I’ve been aware of the Mobile Business Centre (now known as the Small Business Bus) operated by Business Victoria for some time and have always been slightly curious about its offerings. So when I recently learned it was coming to the nearby suburb of Olinda, this local virtual assistant decided to register and see what it was all about. The Mobile Business Centre is delivered by Small Business Victoria, in collaboration with the Small Business Mentoring Service (SBMS).
Prior to my appointment, I received an email from the allocated mentor, requesting the following dot points were answered to give them some background information of my business and where I was at;
- At what stage is your business (just starting, expanding, stuck, etc)
- What you would like to achieve
- What roadblocks are you experiencing
I knew immediately the answers to these queries! I am stuck… at not knowing what I am really wanting to achieve with my business. I know I am turning away opportunities due to capacity. So I am lacking clarity and vision as to how I move to the next level. Even with the team growing to meet the demand, this creates its own issues. Someone still needs to manage what the team does!
You are granted a 45 mins free mentoring session of which I was fortunate to have extended to an hour due to an unbooked session immediately after mine. During this hour we talked in depth about the lack of clarity and vision I have and a good starting point is to set some SMART objectives for the next 12 month period. SMART objectives being;
S – Specific
M – Measureable
A – Achievable
R – Realistic
T – Timely
Next is to set the activities required in order to achieve the set objectives. This will form my plan and then it’s about getting to work and implementing the plan. I have to say the hour session was an excellent service Business Victoria offer and I would highly recommend it to any small business owner who needs a little guidance in any area of their business.
So, we’ll see where I am at in 12 months time, after I have set some objectives, determined the activities and worked the plan. Stay tuned!
Have you ever engaged a mentor or business coach? Share your experiences, I’d love to hear!