Needing Help — And Being Smart Enough to Ask For It

I recently applied for the opportunity to be a student in a ten-week small business incubator course, run by a local non-profit (ASSETS). 

The point of this class is to help you move forward in your new business endeavor. The ASSETS team teaches marketing strategies, legal requirements, the difference between LLCs and S Corps, as well as myriad other components of a successful business. 

As I introduce Marian Pontz Consulting to the world, I could learn as needed, guess whether or not I am doing the right thing, research on my own, read a few books on start-ups (at time of writing, there are at least 4,000 titles on Amazon on this topic), ask a few people for advice, and—with luck and a lot of prayers — there would be a chance that I could end up a successful businessperson.

But, the reality is that my core set of skills rest in the education field — not in business. As such, I know that I could use some help. It does not mean that I have given over control of my business. Instead, I’ve turned to the experts to help lead me to success, to help me work smarter, not harder, and to reach more people and share with them my valuable knowledge.

I need this nonprofit’s knowledge. I am smart enough to know what I do not know, and I'm smart and humble enough to know that there are others that can help me. 

Just because I participated in Junior Achievement as a young adult, have read numerous Seth Godin and Dan Pink blogs and books, and am a daily viewer of Squawk Box on CNBC, it does not prepare me to be a business owner.

I have my expertise. I am a master educator, but that does not translate to being an expert in business. I'm smart enough to know that I need help to be my best — because mediocre is not good enough. Don’t you agree?