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Making sure your business keeps growing is one challenge that almost every business owner in Central Oregon can relate too. It doesn’t matter if the economy is going well – like it is right now – or if times are tough, your business either keeps moving forward or it dies.
While most business owners can relate to this, it is often harder to know when to call on outside help. In some cases, one might feel like they know there business better than anyone else ever could. In other cases, it might be uncertainty or fear which keep them from asking for help.
However, it is important to note that asking for help is not a sign of weakness. Instead, it’s an opportunity to grow by leveraging the expertise that experts can offer. With that in mind, here are some tips on how to know when your business needs outside help.
Why Should You Ask for Help?
As mentioned asking for help is not a sign of weakness; in fact, it is quite the opposite. You might be shaking your head, but think about it. When you bring an outsider into your business it is usually when you are facing a challenge that can either help your business to grow significantly or to stave out a threat – like a lawsuit.
In some cases, this help can have an outsized benefit and can drive your business to new heights. This is often the case when you are seeking advice on a business acquisition or are trying to set up a new factory or warehouse in another part of the country. In both cases, an outsider can offer their experience in a surgical manner.
This is key as asking for help should never be a shotgun approach. Instead, you need to carefully define the scope of what you trying to achieve. In this way, you can measure accurately measure the impact on your business.
Another example would be when you are facing a legal challenge. This could be a civil action or even if you are contemplating an action against a competitor who is using unfair business practices. In both cases, you’ll want to seek the advice and counsel of an attorney with the appropriate experience.
Granted, there are no guarantees in life but if you are facing a legal challenge, then it is better to bring in someone with experience than try to go it alone as you could end up paying ten times more than the legal fees if your case is not presented properly.
This is even the case if you are seeking to solve a problem in California, which means you’ll need someone who is not only licensed to practice in the state but understand the intricacies of the local court system. In fact, you might want to check out this firm – https://westcoasttriallawyers.com/locations/woodland-hills/ – especially if the case is related to a personal injury claim.
Why should you ask for help? It usually comes down to one of two reasons. First, you know how to handle the issue but you don’t have the time. Let’s face it we are all busy. The second is that you and your team lacks the required experience as such, you’ll want to bring in someone who has been there and done that.
How to Know When it’s Time
Ok, those are the two reasons but the real trick is knowing when it is time. Running a small business, or any growing company can be like trying to drink from a firehose and for that reason, it can often be difficult to know when to put your hand up.
However, there are some signs to know when it is time to ask for help. The biggest might be when you are losing ground to your competitors. Maybe the cause is out of your control or maybe you need a fresh pair of eyes. Either way, this is a potential sign that you need to bring someone in from the outside.
Another sign that you need help is when your to-do list keeps getting longer. Not only is this a sign that you are underwater but it is also a sign that you need some help in prioritizing what is most important for your business.
Beyond this, you also want to look at bringing in outside help if it will help you finalize a potential ‘winning move’ in the market you compete in. Maybe this is someone with knowledge of a bid process or maybe it is an outside sales person who really knows your market. In business, you can never rest on your laurels and this often means looking for ways to make your team even stronger.
