Your role as a business owner - entrepreneur - is often a lonely one.
Although you may be surrounded by a good staff, a supportive family, and a group of encouraging friends, it would not be uncommon for you, at times, to experience a feeling of "being alone" or even a feeling of "complete disconnect.
" When you experience these feelings, you wish that you had someone you could turn to--someone that you could be open and honest with -- so that you could discuss the issues and challenges that you face.
Or, maybe, you wish that you had an individual that you could just brainstorm new ideas or strategies with.
Too often, as a business owner/entrepreneur, you may be reluctant to share your problems and concerns, or your hopes and dreams, with your employees, your family, or your friends because you do not want to worry them.
Or, perhaps, since you may not necessarily be confident in your own solution to a particular problem, you may have a tendency not to communicate with your employees directly about the problem.
It is also easy to become entrenched in a situation and not "see the forest for the trees," thus making it difficult to think of solutions or innovative ideas that may solve the problem.
There are many business challenges that you have, and will continue to have, as a business owner/entrepreneur that you can and should handle on your own.
However, with the daily distractions of owning and managing your business, putting out fires, and dealing with crises, many times the challenges seem overwhelming.
It is at these times that you need someone that you can turn to--someone who has experience and wisdom - so that you can have a pointed discussion about your concerns or ideas.
Incorporating business professionals outside your company to act as a "sounding board" can be advantageous to your company's success.
Selecting external advisers wisely is important because they will provide unbiased opinions about a situation from a variety of perspectives.
Also, these external advisers bring a wealth of knowledge to the table about the best practices and strategies that have proven to be successful in other companies.
After all, many of these external advisers have been where you are -- they have literally "walked in your shoes.
" The key to entrepreneurial success lies in the ability to plan, implement, execute, measure, and adjust.
It is very difficult, in most cases, for a business owner/entrepreneur to accomplish all of these items on their own.
Having an impartial adviser -- not an emotionally invested employee, family member, or friend -- can be a tremendous asset.
Choosing a business adviser is a serious decision.
It is important that you select a business advisor who is competent, experienced, and has both integrity and expertise.
There are many types of business advisers -- general, financial, legal, special projects, etc.
-- who can offer expertise in solving specific problems that will inevitably face every business owner or budding entrepreneur.
To find a business adviser for your particular business, use the Business Adviser, an international directory of over 4,000 independent consulting firms in more than 28 countries.
You can search the directory by a firm's name or by its location.
More importantly, you can also search the directory by a specific skill or specialty that you may require http://www.
businessadviser.
com/