It’s okay to ask for help!

Why is it that, as entrepreneurs in business, we think we are expected to know everything there is to know in our chosen fields, when in life that would never be the case? We are always learning, and in fact, it’s important to keep ourselves open to new ideas, new ways of doing things, it’s what keeps our businesses and our minds fresh. That’s why it’s okay to ask for help and advice from other people who may be more experienced or who come with a different perspective to our own. And we need to stop worrying that by asking for help, people will view us differently. We need to put our pride aside and simply admit that we don’t have the answers, or our ideas have dried up, or our perspective has temporarily disappeared and we need some support to look at a situation with fresh eyes. Asking for external help can sometimes provide a competitive advantage too, particularly if you are trying to get a new product or service out to market and you need to tap into a wealth of specialist knowledge and expertise from those who have been there and done it before you. As South African entrepreneur, Benji Coetzee, founder of EmptyTrips says, "Don't be scared to ask. You will be surprised how willing people are to help, when you humble yourself."