If you sing out of tune, you take voice lessons. If you keep slicing the ball, you get a golf coach to analyze your swing. How do you know when it’s time to get outside business advice?
- You feel overwhelmed
- You’re growing too fast
- Your debt is increasing
- You’re unhappy with your results
- You’ve had customer and/or employee complaints and defections
- There’s never enough time; you’re working extra with little or nothing to show for it.
- You’re talking about the same problems you had last year
- It feels like the competition is getting too far ahead of you
- You don’t have a documented strategy
- You manage by gut feel vs. facts and data
- You don’t feel like you’re making good decisions – or you’re putting off decisions period
- You’re reading this list
So what do you do now?
Realize that you’re not alone. This is common, especially with small businesses that are starting up, expanding, or trying to improve. And in this economy – are you kidding?
Consider an independent consultant. Although larger companies hire consultants all the time, the typical entrepreneur may see this as a sign of weakness or even failure. It’s not. It’s a sign of intelligence and foresight. Buying someone else’s learning curve may be the best shortcut to success.
Keep a “do it yourself” mentality. But stop thinking you have to do it ALL yourself. Most of us simply don’t have the skills to know everything about running a small business, let alone managing all the moving pieces.
Edward Livesay
