One of the things that I discovered many years ago is that you can not be ALL things to ALL people.
So why is it that so many entrepreneurs feel they can boldly move forward without input and advice from the broad array of professionals, experts and potential mentors?
Recognizing the need for this type of specialized expertise as businesses grow and develop, one of the programs that I’ve been very pleased to have helped develop in Alberta, (Canada) introduces entrepreneurs to many of those areas of expertise. What’s more, it’s a totally FREE service, provided without cost or obligation on the part of the businesses that access the service!
The Business Link's “Guest Advisor Program” provides entrepreneurs with the opportunity to speak with business management consultants, business coaches, lawyers, accountants, and financial representatives who volunteer their time to discuss the business owners concerns. Think of it as an introduction to the variety of business services available to from within the private sector. It’s an opportunity to discuss specific business situations with a professional in a neutral location and can provide great insight into how working with a professional can assist in the development of that business.
More information on the “Guest Advisor Program” can be found by CLICKING HERE.
Continuing with the theme of connecting with various professionals to assist the entrepreneur, here is another portion of that great article we saw in the Ivey Business Journal a while ago. As mentioned in earlier posts, I was drawn to the catchy title: “That’ll Never Work: Six important lessons from successful entrepreneurs” while preparing to facilitate a group of potential entrepreneurs who were working through the business planning process.
The article was written by Dennis Fortnum, Canadian Managing Partner for KPMG Enterprise. I contacted the good folks at KPMG Enterprise and asked for permission to use a few of these terrific stories in this BLOG. Thank you very much for that approval. Let me also recommend that readers seek out and acquire a copy of the book. It brings together the success stories of 19 Canadian entrepreneurs and a few of them were highlighted in the article that I’ve mentioned.
FYI - A few additional details to assist those who are interested can be found at the end of this post.
This BLOG POST features one of several stories from the article and provides some valuable lessons that these entrepreneurs learned as they made their way towards success!
In this particular story, Dennis Fortnum underscores the importance of recognizing when the expertise of others is necessary and beneficial for your growing venture.
The Business Link's “Guest Advisor Program” provides entrepreneurs with the opportunity to speak with business management consultants, business coaches, lawyers, accountants, and financial representatives who volunteer their time to discuss the business owners concerns. Think of it as an introduction to the variety of business services available to from within the private sector. It’s an opportunity to discuss specific business situations with a professional in a neutral location and can provide great insight into how working with a professional can assist in the development of that business.
More information on the “Guest Advisor Program” can be found by CLICKING HERE.
Continuing with the theme of connecting with various professionals to assist the entrepreneur, here is another portion of that great article we saw in the Ivey Business Journal a while ago. As mentioned in earlier posts, I was drawn to the catchy title: “That’ll Never Work: Six important lessons from successful entrepreneurs” while preparing to facilitate a group of potential entrepreneurs who were working through the business planning process.
The article was written by Dennis Fortnum, Canadian Managing Partner for KPMG Enterprise. I contacted the good folks at KPMG Enterprise and asked for permission to use a few of these terrific stories in this BLOG. Thank you very much for that approval. Let me also recommend that readers seek out and acquire a copy of the book. It brings together the success stories of 19 Canadian entrepreneurs and a few of them were highlighted in the article that I’ve mentioned.
FYI - A few additional details to assist those who are interested can be found at the end of this post.
This BLOG POST features one of several stories from the article and provides some valuable lessons that these entrepreneurs learned as they made their way towards success!
In this particular story, Dennis Fortnum underscores the importance of recognizing when the expertise of others is necessary and beneficial for your growing venture.
Tapping the Expertise of Trusted Advisers
Entrepreneurs often require a steady hand to guide them, but they rarely realize it. Not only do most of the entrepreneurs in “That’ll Never Work” admit to wanting to know how to make the right decision every time, many said at one time they believed their employees in fact expected them to be all-knowing.
As Natalie Macaulay, partner and UK managing director of leadership consultants Emerge Learning puts it:
“There’s a difference between leadership and management. Often, leaders move up through the ranks, through what Emerge Learning calls individual contributor roles. They become experts in something and suddenly they find themselves at the helm as leader. One of the first steps they must take to become an engaging leader is to get rid of the notion that they’re supposed to know all the answers. In fact, they need to accept they will never have all of the answers. From there it’s about personal growth and helping leaders to be comfortable in their own skin, because you can’t lead a team if you have insecurities about your own performance.”
Most of the entrepreneurs in the book cited the need for one or several mentors, consultants or executives with broader business expertise than they had. They recognized—sometimes just in time—that they needed the perspective of someone who had witnessed more of the ebb-and-flow nature of business.
Trying to know everything is not only impossible, it’s exhausting, and detrimental to the business. While it may be scary to admit a need to defer to other experts inside or outside the company, it is an essential skill for any businessperson.
In closing, if you’ve ever felt like you were all alone as you walk this entrepreneurial road, let me encourage you to tap into the wealth of expertise that’s available to assist you. Many organizations can help point you in the right direction, and we would also be very pleased to assist in this regard, particularly when it comes to aspects of mentorship.
* For FREE information information related to Mentorship, "click" on the links for our Mentorship Blog and our YouTube Channel.
Please feel free to add your comments and suggestions to help other in moving forward with their hopes, dreams and aspirations.
NOTES: (As mentioned earlier)
About KPMG Enterprise’s book, “That’ll Never Work” - readers will discover 19 outstanding stories from Canadian entrepreneurs. These are men and women who took their vague idea, turned it into a winning one and built a workable business structure around it. Perhaps most impressive is the fact that all 19 have also been able to do the near impossible: keep their business intact and thriving for years, or even decades.
The Article by Dennis Fortnum: The article was seen in The Ivey Business Journal and at the time, was found at: <http://www.iveybusinessjournal.com/author/dfortnum>
Strategy | March / April 2012 <http://www.iveybusinessjournal.com/the_post_issue/march-april-2012>
The book, “That’ll Never Work” and related information: At the time of preparing this post, there was a significant amount of information related to the book found at: http://www.thatllneverwork.ca/
