A couple of weeks ago, Amber Naslund made a case for giving your expertise away to build community, and gave some great advice on how to do it. In her 10th and final tip, she encouraged mentoring your industry’s newbie. “We’re all richer when we empower each other to be better,” Amber wrote. Indeed, we all prosper when we all prosper. I’ve learned a great deal from my colleagues and competitors. (A recent favorite: “Marketing with inspiration, not desperation.” Thanks, Erin Donley.)
Let’s take it further, though, beyond our own. What about sharing our skills with our clients or prospects? Or, better still, with business owners who cannot afford to be our clients? In fact, why even put those labels on fellow members of our community?
MicroMentor.org, a Mercy Corps initiative, is a free online service that connects low-income microentrepreneurs, who have limited access to business resources, with volunteer mentors who have successfully navigated business ownership or management. Mentors share their experience and expertise, microentrepreneurs grow their businesses and increase revenues. Everybody wins.
I signed up and connected with a microentrepreneur today. Will you join me?
P.S.: For more radical steps, consider freeshare in a freeconomy community.
