As the economy grinds to a halt, more small business owners are starting to feel stretched - for cashflow, for goodwill, for sanity. The first step away from stress and feeling over-stretched is to consolidate with your support team.
What's that I hear? You don't have one? Business owners often have a sense that they have to shoulder their burdens alone. Often our needs come last - after clients, staff, suppliers, the bank manager and our friends and families.
Many of us have grown up in times when it has been seen to be a good thing to be independent (and it is!), but often we have misidentified this independence with never, ever asking for help, no matter how bad things are. Just like the economy, that approach just doesn’t work anymore!
Just before Christmas I had lunch with my dearest girlfriends – we’re moving towards 25 years of friendship – but still, we often forget to ask each other for help.
We hadn’t seen each other for months and there were lots of big discussions on the table. At the end of that lunch we made a promise to each other to pick up the phone and ask for support when we need it – not to wait until our busy lives allow a small window of opportunity for a catchup!
Sometimes it is these small but incredibly life-affirming commitments that give a greater sense of empowerment. What could you do if you knew your support net was available any time? So, create and maintain a support network of likeminded people. There is strength in numbers! You are no longer the weakest link!
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