If you are looking to succeed in business, you should find yourself a mentor. In some cases a mentor will find you.  A mentor is a person who will guide you, help you, take you under his or her wings, nurture your talents and put you on the path to success.

Every successful businessperson has learned the tricks of the trade with the help and assistance of a mentor. Do not mistake a mentor for a network contact. The two are completely different. A mentor has a long-term commitment and invests in terms of time and efforts in your future. Whereas a network contact usually makes quick introductions or a couple of phone calls and disappears until he or she needs you or you need him or her.

A mentor is often a person in a position that you would like to be in. He or she is your guide and helps you to reach a similar position. An effective mentor will not hesitate in constructively criticizing you and will share stories of his or her climb to success.

Your mentor will constantly encourage you to work towards your goals, help you develop self-awareness, challenge you to grow beyond your perceived limitations, motivate you to join professional organizations that can help you advance, and listen to you. Your mentor will also assess your strengths and weakness and then help you develop skills for success.

It is important to find a compatible mentor, but even if you and your mentor have different personalities you should not worry because this may create greater opportunities for discoveries to emerge. You have to find a mentor you can identify with, admire and respect. Some people end up having more than one mentor and there is nothing wrong with it. You will be learning from your mentor’s knowledge and abilities.

In a business you need certain skills and abilities. When you are lacking in any one area, you need assistance. You have to increase your knowledge bank and that is where a mentor’s assistance comes in. Invariably, it is a good idea to find a mentor who is in the same functional area as you are and one who shares your values. However, this is not etched on stone and changes from one person to another.

Mentoring is way of improving your knowledge and when you improve, you can apply it to grow your business. Success of a business lies in constantly changing and looking for opportunities for you to provide better service to clients or customers. When you are successful, it is reward enough for your mentor because he or she has achieved what they set out to do -- to make a difference in your life.

To find out more about creating a successful business go to www.joecapista.com to access the free eBook, Build a Multi-Million Dollar Business.