Every day you spend focused on running your business. Being a small business owner is a juggling act. You’re doing everything, but not everything is getting done.

Never mind planning and putting in place strategies for new business or reviewing processes and streamlining operations. You may never get around to those things.

This sums up what it was like in the first few years of owning my business.  I kept an exhaustive list of things that needed to be done and worked an amazing number of hours to accomplish everything.  But somehow, not everything was taken care of.  I’d cross something off the list, only to have two more appear.

So, I began to hire consultants to help me move my business forward.  And I was able to mark the most urgent items off my list.

Bringing in outside assistance does more than help with the heavy lifting.  An external perspective helps open up new possibilities. They can observe negative habits that aren’t apparent to you or your employees, or they can spot ways to work more efficiently. They will help you learn where improvements can be made and will assist in setting out plans and getting them executed.

Consultants help take away distractions and keep you focused on the company’s goals and the business’s true objective. Being focused on the minutiae of the day-to-day can distract any entrepreneur from their overall business plan.

Another role that a consultant brings is as a sounding board. Every business owner needs an ear. Someone they can talk to, bounce ideas off of, voice their concerns, gain feedback, and make more educated decisions. In this way entrepreneurs develop additional business skills and knowledge.

Even with all the ups and downs, twists and turns, highs and lows and everything in-between, entrepreneurs love what they do. We love working for ourselves, love seeing our efforts come to fruition, and love providing opportunities for other people as well.

No one is good at everything and no one can do everything. Leverage an outside resource that complements you and your team’s skills. Being an entrepreneur is stressful enough -- don’t create more stress by thinking you can do everything single-handedly.