Starting a business takes a huge amount of energy not to mention the other factors that come into play – capital, staffing, and inventory among others. Somehow all the pieces fall into place. Voila! The new enterprise is in operation!
And you did it by yourself! Congratulations!
However, as we all know, help was extended and was always available – the inventory arrived earlier than expected, job applicants, eager to work, were hired; capital is more than adequate for a year’s operations – serendipitously or otherwise. But in the middle of it all, you hit a snag. You find yourself bogged down with the operations’ daily grind instead of growing the business. And you’re still doing it all by yourself! Unconsciously, the “I, me, and myself” of working might just be the best way to end the new business’ life.
It pays to remember that only arrogant people don’t ask for help. Everyone can teach us something new. The bottom line is asking for assistance is not a sign of weakness; it isn’t cheating nor is it a lack of pride in the business. Here are a couple of reasons why:
- Beginning entrepreneurs tend to get in their own way. Asking for help allows other ideas to come in, getting yours out of the way, thus creating an opportunity for the business to flourish.
- Highlighting others’ assets contributes to the growth of the business. For example, hiring a baker who’s a whiz at producing tasty cinnamon raisin bread shines a light the baker’s skills while creating a buzz about the bakeshop.
- Beginning business owners take on a lot of work to minimize expenses. However, delegating tasks and fair distribution of assignments insures that you have time to focus on other business aspects such as marketing.
Startups need passion and commitment. More than that, nurturing a new business is the art of asking for help in many forms – advice, moral support, and additional capital. Successful entrepreneurs like Richard Branson got help via a bank loan to get his worldwide Virgin company started – we should all learn from them!
Written by Yoli P. – The Help