Asking for help and being vulnerable are the BOLDEST signs of leadership. Suffering in silence is not a strength and perfection is a misnomer. It doesn’t exist… So, if you are a business owner or care about one, here are 4 signs that it may be time to ask for help….
1) You are spending a lot of your time doing things you are not good at.
You are an expert at making the product or providing your service, that doesn’t always mean you’re good at running THE business. Your company will grow and blossom the sooner you realize you are not a stellar accountant or a marketing guru and find someone who can help you do those tasks. Being a so-so accountant is going to do more damage than hiring someone who does it well.
2) You are doing things you don’t enjoy. Example: Bob has a small manufacturing company.
He loves the mechanical aspect, watching an idea turn into an actual product, and enjoys the hands on work. However, stress builds when he has to deal with HR issues and talking to banks, insurance agents, accountants and lawyers. Small business owners who try to wear all of the hats, especially the ones they dislike, burn out or close doors long before others who find people who are good at and enjoy these jobs. I am not saying you should only do things that make you happy, (wouldn’t that be great) that’s not realistic! However, the majority of your time should not be spent on things you hate doing.
3) You do things that don’t go to the bottom line.
Small business is often feast or famine and for owners to be doing tasks that don’t directly impact the bottom line may be
better suited for someone else. Ex: someone else can clean the office or mow the lawn. You are the visionary of this business and you are the one that should be making sure your employees are all working towards that vision.
4) You find yourself without someone to ask for advice - it is lonely at the top!
Whether it be a trusted friend, a former leader or a consultant, find someone who has owned their own business before. Experienced mentors have already made many of the common growth mistakes and learned from them. They have faced many of the same difficult situations that you will and can help you avoid some of the challenges ahead.
Did you know that 50% of the knowledge you need to run your business in 5 years doesn't exist today?
Keep yourself up to date. There’s so much more to know and there’s so much we will share with you.
More: https://www.lionswayconsulting.com/post/3-myths-all-business-owners-believe
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