Everyone could use a mentor’s guidance

Published 10:27 pm Sunday, June 6, 2010

Entrepreneurs rarely talk about it, but building your business can be isolating.

It’s your dream, your business plan and your time and effort in making your vision of the future happen. But going it alone is a mistake.

Several local entrepreneurs shared this one critical observation that attributed to their success in business: Find mentors who are wise and can be there to cheer and encourage you when things get tough.

You won’t find good mentors in the yellow pages or by posting an ad on Craigslist. Most entrepreneurs seek out information and business advice from folks they already know and respect — natural mentors. These could be former schoolmates, colleagues, current or former bosses, neighbors, relatives, friends or perhaps fellow parishioners.

Sometimes mentors can be found through a match process with the Small Business Administration or through local channels with a chamber of commerce. These matches can certainly add value to gain understanding and industry knowledge, so long as a genuine trust relationship is established.

It is even possible to discover professional mentors trolling the Internet offering their talent at no cost. Be on guard — these are more often connected with network marketing endeavors and the mentoring is really better defined as a vehicle to line their pockets with your participation in their business plan.

Lance Ordonez knows the value of having a skilled mentor. He discovered entrepreneurship at an early age, learning about business as a kid delivering newspapers in Mill Creek. He started out as a shy, introverted youth in junior high and quickly discovered the joys of being in business and serving his customers. People skills, money management and selling soon came as second nature to him. After graduating from Cascade High School and spending a few years in college, Ordonez started a small business selling fitness equipment on eBay.

His mentor was a friend from his church who had taken another product line to market, creating a retail channel that was generating a tidy profit through eBay. The idea was easy for Ordonez to replicate, and he felt great knowing that help, advice and support was a just a phone call or cup of coffee away.

“I learned so much about self-confidence and having a strong work ethic” from my having a mentor, he said. “I think even as a kid, l learned to appreciate the fact that I had a mentor who saw more in me than I saw in myself. And that made all the difference for me. I learned to set goals and try to think of new ways of getting things done.”

John Bell also sees the value of having a business mentor. He retired from Boeing after more than 31 years. His retirement was more like a promotion for him to pursue his passion for winemaking. This Marysville vintner took all of his retirement savings and invested in a dream: Willis Hall Wines.

“I see my mentors as a composite of individuals who poured their knowledge, experience and understanding into my life,” Bell said. “There were a number of key individuals who made all the difference for me. I learned the art of winemaking from a colleague at Boeing as I participated in the wine club. A boss at Boeing taught me the ropes of business.”

Networking is also a big part of Bell’s approach to business. As an entrepreneur, it is too easy to become isolated with the demands of work: production, sales, marketing and distribution. Bell is very active with the Greater Marysville Tulalip Chamber of Commerce and with other community interests. He also speaks to student groups at local schools, including participants in the Everett Community College entrepreneurship program.

He hopes he can help other entrepreneurs the way his mentors have helped him. He doesn’t feel threatened by mentoring a potential competitor; he believes that competition will raise the bar for everyone.

“There is no way I could ever repay those who helped me achieve any measure of success. Out of respect for their gift to me,” he said. “I have the opportunity to pay it forward — to mentor others in hopes of making the road just a bit better for another business to come along.”

Pat Sisneros is the vice president of College Services at Everett Community College. Juergen Kneifel is an associate faculty member in the EvCC Entrepreneurship program. Please send your comments to entrepreneurship@everettcc.edu.