How to Find a Business Mentor

Decide what you want help with
Start with free and low-cost programs

To find a business mentor, first write down the two or three decisions you want help with, then look in two places: the US Small Business Administration's resource partners, which its site (In the US, checked October 31, 2026) lists for mentoring and counseling, and people a few years ahead of you in your own trade. Ask each person for one short conversation about one question, bring your real numbers, and report back on what you did with the advice. Let a mentor relationship grow out of that follow-up rather than asking for one in the first request.

This page is about finding and working with a mentor. For meeting people in general, read networking strategies for small business. To turn what you learn into targets, how to set business goals walks through it. A mentor may also ask to read your plan, which is the subject of how to write a business plan.

Decide what you want help with

Ask a specific question rather than I'd like a mentor. Before you contact anyone, finish this sentence for each topic: In the next three months I need to decide… Topics a new business might list:

Pricing: whether to charge by the hour, by the job or on a retainer.
First hire: when the work justifies paying someone else.
Cash: how much to keep in reserve and how to chase late payers.
Growth: which service or customer group to focus on.

The list tells you who to look for. A pricing question needs someone who has sold the same kind of work; a hiring question needs someone who has managed people.

Start with free and low-cost programs

In the US, the SBA's resource partners page (checked October 31, 2026) says: "Get counseling, training, mentoring, funding recommendations and other small business help from our nationwide partners." It adds: "This includes dedicated centers for veteran-owned and women-owned businesses."

The same SBA page (In the US, checked October 31, 2026) describes the main options:

SCORE: "SCORE mentors offer area-specific advice at no cost (financing, human resources, business planning) via email, telephone and video."
Small Business Development Centers: "Small Business Development Centers provide counseling and training to small businesses including working with SBA to develop and provide informational tools to support business start-ups and existing business expansion."
Veterans Business Outreach Centers: "SBA’s VBOCs offer workshops, training, counseling, and mentorship opportunities in your area."

To find the nearest one, the SBA page (In the US, checked October 31, 2026) says: "Use our local assistance tool to find a SCORE business mentor or other Resource Partner in your ZIP code." Start with a program mentor, and use that meeting to practice explaining your business before you approach people in your trade.

Look a few steps ahead in your own trade

Look for someone running a business like yours that is two to five years further along, rather than a famous founder. Ask how they handled the problems you face now, with prices and customers like yours. Places to find them:

suppliers and wholesalers, who may know which of their customers run tidy businesses;
trade associations, licensing courses and local business groups;
former employers or senior colleagues who have since gone out on their own;
people in the same trade in a different town, who may not see you as competition.

Ask for one conversation

Keep the first message short and make it easy to agree to. Say who you are in one line, name the single question, and ask for 20 to 30 minutes at a time that suits them. For example: I run a two-person bookkeeping practice and I'm deciding whether to move clients to monthly fixed fees. You made that change a few years ago. Could I ask you about it on a 20-minute call in the next few weeks?

Don't ask Will you be my mentor? in the first message. If the first conversation goes well, ask whether you can come back in a month with what happened.

Come prepared

Send a one-page brief a day or two before the conversation:

What the business does and for whom, in two sentences.
The numbers that matter to the question: monthly revenue, your main costs, how many clients, how long they take to pay.
The decision you face and the options you are weighing.
What you have already tried.

A mentor can only judge what they can see. Bring real figures, so the advice can be about your business.

Worked example: a first-quarter mentoring plan

Sample figures, for illustration only. In their first quarter, a landscaper plans three mentor conversations:

3 conversations × 45 minutes = 2 hours 15 minutes of the mentor's time.
1 hour of preparation before each: 3 × 1 hour = 3 hours.
30 minutes after each to write up what to try: 3 × 30 minutes = 1 hour 30 minutes.

Total for the owner: 2 hours 15 minutes + 3 hours + 1 hour 30 minutes = 6 hours 45 minutes over three months, about 30 minutes a week. Use your own figures; these are only an illustration.

Keep it going

Within a week of each conversation, send a short note: what you decided, what you tried, and what happened. Don't skip this step if you'd like to talk to them again. Offer something back where you can, such as an introduction, a referral or a useful supplier. Over time you may end up with two or three people you call on for different things, and you may find that more useful than relying on one person.

Where Billed fits

Show a mentor your real figures. Billed's financial reporting page says: "Instantly see how well your business is performing with Billed Financial Reporting." It also says: "All reports in Billed can be exported for use with your accountant, bookkeeper, or tax software." An exported report is a quick way to share real figures in your one-page brief.

Mistakes to avoid

Asking a stranger to be your mentor before you've had one conversation.
Arriving without a question or without numbers.
Taking every piece of advice without checking it against your own situation.
Never telling the mentor what you did with their advice.
Looking only for well-known names instead of people a few steps ahead in your trade.

When this guide isn't for you

For legal, tax or accounting questions, go to a lawyer or an accountant; a mentor's experience is not a substitute. If you want someone to do the work, such as building a marketing plan or keeping your books, you need a paid adviser or contractor, not a mentor.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I find a free business mentor in the US?

In the US, the SBA's resource partners page (checked October 31, 2026) says: "SCORE mentors offer area-specific advice at no cost (financing, human resources, business planning) via email, telephone and video." The same page lists Small Business Development Centers, Veterans Business Outreach Centers and Women's Business Centers.

How do I ask someone to mentor me?

Ask for one short conversation about one specific question, not an ongoing commitment. Say who you are, name the question, and offer a time that suits them. If it goes well, ask whether you can follow up in a month.

What should I bring to a first mentor meeting?

A one-page brief with what the business does, the numbers behind your question, the decision you face and what you have already tried.

How often should I meet a mentor?

There's no set rule. Agree on a rhythm that suits you both, such as monthly or quarterly, and follow up after each conversation with what you did.

Quick checklist

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