Mentor groups, sometimes known as mastermind groups, are a great way to help kick start or improve upon your business. These groups are comprised of various business owners who all have common goals in mind. The particular goals can vary, but the point of most mentoring groups is to bring business owners together to help them grow their businesses.

Here are some of the things to look for when searching for a mentoring group for your business.

1. Look for people with interests the same as yours. As a physical product seller, look for other people who are also selling tangible items.
2. Find a group that offers resources to help you in your business.
3. Look for groups who are constantly updating their resources and not just posting old resources.
4. Research various groups and ask members of different groups about what the group has to offer.
5. Find members who have “grown” since joining the group. This will prove that success is a possibility.
6. Look for members who are willing to share their thoughts, criticisms, and knowledge willingly. You don’t want a group of mentors who refuse to help newer members. Remember it’s called mentoring for a reason.
7. Find a membership that fits in your budget, but remember that price isn’t everything. Your mentoring group is an investment, not an expense.
8. Look for groups that offers lifetime membership. You may find that after a certain amount of time or after you’ve completed certain steps you will be offered a discounted or possibly even free membership.
9. Find a mentoring group whose schedule fits yours.
10. Look for a group who not only allows members to ask questions, but encourages it. However, don’t expect the mentors to always just give you the answers you need, they should also be encouraging you to think for yourself.

If you can’t find a group you feel is right for you or that fits your budget just yet, try following one or two people in your business area or market that you can learn from. Study and more importantly, implement the things you learn from them and ask questions when you have them.

Are you looking for a group of product sellers? Try the Product Seller’s Club at MichelleWatersOnline.com.

One of my long-time clients recently closed her business. She’d been with me since since 2005.

Her reason for closing? She wasn’t selling enough to justify keeping the site open.

This is not an uncommon story. For many years, I resigned myself to the fact that often small businesses are just not meant to be. The statistics even supported this view: As many as 1/3 of business startups fail within the first 2 years.

My experience has been that there may be an even greater number in the Work At Home Mom world.

I really felt bad about this, though. Setting up a Shop Kit Plus website for a new WAHM and then turning her loose in the world was not my intention. I wanted to help WAHMs grow, become successful and be confident in their abilities to take care of their family personally and financially.

So, I’ve started offering coaching services for product sellers that need direction and advice, a podcast called Product Seller’s Talk Radio, where I offer advice to those who want to sell physical products online and my blog, where I write about everything you need to know to grow your business.

Now, I can help you build a site that sells using the Shop Kit Plus — and teach you how to reach your customers and encourage them to purchase from you.

Sounds like fun, right?

Those people who I have been able to work closely with have succeeded. It’s excited. I want to pass that success on to you.

Head over to MichelleWatersOnline.com and start growing your business today!