do go about finding a mentor to help me take my software company from 6 figures to 7 figures in annual sales?
Someone who has been there and done that in niche market like mine: 3D Agricultural Earthworks Design Software
What should I pay them? What skill should I look for?
Answers
This is nit-picky, but I think reframing your question will help you get the result you need.
Having a mentor and figuring out how you will pay them feels like a contradiction since I've never had a mentor that ever asked to be paid for any advice they gave me.
Finding a mentor is a very organic thing in my experience, and definitely worthwhile, but I think the shortest path to getting to a 7 figure revenue rate is to get a consultant that can help you improve your skills and better focus your resources.
You could do this by leveraging them in a group setting, like masterminds, you could retain them monthly, or just about any other format they're open to.
I've got a client right now that is in a very similar spot as you, doing $350k and just needed some guidance to get better focused on what will get them to $1MM. Our arrangement is with a weekly call and he's asked for more help, so we're moving my deliverable work under a profit-sharing agreement.
I'd use Clarity to talk to a lot of different consultant's and see what you find. Just don't jump into an long-term agreements until you know they're a fit and are more interested in your success than their fee.
Practice with me for free if you'd like and I can help you get your questions dialed in better for future calls: https://clarity.fm/joshualong/VIP
A mentor is usually not someone you pay....they are usually someone who has a specific skill set or experience you are missing and they can help guide you in your next steps.
I building my business, my mentor had already been through everything that would happen as I got started. She was instrumental in keeping me on track and helping me understand the obstacles. Her support and past experience was invaluable.
Before you start looking for mentor create a list of the skills you need to develop. Knowing that you want to grow sales exponentially, what specifically do you feel is missing for you to make that leap and how will your mentor help you accomplish this?
A few ways to find a mentor include through your local Chamber of Commerce; use your LinkedIn contacts and groups to seek out who has the qualifications you require; a tech accelerator and business networking group may help here too. Sometimes you will find that your mentor may not come from your field of business....it's the experience that you are looking for to help you grow. They will be able to guide you around obstacles, anticipate what could come at you and help you formulate your future steps. This other perspective is helpful in providing insight in new ways to your business.
Please let me know if you would like to discuss mentoring more. I am happy to have a call to bounce other ideas around.
There are a ton of different ways to go about finding a good mentor. Ten Thousand Coffees, for lack of a better analogy, is like a dating site for local mentorship and networking. It streamlines the natural cycle of mentorship by letting you list your profile and browse a database of professionals who are open to networking or mentoring the next generation. Networking is easier in-person for a lot of people. Be sure to check out these networking tips before you attend.
You can read more here: https://www.shopify.in/blog/how-to-find-a-mentor
Besides if you do have any questions give me a call: https://clarity.fm/joy-brotonath
Related Questions
-
Where can I find programmers willing to join a growing mobile start up for equity only?
You won't find anyone worth adding to your team willing to work for equity only, no matter how compelling your product and business is. The realities of the talent market for mobile developers anywhere is such that a developer would be foolish to work only for equity unless they are a cofounder and have double digit equity. Happy to talk about hiring and alternatives to full-time hires.TW
-
My startup just failed. What could I start to "immediately" generate $1,000/mo?
The quickest path to cash is almost always consulting. Be very specific about what it is you can offer. Don't just offer "business consulting". Find a niche and serve it. Reach out to your network, including friends and family and ask if they need or know of anyone who might want to hear about what your consulting has to offer. That will be way faster than trying to go at it from scratch or cold calling. If you call 100 people in your network this week, you will have a consulting gig within 3 weeks. Good luck, and let me know if you'd like advice on entering a digital marketing/lead generation consulting niche. I've grown from zero to $8,000 of monthly recurring payments in the last 40 days! DaveDR
-
As an accounting graduate with no money and no connections, how do I start my own consulting firm? And how do I get clIents?
STOP. DO NOT DO THIS.... I would never want help from someone like you. Don't get me wrong -- you aren't evil (that I know about) but you don't seem have any value that I could pay for. What would you be "consulting" a CEO like me about? How do you expect to make my business better when you don't have a clue about your own business? THAT'S THE TRUTH... Fuck the truth. If you want to get clients then you hustle -- every waking moment. You try an angle and fail and then try a different angle. You can't outsmart your way to bigger results. 2 plus 2 does not equal 4 -- it equals you going bankrupt. If you want to be successful then you need to exert massive amounts of effort to get off the ground. So get your ass out there and start asking everyone you meet: "What is that one big accounting question that's been bothering you for some time now? If I can't help you i'll buy you a cup of coffee" Then just go be a badass...DW
-
How do you get your first customers for a consulting business?
Back when I started LinkedIn wasn't as huge as it is now. I wish it was. I didn't have a large network and those networking sessions NEVER brought me any clients. I used to go to all sorts of them hoping to get clients. There were a couple of nibbles here and there, but never anything serious. The only thing that helped was reaching out DIRECTLY to people in my target market. That meant cold calls and cold emails. I'd sell myself while thinking about their needs. Once I got a few bites I'd build good rapport by keeping in touch, asking questions, repeating back what they were saying so that they knew I was on the same page and kept my promises. If I said I'd call them back next Tuesday at 2:15 I'd do so. Eventually I built trust with them without having a network, or an insane amount of experience. Oh and the most important thing about consulting is to LISTEN. When those first clients notice that you're truly listening and you're not selling the cookie cutter solutions everyone else is trying to sell them that's when you got them hooked. You start to understand their problems, fears, and see through their eyes and not just yours. A network will help, but in the beginning just good 'ol salesmanship will get the ball rolling.JC
-
19 year old with a start up idea that doesn't really know where to start.
Try and find someone your age that can code and persuade them to join you on your journey. It's either that, or learn to code. I've done both. Learning to Code www.udemy.com www.treehousapp.com + many other. Finding a Co-Founder - Go to meetups - Find a school that teaches computer science - Find someone on GitHub.com The truth is there's 100 ways to solve your problem, but it will take risk and based on your question it doesn't seem like you're willing to take any. If you believe in your idea, it may mean sacrificing school? If you're not willing to risk that, then why should an investor risk his capital on you? It just shows your conviction. Not everyone is suppose to be an entrepreneur. If you are, you'll need to step up and take action. P.S. I started when I was 17. Failed. Tried again at 19. Failed. Kept at it till I was 24. Won. Again at 29. Won. Again at 31. Still going (= Clarity). Just start.DM
the startups.com platform
Copyright © 2025 Startups.com. All rights reserved.