By Mark Wright on Small Business – Advice and Ideas for UK Small Businesses and SMEs

The internet is awash with help and advice for business owners. With all this information at your fingertips, is it worth having a dedicated mentor? The short answer is yes, without a doubt.

For me, the ultimate Apprentice prize was the opportunity to receive the 1-2-1 guidance and mentorship from Lord Sugar and his wealth of experience that came with it. Working in the same office as him for the first three years of my company taught me so many invaluable lessons that couldn’t simply be gleaned from reading a book.

In the business world, the power of a good mentor is a known fact, and the statistics back this up. CNBC reported that 91 per cent of workers with a mentor are satisfied in their jobs, while SCORE found that 30 per cent of entrepreneurs reported increased growth in their business after just one interaction with a mentor, rising to 43 per cent with five or more interactions.

With the likes of Bill Gates receiving mentorship from Warren Buffet, or Mark Zuckerberg from Steve Jobs, it’s clear to see there’s direct link between solid mentoring and high

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