Who Do You Trust For Business Advice?

(NOTE:I published this last spring in another blog but I believe it is always relevant, so enjoy.) 

Small business owners need help. They also need advice. They just don't know it. And if they do, many times, they don't know where to get it. They rarely admit it to me, until they really, really need it. And that is a shame.

I see the problem as trust. Who do you as a small business owner trust to get advice? Well, the first place that most people go to is friends and family. This brings another problem. Are they expert in the advice they are giving? Oh sure, maybe they have gone through something similar. Or even better,  they know someone who has gone through the "exact same thing". But do they really know how that "same thing" applies to their friend's business? Maybe and maybe not. I am not sure we should run our businesses on maybe, maybe not.

The other way to go is to get the experts. People who have guided others through the same situations over and over. These could be other business owners, mentors or those that consult with business owners. The tough thing is you make important decisions about your small business everyday. Every one of them is different. There are situations that come up for all areas of the business. They could be accounting situations, legal situations, marketing situations, insurance situations, technological situations, human resources and on and on. They are daily decisions that have to be made. Is your chosen consultant versed in all areas of your business? Can they relate their experience to your business?

Two things that stop most business owners from going in the direction of professional experts getting expert advice: trust and price. Obviously, trusting someone you don't know is difficult unless you know what their experience is. And don't worry, these experts will tell you. But, can you trust what they tell you? It is best to get third party verification. Sometimes that can come from someone you already trust. That makes it easy. If they offer testimonials, check on them to make sure they are real.

We all need help and advice at some time about something. And it would be profitable to use that help whenever we can.