It’s no secret that volunteering as a business advisor on BusinessAdvising.org is a convenient way to make a big difference in an entrepreneur’s life. You can create your advisor profile online, you’re matched with a small business owner based on your expertise, you can volunteer in person or through email, phone, or Skype, and you’re only asked to commit 5 hours per month! But what is it really like to be a business advisor?
We caught up with Diana Mills of Union Bank to find out. Diana is currently advising Kim Neush of Get Fresh (check out her company’s case study!). Through Diana’s help with strategic thinking and financial guidance, the outlook for Get Fresh has never been brighter. Read on to get Diana’s perspective on what it’s like to volunteer on BusinessAdvising.org. Who knows? It may be the perfect opportunity for you to give back too.
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Business Advising (BA): Why did volunteering as a business advisor on BusinessAdvising.org feel like the right fit for you?
Diana: I manage a bank branch, and business banking is my specialty, so helping a small business owner in need of financial guidance seemed like the perfect fit. It’s a unique way to work with more small business owners and contribute volunteer hours that connect with my skill set.
BA: Have you been a longtime volunteer, or was this a new experience for you?
Diana: Union Bank definitely supports our volunteer work, but being a business advisor on BusinessAdvising.org is totally different. I typically would volunteer in my children’s schools. We also do a lot of work with Junior Achievement—supporting financial literacy in classrooms—but again, that’s work in a classroom. For me, it’s been really rewarding to advise small business owners because that’s my forte.
BA: What has volunteering virtually been like for you?
Diana: Being that my matched small business owner, Kim, is eight hours away in San Diego, I’ve never met her face-to-face. To communicate we either talk on the phone or email—we do a little bit of both. What’s nice is that we can schedule time that works for both of us, and if something comes up we can reschedule. So it’s fluid and convenient, and it’s applicable to her. If she has something specific that pops up, we’ll schedule an appointment. Or, if she has a document that she wants me to take a look at, she can just send it my way. It’s nice that it’s just her and I, and that we can set the terms that work for each of us.
BA: It sounds like your efforts as a business advisor compliment your fulltime work at Union Bank – would you agree?
Diana: It does compliment my work. In fact, I’ve had one of my employees sit in on a couple of conversations with Kim, so I’ve been able to use this experience as a coaching guide too. But really, it mostly has just been fun and it’s totally within my bandwidth.
BA: Speaking of fun, in one of your advisor check-in surveys we noticed that at the end of your update you wrote, “This is fun, it’s not work at all!” Care to comment?
Diana: Exactly—it’s like I’ve made a friend. We’ve gotten to know each other on a personal level, and it’s turned into a neat relationship. I occasionally go to San Diego, so it would be fun to meet with her in person. That’s how much we’ve evolved—we’re not just talking about her financial statements, it has grown into something a little bit more than that.
BA: How do you think the experience has been for your matched small business owner, Kim?
Diana: I think it’s been helpful. I don’t think she has a relationship with her bank, so now she actually has a connection to a banker as a resource. Now she knows what she needs to do in order to get a bank loan, she’s aware of pitfalls to avoid, etc. I’d like to think that I’ve added more value to her experience.
BA: Anything else you’d like to share—perhaps to potential business advisors who may be thinking about volunteering too?
Diana: Just give it a shot. I’ve found it to be rewarding, and flexible, and not as overwhelming, and I’m thoroughly enjoying it. Through the website I was able to list my skill set; it’s nice that you can drill down to what your strong suit is. It’s not like you’re going to be in over your head, and you will not be asked to volunteer in an area that you don’t have insight into. For anyone who enjoys working with small business owners, it’s really a unique way to get some rewarding volunteer hours on the books.
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A big thanks to Diana who took the time to share her experience as a BusinessAdvising.org business advisor! If you’re looking for a skills-based volunteering opportunity and if you have expertise to share in areas such as finance, HR, operations, sales, IT, marketing, and leadership, then hop on over to BusinessAdvising.org and create your advisor profile today.