At this stage in my business, and my life in general, I’ve learned that sometimes I need to stop trying to figure things out on my own and instead consult with an expert. In fact, I’ve previously written about all the different kinds of coaches I’ve hired as my business grows.
With that being said, sometimes we get in our own way and can’t see when it’s time to seek the help of someone else. Or, we feel like we should be able to do everything ourselves.
Unfortunately, neither of these scenarios will get you very far. Instead, you’ll waste your own precious time that you could be using to make more money. Here’s how to know when it’s time to consult with an expert.
You’ve already tried to do it on your own.
If you’ve already tried to do it on your own and either failed miserably or have wasted enough of your time on it, then it’s time to consult with an expert.
Here’s an example of what I mean. I’m reopening my membership site next year where students will be able to gain access to every business or finance class I’ve ever taught. I tried building the website from scratch and did okay. It’s acceptable for this stage. However, I can’t design a nice sales page to save my life.
After trying for months to do it on my own, I decided to just hand it off to my web designer. And you know what? The sales page is now gorgeous and functional.
You have no business doing this task yourself.
Another sign that it’s time to consult with an expert is when you have no business doing something yourself. For example, I have no business messing with any sort of coding on a website. None. Zilch. Zero.
I could try to fix something on my own website by learning to code, but then I also run the risk of breaking everything.
You know another area where I have no business doing the task myself? Accounting. More specifically, taxes. I could try to figure out my own estimated taxes, get it wrong and pay a penalty or I can consult with my accountant.
You’re really clueless as to what to do.
Because I run a successful content marketing business, I’m sometimes the expert people want to consult with. I’ve noticed that most of my consulting clients come to me when they really are clueless as to what their next step is.
It’s not that they are clueless in general, it’s that they’ve reached unchartered territory in their business that they aren’t familiar with. For example, I have a consulting client who has some traditional sales training under her belt, but she’s at a loss when it comes to online marketing.
Rather than trying to figure it out on her own, which she’d already previously learned the hard way that it wouldn’t be a good idea, she decided to consult with an expert.
Final Thoughts
It’s perfectly acceptable to consult with an expert and ask for help. In fact, it’s absolutely necessary to the growth of your business. With time, you’ll be able to notice these signs creep in and you’ll know exactly what you should do.
