"Mentoring, you should consider." -- Yoda

"Mentoring" is perhaps one of the most over-thought and yet under-appreciated resources available to professionals of all levels, and that is especially true for those of us who are self-employed.

Let's break it down to the basics -- we small business owners don't have the time for the long version of things, right?

A mentor is someone with a decent base of experience in a given activity, profession, industry, etc. Mentors don't need to be 30-year veterans and self-made millionaires; they just need to be done with the "rookie season" portion of their career.

A mentee, a.k.a. protégé, a.k.a. Mento (well, at least that's what Tracy Jordan calls them on "30 Rock), is a person who's still in their rookie season, so to speak.

A mentor is a person who acts as a fresh set of eyes and an independent outside observer that a mentee can check in with periodically - and certainly when considering any major decisions - to get feedback on their performance. A mentor is a sounding board that a mentee can use to think through ideas, problems and frustrations.

A mentor doesn't need to be an expert and doesn't need to have all the right answers. He/she just needs to help the mentee (a) make sure they're asking all the right questions and (b) keeping their eye on the prize -- will adding a particular new product or service to the mentee's business advance it towards his or her long-range goals, or be a distraction? Has the mentee thought through the up-side and down-sides of a given decision?

So: got some experience? Declare yourself a mentor and go find yourself a nice mentee to, um, "ment."

Are you the new kid on the block? Snag yourself a mentor; they're a great resource for keeping your sanity and minimizing the number of "Good lord, what was I thinking?" mistakes.

It's a good deal for all parties involved: free expert advice for the mentee, and a great opportunity for the mentor to start to cement their reputation as an expert. Plus it's pretty fun.

Where can you find a mentor/mentee? Often (and ideally) it happens organically as you meet new people while building your business. However, we self-employed types generally have fewer opportunities to make these types of connections. Another option is to join professional groups like the local Chamber of Commerce or Business Network International BNI) chapter. Alternately, try to connect with your local Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) chapter.

What's your experience been as a mentor or mentee?