According to John Donne, "no man is an island"; we are all dependent on each other.  In the overall scheme of things, business or personal, we should all ask for help and offer help to others.

       The challenge for your business is recognizing that you do need help. Leaving your ego at the door is the first and most critical step to successful analysis.  You need to take a hard look from the client's point of view; your personal choices do not count.  This is where asking for help may be necessary.

       Having a mentor, someone outside of your business, is a good source of information.  There are a number of other choices that are also available to provide insight.  Employees, co-workers or associates may have good ideas or insights that you can refine and implement.  Hiring a consultant may be the best answer.

       Consultants are free of any other connections that may taint a call to action. Many people are reticent to hire a consultant because they don't recognize the need, and they think of it as an ex pense.  Most Consultants will give you a complimentary half hour, or so,to assess what you may need; because they are entirely neutral they can bring very useful information to the table. As far as being an expense goes, nothing could be farther from the truth.  A good Consultant is an investment in the future of your business.  You need to put systems in place that can calculate your return on investment (ROI). Your Consultant can help you with this.

       If you take advantage of your Consultant's advice, act on her suggestions and follow your progress with your ROI system, making adjustments as necessary, you will see a significant growth in your business.  If you just invest the money and do not take action, your investment will become an expense and a waste of valuable resources.