Look Outside

Almost everyone needs help these days. Don't be too stubborn to admit it. We all have egos, and many of us have done well in the past without help. It is a whole different ball game now. We haven't seen times like these before in our lifetime.

We need to do everything we can and use every idea we can find to stay afloat. That means listening to everyone within your business and many from outside.

Employees on the front line are the closest to the customer. Have we asked them what the customers are saying and how their behaviors have changed? Have we asked them for their thoughts? If not, why not? Don't fool yourself into thinking that as the boss you always know what is going on better than everyone else. Your employees have as much at stakes as you do, at least relatively speaking- they want to hang on to their jobs and their way of life. Ask them, use their thoughts.

Your competitors and colleagues may be in the same boat. Why not get together with them and discuss group strategies for survival? Find ways to pool purchasing to get better pricing, to share advertising cost, etc. If you don't want to give away competitive information, get together with business owners in related or even different fields. Many businesses face the same issues you do. Use ideas from outside your company.

Look for groups online that are discussing key issues.

And I know that consultants look like expense to many of you. But the right ones can be an investment in your future. They may be able to help you effect savings or increase revenue well beyond the cost of their fees. Good consultants have experience that you may not have. They have competencies that do not exist within your organization. If you are fighting for your life, you want as many as possible on your side.

The upshot of this post is that entrepreneurs should not go into a shell and try to solve their problems on their own. Reach out to as many as possible. Tap as many brains as you can reach for the idea or ideas that can mean continued existence, and even more, success. Asking for help does not lessen your authority- it expands it. It shows wisdom, it shows humility and it shows a willingness to learn from others. These are all positive traits in leaders.

How you think and act now will affect your future. Take a step back and think about all of the resources at your fingertips, both internal and external. Think strategically about how to employ them and how to take what you learn and put it to use in your business.

The world is a big place. There are a lot of creative, thoughtful, smart people out there willing to share. Use them.

Comments

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Think strategically about how to employ them and how to take what you learn and put it to use in your business.