Business is hard! I promise you it is. We all begin the businesses in our minds as ideas then move on to execute. The execution journey is one full of lessons, surprises, amazement, trials, tribulations and rewards. It cuts both ways.
It’s interesting how the mind begins very biased towards how successful the business could be. If you are like me, I am certain you envision beautiful things. How your product will come to life and make your customers satisfied and in the process stream some loads of cash into the bank.
I have been in business for close to twenty years. Most recently, my business work has found me working with other business owners, especially small business owners. It’s the sector we often refer to as micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs or SMEs. It’s been an interesting phase where you learn from the wisdom of those who have tried and succeeded, others still trying and those simply starting out.
This is one sector that has mastered the art of “go with the flow”. We all know that being dynamic is critical to success in business. I promise true wisdom comes from learning through experience. The business environment is constantly changing and when you “stay woke”, you stay relevant. This simply means you cannot depend on yourself alone to decide every best move.
Regardless of the phase of your entrepreneurship journey, you will encounter business challenges. Today I want to emphasize the importance of asking for help. Do not be afraid to ask for help. Asking for help does not mean that you are a failure. It means you are ready to hear different perspectives on how to solve a problem. Sometimes it’s surprising how simple and effective some of the ideas you get from other people are.
A simple example here. You are a driver on the road and get a flat tyre without a functional spare. You happen to be over 300kms from your base town where the ideal mechanic is based or out of range for your car rescue service. You can either decide to ask another driver, bodaboda rider, or pedestrian passing by to help you fix the problem or remain stranded for hours on the road making frantic calls to people who may only guess what you could do.
As a business owner, as many times as necessary, ask for help anyway, especially from people who may understand your current circumstances. It will help you respond to different business challenges faster.
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