Finding a Mentor In Your Niche Business

Every business has a niche in one form or another. Sometimes it is a broad but still focused sector, or centered around a very specific product or service. In the world of eCommerce, picking the correct niche is crucial. And sometimes, you need a bit of help with this because you can't think of everything on your own... Or so people try to tell me, haha. This is where finding a mentor in your niche can be one of the most important steps you make!

Choosing the Right Mentor for Your Niche

Niche selection is one of the most important aspects of succeeding in an eCommerce business. Why leave this to chance? The wrong selection can leave you trying to sell products that no one buys. Also, you may find a hot seller but the margins are so thin you will struggle to make any profits over the long run.

Hiring someone like a coach, or a 'guru' as they like to call themselves, who has successfully taken on eCommerce projects can be a wise choice. But, there are many who will tout themselves as experts but really have little to no experience. Even worse, you find your fair share of scammers as well.

Be careful of the so called big 'influencers' who are just trying to sell you on a course or having you sell one of their products. That gets you into multi level marketing and not something you really want to mess with in most cases. Or they just feed you into their sales funnel and you don't get the resources you need to help you in your business... Just make sure you are doing your research. You want a coach that is going to not just know your business model, but someone that will want to get to know YOU!

Making Sure This Is The Right Person For You

When you make your considerations for a candidate, ask many questions. Do a lot of research online to find profiles of successful people.

Ask what kinds of guarantees they offer. If they are experienced, this should not be an issue with them. If it is, simply move on and find someone else. You don’t want to deal with a situation where they offer you low-quality advice which produces bad results. They should know all the necessary components of your eCommerce business. Ask them to produce a plan before you agree to work with them. If it seems like it makes sense, then you can proceed with them.

Don’t be afraid to spend some money when doing this. In fact, paying more will save you in headaches and prevent you from wasting money. If you find people who are willing to mentor you for low dollar amounts, this could be a sign of inexperience or incompetence. People that charge higher prices, generally value their work and time more than the guys just low balling offers.

eCommerce is a hot ticket item so good mentors are going to command high rates. You need to accept that if you want to work with a quality mentor, it’s going to cost some money.

Ask For Proof Of Expertise

Ask them for examples of what kinds of projects they have worked on in the past. While it is easy for people to pass off any website as one in which they claim they worked on, let them explain to you in detail how they set it up.

Ideally, you want someone who has their own eCommerce set up and is still profiting from it. It’s okay if they had one and sold it for a decent price. But, try to see if they can prove the sale. That’s not always easy to come by though.

In any case, make sure you have a way of measuring the success of your mentor. Work with him or her to come up with a set of deliverables that can help you keep on track.

If something feels off, it probably is, and you need to listen to your gut and respectfully find another coach.

It's Important To Have a Guide on Your Journey

In conclusion, it is many times better to have a guide to help you on your business journey that has been there and done that and knows all the pitfalls so that you don't have to figure them out on your own.

You want someone with expertise in your particular niche so they can guide you in the best direction for greater success.

And lastly, you want a coach that is going to try and get to know YOU and YOUR business and not just try to sell you on a course, which turns you into their product.